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It sounds like a good idea although some water companies are not that happy with an end user putting water back into the supply. Technically the pipe under your
by Neil44 9y ago
It sounds like a good idea although some water companies are not that happy with an end user putting water back into the supply. Technically the pipe under your sink is open all the way back to the reservoir or whatever so there’s potential for system contamination there. Systems are usually designed so that syphoning cannot happen if there’s a temporary supply problem also. This is why cisterns are fed noisily from the top rather than quietly from the bottom.
- askvictor 9y agoA cistern could be fed from the bottom as long as there is a length of pipe going up (to the highest level of water) then back down. Or using a valve/backflow preventer.
- Doxin 9y agoA length of pipe like that wouldn't prevent the supply sucking back water though. So that doesn't solve the whole contamination issue.
- Neil44 9y agoYes the pipe would need to rise from the cistern up to higher than the level of the resevoir, which would not always be practical. The resevoir would not then be able to fill the cistern over that loop :)
- askvictor 9y agoRight you are; I hadn't considered that if the pipe is always full of water then gravity doesn't matter (as much)
- ovi256 9y agoThere's a one way valve on the water pipe coming into in your home, precisely to avoid contamination. It's right before the water meter.