I have had a similar system for 10 years with no problems with the drain pipe or barrel . I have had to replace the garden hose a few times due to lawn mower accidents or lint buildup . Someone mentioned your diverter valves and what happens if you goof and turn both valves off . He's my solution to the problem , Use a vertical standpipe extension with a valve near where it connects to the top of your house standpipe and a "T" midway that extends towards your storage tank . With the valve open water flows down the house drain , with the valve closed water backs up into the storage tank . You cannot get the valve in a position that will stop the washing machine from draining . Take your "T" and turn it the other way producing a vertical standpipe and eliminate the valve on the left . I used a larger black ABS pipe . That's my suggestion and I'm sticking to it ! :)
I want to add my thanks for sharing the well thought thru application of the piping along with your research of the detergent. It looks like you installed the valves so that they could easily be replaced as that particular valve is known for failing after a few years. Jesus bless you for your time and efforts.
Brad...Thank you for posting this neat video. Great. I will incorporate this near my washer as it is located inside while my rain barrel is located just outside the washing machine. I will incorporate your ideas and also incorporate my idea so that the barrel has a built-in filter prior to the faucet/hose connection. Again, thank you.
When I was a kid we had a maytag wringer washer. We first pumped water from the pitcher pump in the kitchen into a round tub on the wood stove,got it hot,then moved it to the washer with a big long tub of rinse water beside it all done with buckets. We washed the first load with bleach for the whites and gradually worked through the entire laundry using the same wash water and the same rinse water. We'd sometimes do 15 loads in the same water. The bleach kept the water clean of microbes. Worked like a charm. When finished we would use the waste wash water to wash off the back porch. I still think there are places that use wringer washers because water is scarce.
Very clean plumbing set up and others have commented on a vacuum relief valve. Two major issues I have seen, first and foremost is that grey water storage is not legal since it turns to black water within 24 hours. This is a major health concern. Second issue is the vacuum relief, in my research you have a good chance of creating suction and ruining your washer without the relief. Third you may have 1 1/4" hose from the washer but it drains into 2" pipe in the wall. Dropping down to 1" pipe may increase your out put pressure but you are now restricting the washers ability to drain properly. I really do like your valve idea.
Hey man. Thanks for this video. Question, is there a way to include a water pump into the gray water tanks and use this to hook up to a pressure washer or at least a hose?
The only thing I see from my experience using rainbarrels is I would want the barrels side by side at a height better for gravity feed. If your storage barrels are on a patio that is much higher than the lawn area then one on top of the other would work. Also as a 71 yr old Sr. Blonde I would want the connection to be a two headed to accommodate two garden hoses, or one for filling a bucket and the other with a hose connected. With the drainage hose higher it would be easier on the back utilizing the connection. Very easy to understand your directions, thank you for sharing.
Thanks for taking the time to post this video. I would like to use my grey water for my garden. I have the perfect setup the way my property slopes to do this and I'm wondering if grey water can be used for this ?
I love your video thank you for sharing. Question: When you have the line that goes of to the sewer drain pipe closed and are only only using the line that goes to the outside wouldn't you need a studor vent to prevent your washer pump from over working and causing it to fail do to to much pressure to build up? Also would you mind giving me a list of the things I would need to buy and also if you recommend me adding the studor vent.
Hi! Not sure if you're still replying to this video but I couldn't help but notice how CLEAN your plumbing job is! How did you get the pipe joints and adapters to not show glue? I like how it's not oozing out but has it stayed tight over the years? Thanks for the great inspiration.
Thanks for the video Brad. I am curious about why you need two storage containers. Also, can grey water be diverted directly into your lawn or plants without any storage?
Very practical sounding video - complete from plumbing to plant watering and gotchas. Can you recommend a source for total - including septic water recycling - or pros and cons? Tkx
Both thumbs up for your very informative vídeo! I only wish more companies made bio-compatible detergents.The Oasis brand sets a good standard, though it's a bit expensive for me (I'd have to import it into my country).
Thanks for the great video! Love the plumbing setup and the info on biocompatibility. I do have a question though on your storage. Not sure about your jurisdiction but in a lot of places (Like Washington State) you can’t store grey water without a filtration/purification system, which tends to make legally storing grey water prohibitively expensive. I do plan on copying your gorgeous plumbing setup though!
Hi I'm getting ready to put in my gray water set up Im using your example on your video. I'm going off of my washer and piping it though the wall to a tank out side. from there I'm putting a hose on the tank and then continue the pipe that goes under the side walk and to my earth island. I'm excited. I plain to expand to my entire yard.
Nice system. however it looks like when the water goes to the holding tank it will create stagnant water at the T junction. I think this stagnant water is a problem or not?
Awesome video! What do you think about a 5-10 micron filter? Use a filter to get the soap out, use a 20psi water pump to filter it thought, then hook it up to the sprinklers? The water will eventually go back to the water table, and be used to make green lawn! Good video :)
I followed your instructions for a temporary set up - just proof of concept - it was great! Put now for some reason the water is shooting up through the top (where the washing machine hose enters the PVC pipe - do you have any recommendations for sealing that area? I see in your video you have something rubber?
You probably have lint in your pipes somewhere. Or you do not have enough air space between your washing machine hose and your drain pipe (when it enters the drain pipe there needs to be an air space. Try augering through your pipe to get rid of any blockage. Then flush with water. If it is clear, put your washing machine hose into the pipe in such a way that you have some air between the hose and the pipe. I hope this helps.
Hi we have our bathtub drain hooked up to greywater: Doctor Bronner's soap is excellent, and there are other good ones, but also I wanted to recommend Beekman 1802 which is a company making soaps and shampoos from goat milk. The Beekman products might look a little more high end and expensive but the soap cakes are HUUUUGE and you get so many more washings out of them than a usual cake of soap. My Mom and I ordered from QVC with the "special value" on autoship and so the price of this very very nice soap is actually very affordable since we share the shipment between our 2 families. That goat soap is the only soap my Mom can use on her sensitive skin and the pH is identical to human skin and very gentle. And the plants just love it. Good luck! Plants don't like all the sodium from typical soap / shampoos that contain sodium laureth sulfate and sodium... other compounds typical of many mass produced products.
Can you try and make it bigger like from all the water in the house just the the wash you would turn it of when you don’t want that water to be collected
I have the greatest portion of my project finished now for the washing machine water. It is going out to the yard. Now for the portion of the project to distributing the water through the rest of the yard is next. California is in another draught and this should be supported by the State.
You can use the solid/powder detergent packed in the cardboard and dissolve it in the water. That's the way to get the liquid detergent that won't scrub your synthetic clothes and thus no plastic microfibers in the waste waters. Also none plastic container in the environment.
Very clever valve system. How do you attach the end of the washer drain hose into the 1" coupling? The coupling's inside diameter is 1 and 1/4 ", the drain hose end is 1 and 1/8", so it's a very loose fitting. Please explain.
Good question! What you are seeing is not a standard coupling. It is an adapter with one side that fits on 1" pipe and the other side is a barb fitting that the drain hose fits on. It is a very tight fit and if you look closely in the video, you can see the end of the drain hose is bulged slightly. I found the adapter in the plumbing section at either Home Depot or Lowes, so it's not a special order part. Hope this cleared it up for you and thanks for watching.
Cool man. I am doing a project that includes grey water recycling and I was wondering if the set up you have is safe after 24 hours of being in the barrel if it does not go through a filtering system of some sort. Or do you not need it because the washing detergent is biocompatible? In any case, cool simple set up. thanks
Why not just use a single valve on the bottom line to prevent accidentally having both closed. If the valve is open then gravity will pull most if not all the water down to the sewer and if it is closed then all the water will go to the storage tank.
Perhaps the valve in the horizontal line is the only one required. If it is open, most of the water goes to the storage tank and some to the sewer. If it is closed, all the water goes to the sewer. The pipe to the sewer has to be above the horizontal line in my proposed configuration so the gravity helps filling the storage tanks.
Untreated greywater can quickly get smelly. If I had a tank of water with a bad odor, I would lay pipes for diffusing the water through a garden bed one foot or more below the surface and then plant above it. You should not then notice an odor unless, of course, there is so much water that it creates bog-like conditions.
In Arizona you cannot store grey water. You can only store rainwater. Your grey water must go directly on plants or n the sewer. Where do you purchase your Oasis soap.
Love the BIOCOMPATIBLE commentary. I use a stationary (utility) sink to collect laundry water in buckets. I get enough full buckets to flush the toilet with for most of a week.
Great video. . .to this day I'll never understand why someone hasn't come up with a system to re-use this greywater as in a filtration type system. So much of this world needs water and this idiot country seems to have no problem flushing good drinking water into the sewer systems. . .just sayin. I live alone in the woods and recycle everything I can. No I'm not off the grid but working on it.
that detergent your showing is f'ng expensive! Most people would not spent $39+ on detergent. Has to be another brand thats substantially cheaper or some way to filter.
Bad, bad, bad. Too many valves to turn, and no explanations were added to any of the comment questions. Also too much Bla, bla, bla . . . get to the facts jack.
I have had a similar system for 10 years with no problems with the drain pipe or barrel . I have had to replace the garden hose a few times due to lawn mower accidents or lint buildup . Someone mentioned your diverter valves and what happens if you goof and turn both valves off . He's my solution to the problem , Use a vertical standpipe extension with a valve near where it connects to the top of your house standpipe and a "T" midway that extends towards your storage tank . With the valve open water flows down the house drain , with the valve closed water backs up into the storage tank . You cannot get the valve in a position that will stop the washing machine from draining . Take your "T" and turn it the other way producing a vertical standpipe and eliminate the valve on the left . I used a larger black ABS pipe . That's my suggestion and I'm sticking to it ! :)
I loved to learn the difference between biodegradable and bio compatible!
Thanks! My old house has no drainage to the sewer and this is a great solution
Thanks so much for the video! I really like your switch valve system! Good information. Thanks again!
thanks for letting me know about the soap!
This was SO helpful. We are getting ready to put in our own system. Thanks again!
Thanks for the awesome tips. I'm going to set this up for my house, I'll let you know how it goes!
very nicely done, and you explained it so well too!
Great information, thank you! Sure appreciate you presenting that detergent too.
the two valves configuration ....good idea
I want to add my thanks for sharing the well thought thru application of the piping along with your research of the detergent. It looks like you installed the valves so that they could easily be replaced as that particular valve is known for failing after a few years. Jesus bless you for your time and efforts.
good job on the video! simple and straight forward.
Thank you for this idea. I put it to use in my house and it works great.
Brad...Thank you for posting this neat video. Great. I will incorporate this near my washer as it is located inside while my rain barrel is located just outside the washing machine. I will incorporate your ideas and also incorporate my idea so that the barrel has a built-in filter prior to the faucet/hose connection. Again, thank you.
Brad, where did you purchase your very neat PVC shut off valves and 3 way valve. Thanks
A lot of good information here, thanks for the video.
Wow, great video! Thanks for taking the time to make it.
Thanks for a great video, it will make my system easier to install. have a wonderful day.
When I was a kid we had a maytag wringer washer. We first pumped water from the pitcher pump in the kitchen into a round tub on the wood stove,got it hot,then moved it to the washer with a big long tub of rinse water beside it all done with buckets. We washed the first load with bleach for the whites and gradually worked through the entire laundry using the same wash water and the same rinse water. We'd sometimes do 15 loads in the same water.
The bleach kept the water clean of microbes. Worked like a charm. When finished we would use the waste wash water to wash off the back porch. I still think there are places that use wringer washers because water is scarce.
Very clean plumbing set up and others have commented on a vacuum relief valve. Two major issues I have seen, first and foremost is that grey water storage is not legal since it turns to black water within 24 hours. This is a major health concern. Second issue is the vacuum relief, in my research you have a good chance of creating suction and ruining your washer without the relief. Third you may have 1 1/4" hose from the washer but it drains into 2" pipe in the wall. Dropping down to 1" pipe may increase your out put pressure but you are now restricting the washers ability to drain properly.
I really do like your valve idea.
Good information especially about soap products. Thank you.
Awesome video, very helpful information. Thanks man ! ✌️😀
Great system - the mulch also reduces garden moisture evaporation - I'll try my own setup - Australia is in drought still.
Hey man. Thanks for this video. Question, is there a way to include a water pump into the gray water tanks and use this to hook up to a pressure washer or at least a hose?
The only thing I see from my experience using rainbarrels is I would want the barrels side by side at a height better for gravity feed. If your storage barrels are on a patio that is much higher than the lawn area then one on top of the other would work. Also as a 71 yr old Sr. Blonde I would want the connection to be a two headed to accommodate two garden hoses, or one for filling a bucket and the other with a hose connected. With the drainage hose higher it would be easier on the back utilizing the connection. Very easy to understand your directions, thank you for sharing.
I would like to see a different valve setup so either position the 1 valve would recycle or drain outside as a failsafe
Sharing information again and thank you
Thanks for taking the time to post this video. I would like to use my grey water for my garden. I have the perfect setup the way my property slopes to do this and I'm wondering if grey water can be used for this ?
I love your video thank you for sharing.
Question: When you have the line that goes of to the sewer drain pipe closed and are only only using the line that goes to the outside wouldn't you need a studor vent to prevent your washer pump from over working and causing it to fail do to to much pressure to build up? Also would you mind giving me a list of the things I would need to buy and also if you recommend me adding the studor vent.
Hi! Not sure if you're still replying to this video but I couldn't help but notice how CLEAN your plumbing job is! How did you get the pipe joints and adapters to not show glue? I like how it's not oozing out but has it stayed tight over the years?
Thanks for the great inspiration.
Thanks for the video Brad. I am curious about why you need two storage containers. Also, can grey water be diverted directly into your lawn or plants without any storage?
I would like to implement this in my own laudry room. Do you have a list of supplies? That would be very helpful. Thanks.
What fitting did you use to connect the washer drain hose to you 1" pvc pipe?
Thank you.
Nice video! Did you put any sand and stones in the green gallons for filtering? Thanks
Thanks for sharing. You think I can use the recycled water on lawns without additional precautions?
Very practical sounding video - complete from plumbing to plant watering and gotchas. Can you recommend a source for total - including septic water recycling - or pros and cons? Tkx
Great video! How much did it cost you and do you know a company that offer the service?
Good information - thanks for the video.
The best vedio... Thank you..
Both thumbs up for your very informative vídeo! I only wish more companies made bio-compatible detergents.The Oasis brand sets a good standard, though it's a bit expensive for me (I'd have to import it into my country).
You need a non-return valve near the tee point and a overflow near the top of the top drum
Awesome vid, ty
if you flip one of the valves you could link them with little bars on the ends of the handles.
Do you need a pressure relief valve in the system like some sites say. They say without one you will ruin the washing machine.
Thanks for the great video! Love the plumbing setup and the info on biocompatibility. I do have a question though on your storage. Not sure about your jurisdiction but in a lot of places (Like Washington State) you can’t store grey water without a filtration/purification system, which tends to make legally storing grey water prohibitively expensive. I do plan on copying your gorgeous plumbing setup though!
thanks you dude! great info
Hi I'm getting ready to put in my gray water set up Im using your example on your video. I'm going off of my washer and piping it though the wall to a tank out side. from there I'm putting a hose on the tank and then continue the pipe that goes under the side walk and to my earth island. I'm excited. I plain to expand to my entire yard.
Great job on the video, very informative! Did you fill the drums with any gravel, sand or filtering material?
great vid.
i got an A on my project with this video :D
Im trying to come up with a grey water shower any ideas?
Nice system. however it looks like when the water goes to the holding tank it will create stagnant water at the T junction. I think this stagnant water is a problem or not?
Can you reuse the water again for laundry use only?
What a great idea. Do you know if the Oasis soap can be ingested by humans or animals?
Great idea. I just wish it was easier to do this on a mobile home. California is in the middle of another draught.
Awesome video! What do you think about a 5-10 micron filter? Use a filter to get the soap out, use a 20psi water pump to filter it thought, then hook it up to the sprinklers? The water will eventually go back to the water table, and be used to make green lawn! Good video :)
Tyler Petit someone should make a video about the and if it works great idea
holy crap its a cylon! chief tyrol whats up dawg lol!
I thought he looked like tyrol, and sounded like seth rogen.. (meant as compliment only)
subscribed, always wanted to set up things systems like this.
Just buying a home,))
dgxxhchcuvyihhoy
Do you have a comprehensive list of supplies that you could share?
Thanks
Tks for the video. Your grey water collection reservoir are outside. In which climate do you live?
only 1 thing is missing , the overflow on the outside. it is very important, otherwise the water will back up in to the washing machine.
Hi I don't know anything about the overflow - I would like to learn more, thank you - S
Great 👍 man
I followed your instructions for a temporary set up - just proof of concept - it was great! Put now for some reason the water is shooting up through the top (where the washing machine hose enters the PVC pipe - do you have any recommendations for sealing that area? I see in your video you have something rubber?
You probably have lint in your pipes somewhere. Or you do not have enough air space between your washing machine hose and your drain pipe (when it enters the drain pipe there needs to be an air space.
Try augering through your pipe to get rid of any blockage. Then flush with water. If it is clear, put your washing machine hose into the pipe in such a way that you have some air between the hose and the pipe.
I hope this helps.
Any recommendations in southern ca
which bacteria should be use in plant
Wanted to know what are your thoughts on the detergent ECOS? It is a detergent sold at Costco. It meet the Safer Choice EPA safer product standards.
What do you use for body soap that can be used in the system?
Hi we have our bathtub drain hooked up to greywater: Doctor Bronner's soap is excellent, and there are other good ones, but also I wanted to recommend Beekman 1802 which is a company making soaps and shampoos from goat milk. The Beekman products might look a little more high end and expensive but the soap cakes are HUUUUGE and you get so many more washings out of them than a usual cake of soap. My Mom and I ordered from QVC with the "special value" on autoship and so the price of this very very nice soap is actually very affordable since we share the shipment between our 2 families. That goat soap is the only soap my Mom can use on her sensitive skin and the pH is identical to human skin and very gentle. And the plants just love it. Good luck! Plants don't like all the sodium from typical soap / shampoos that contain sodium laureth sulfate and sodium... other compounds typical of many mass produced products.
Can you reuse gray water if you filter it
Can you try and make it bigger like from all the water in the house just the the wash you would turn it of when you don’t want that water to be collected
Thank you
I have the greatest portion of my project finished now for the washing machine water. It is going out to the yard. Now for the portion of the project to distributing the water through the rest of the yard is next. California is in another draught and this should be supported by the State.
does this Oasis company make a cruelty version of detergent?
Cheers Mate usefull
You can use the solid/powder detergent packed in the cardboard and dissolve it in the water. That's the way to get the liquid detergent that won't scrub your synthetic clothes and thus no plastic microfibers in the waste waters. Also none plastic container in the environment.
Very clever valve system. How do you attach the end of the washer drain hose into the 1" coupling? The coupling's inside diameter is 1 and 1/4 ", the drain hose end is 1 and 1/8", so it's a very loose fitting. Please explain.
Good question! What you are seeing is not a standard coupling. It is an adapter with one side that fits on 1" pipe and the other side is a barb fitting that the drain hose fits on. It is a very tight fit and if you look closely in the video, you can see the end of the drain hose is bulged slightly. I found the adapter in the plumbing section at either Home Depot or Lowes, so it's not a special order part. Hope this cleared it up for you and thanks for watching.
Cool man. I am doing a project that includes grey water recycling and I was wondering if the set up you have is safe after 24 hours of being in the barrel if it does not go through a filtering system of some sort. Or do you not need it because the washing detergent is biocompatible? In any case, cool simple set up. thanks
Why not just use a single valve on the bottom line to prevent accidentally having both closed. If the valve is open then gravity will pull most if not all the water down to the sewer and if it is closed then all the water will go to the storage tank.
Perhaps the valve in the horizontal line is the only one required. If it is open, most of the water goes to the storage tank and some to the sewer. If it is closed, all the water goes to the sewer. The pipe to the sewer has to be above the horizontal line in my proposed configuration so the gravity helps filling the storage tanks.
How do I save bathtub water????
Interested in...could you please give guide lines?
Can we store grey water for like one week in a container and then use it to water some plants?
Untreated greywater can quickly get smelly. If I had a tank of water with a bad odor, I would lay pipes for diffusing the water through a garden bed one foot or more below the surface and then plant above it. You should not then notice an odor unless, of course, there is so much water that it creates bog-like conditions.
In Arizona you cannot store grey water. You can only store rainwater. Your grey water must go directly on plants or n the sewer. Where do you purchase your Oasis soap.
Is it a legal mandate?
Love the BIOCOMPATIBLE commentary. I use a stationary (utility) sink to collect laundry water in buckets. I get enough full buckets to flush the toilet with for most of a week.
Nothing in the drums to filter the water?
DOES ANYONE HAVE A BIOCOMPATIBLE, EFFECTIVE LAUNDRY DETERGENT RECIPE?
you didn't find the need for an AAV on the line going out to the tanks? No concern about syphoning?
Alkaline or acidic?
Most detergents will result in the water being alkaline.
Great video. . .to this day I'll never understand why someone hasn't come up with a system to re-use this greywater as in a filtration type system. So much of this world needs water and this idiot country seems to have no problem flushing good drinking water into the sewer systems. . .just sayin. I live alone in the woods and recycle everything I can. No I'm not off the grid but working on it.
By the way I like your set-up, so far one of the neatest I have viewed yet.
I was expecting to see the system
2:17 the fact that that can even happen is kind of fail. Use a bypass valve instead.
***** I was thinking the same thing, use one bypass. Because it would ruin your day if, when using two valves, both were closed by mistake.
that detergent your showing is f'ng expensive! Most people would not spent $39+ on detergent. Has to be another brand thats substantially cheaper or some way to filter.
I don't see the recycling... You just using rain water to wash your laundry.. Were is the recycling..
This setup is wrong. You need a two way valve, not two valves that can cause a flood. You also need a vent. Look at the This Old House video.
Personally, I like my water with an added risk of cholera!
make a video on how the system works.do you have to turn the mother fucking valve on before the final rinse or what?
Also are you a homosexual?
Bad, bad, bad. Too many valves to turn, and no explanations were added to any of the comment questions. Also too much Bla, bla, bla . . . get to the facts jack.