Index

• System Design
• Overview
• Requirements
• Components
• Gutter + Downspouts
• Design
• Leaf Eater
• Installation
• First Flush Filter
• Concept
• Existing Kit
• Design
• 3D Printing List
• SMEs list
• Utilities BOM

Purification System Concept 1

Sieve

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Utility Room

Tote

Digester

Float Switch to pump

½“ water line

Tote

Sand Filter

Digester

Charcoal Filter

First Flush Filter

50 Mesh Filter

Overflow to bottom tote

Overflow to Aquaponics

24V power line

Overflow to pond directly via gutters

Rainwater Systems Requirements

Towards the Most Integrated Water System in the World

• Oxyhydrogen production for manufacturing
• Oxygen production for agriculture and manufacturing
• Hydrogen production for energy
• Mycoremediation
• Greywater purification

Later Phases

• Used for drinking and household water
• Does not cover agriculture operations
• 2 week reserve capacity in cisterns @ 40 gallons/day
• Can perform in freezing weather -
• Overflow is considered from heavy rains
• First flush diverter sends first-flush water back to catchment pond
• Requires zero maintenance for up to one month
• Does not require more than 4 hours of maintenance per year
• Potable water meets or exceeds industry standards
• Adequate pressure is provided for household purposes
• Meets or exceeds the water component of the Living Building Challenge
• Does not use energy outside of gravity
• Open source + IoT data collection for water quality and purity
• Power Outage Backup for case of fire which uses water to put out fire
• Backup generator for main fire hydrant
• Only the fire hydrant is connected to power in a fire emergency

Water Purification Panel: P8 + B8

Rainwater Catchment to Cistern P8 + B12

Pond Pumping

Water Pressure

Hot Water

Sequencing

Freeze proof hydrant

Rainwater Catchment Calculations

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• 2 rainwater cisterns have a total of 275x2 or 550 gallon capacity
• 80-100 gallons per day usage average in the USA
• Toilet is highest - and then it’s showers
• Without water conservation - an off-grid water system will not work well
• 30,000 gallon pond - 50% drained - gets you 150 days of storage at average use
• However, the filter system will be taxed heavily - so frequent backflushing or filter replacement will happen unless the design is smart
• Only up to 1 week of storage in a 550 gallon reserve for 1 person

Practical Water-Saving Strategies

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• Shower - average is 17 gallons at 2 gpm
• Solution - Bricor ultra water saving shower head at .625 gallons per minute
• 12 gallons saved
• Toilet - average person flushes 5 times per day and uses 31% of household water
• With 1.6/0.8 dual flush - 5 gallons per day
• Solution - separating toilet - with .2 gallon flush for a total of 1.6+.8~ 2.5 gallons per day
• 2.5 gallons saved per day
• Dishwashing?
• Install open source water meters everywhere to see how we are doing: kitchen sink, shower, toilet, bathroom sink, washer, overall. If you can measure it, you can improve it! And it turns into gamification as you IoT it.
• Install IoT display on the OBI site and OSE wiki
• Goal: 25 gallons of water per day - should be plenty.

Conservative Realistic Scenario

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• Shower - 5 min at .625 = 3 gal
• Toilet - 2.5 gal
• Dishes - 6 min at .75 gal/min - 5 gal
• Laundry - 4 gal
• Sink - 3 min at .75 gal/min - 2.5 gal

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17 gallons + aquaponics

Aquaponics water use - needs to be determined

See also water use calculator

Rainwater Catchment Breakdown

The Most Integrated Water System in the World

Cistern

Rooftop Catchment

Water Purification Panel

Surface Pond

First Flush Filter

Overflow

Weep Hole to Pond

Surface water supplementation

Gravity Water Outlet if power goes out

Gross Filtering

Ozonator

Monitoring

Water System Stages and Purity Levels

The Most Integrated Water System in the World

Bulk Surface Water

Outdoor Catchment Pond

- Window screen strainer for hydrant water

- 50 mesh filter

- Garden watering hydrant

- Aquaponic Pond Filling

Roof Catchment

Raw Usage + Bulk Filter

Sources

Cistern

Sand Filter

Filter Bank

Storage

Ozonator

- Toilet flushing

- Kitchen

- Bathroom

- Drinking water

Purification

Seed Eco-Home Gutter - Costs $250

Only up to Downspouts

50’+ 32’+ 13’ Long on 3 Roofs

1073 gallons/inch of rain

1720 sf of roof x 144 / 231 = 1073

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Support Bracket

every 2’ -3.3’

[50] total - $150

[17] - greenhouse

[26] - main roof

[7] - utility room

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[10] total - $38

[3.2] sections - greenhouse

[5] sections - house

[1.3] sections - utility room

5’ left over

50’

32’

13’

Drop Outlet

[3] total - $18

Installation Guide

Gutter Connectors

[8] total - $30

[3] - greenhouse

[4] - house

[1] - utility room

End Caps

[6] total - $16

2 for each roof

50’x20’=1000sf

32’x16’=512sf

13’x16’=208 sf

Downspout Calculations - Greenhouse

See Design PDF:

• 7.4”/hr 10 year rain in Kansas City
• Allowable 160 sq ft roof per sq in of downspout
• Downspout requirement is thus:
• Main Roof, 1000 sf - 6.25 sq in gutter
• Perfect fit - 2.5”x2.5” square gutter!
• 3” PVC is 7.1 sq in
• Need 10.6 sq in downspout for 1700 sf of catchment
• 4” pipe is sufficient (12.6 sq in)

Online Gutter Calculator

Downspout Detail - Greenhouse

Greenhouse

Edge

Downspout Converter from square to 3” PVC

3” PVC

3” Elbow

hanger

hanger

gutter

connector

North to

Cistern

Downspout Detail - House

Southwest Edge of House

Downspout Converter from square to 3” PVC.

Replace with Open Source Leaf Blocker

3” PVC

3” Elbow

hanger

hanger

gutter

connector

To Main 4”

Rainwater Feed Pipe

3” PVC

Downspout Detail Into Utility Room + Cistern

Northwest Edge of Utility Room

3” PVC

3”-4”-4” Tee

Southwest Edge of Utility Room

4” PVC

4” PVC

...

From House + Greenhouse

4” Elbow into Utility Room

Into Cistern

Entering from the Top

3D Print for Leak-Proof Fit

4” PVC

4” tee and first flush diverter

Open Source Leaf Blocker

• Eliminates leaves and insects from entering the water system
• See industry standards -11” tall. Too Tall.
• Need to 3D print a custom version so it is shorter, as we have to keep it to ~12” from the downspout to the bottom of bend:

12” max to bottom of bend

Gutter Height Requirements

3 Leaf Eater Downspouts:

• Greenhouse
• Utility Room
• Main House

8’ high walls

1.5” Top Plate

5.5” wide

Debris Filter

Greenhouse Debris Filter Detail

Debris Filter

Front View of Greenhouse

4” gutter

3” DVW PVC Pipe

to Cistern

Leaf Eater Grate

Pipe hung directly on side of greenhouse

Debris is stopped by grate + screen

Gutter goes all the way to the greenhouse edge

West edge of greenhouse

Top Plate

Front of Greenhouse Roof Panel

5.5”

Pipe goes North

to Cistern

Mid is located 3” below the 8’ panel top.

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Debris Filter Design

Front View

Requirements

• Design is 3D printable in ABS, with a 6”x6”x6” print area
• Geometry is as simple as possible for a 3D print
• 2 designs are needed for the Seed Eco-Home: left + bottom exit of 3” pipe
• 1” long female flange for pipe connection in Left Exit case to accept pipe
• 1” long male flange for pipe connection in Bottom Exit case to accept female elbow
• Exit flanges fit 3” DVW PVC pipe
• OD of 3” pipe is 3.5”
• Grate holds large debris, debris is washed off by water entering Debris Filter
• Aluminum window screen is used
• Grate has a grooved perimeter such that aluminum screen can be inserted, just like window screen
• Grate slats are 3mm by ¾” tall, and spaced ¾”
• Pipe is 1” away from back of debris filter
• Design mounting allows for gutter on one side of house, and Debris Filter outlet pipe along a 90 degree wall from there.
• With bottom outlet and 90 degree DVW,

Flange is 1” long Female,

pipe is inserted 1”

Left exit

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Bottom

exit

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Side View

Back of Debris Filter

Flange is 1” long Male to accept a female elbow

Angle of grateis steeper in bottom exit case

Foam core Pipe Specs

Debris Filter Design

3mm grate slabs

¾” space between slabs

Slabs 1” tall

Front View

Gutter Direction into Page

6”

pipe sleeve for 3” female DVW PVC

3” DVW PVC

PVC Clamp

1”

Requirements:

• Open Source 3D printed part
• Can be printed on a 6”x6”x6” print bed
• Aluminum screen can be replaced
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6” Width

Flange for fixing aluminum screen

Top of Debris Filter

4” so that if connected to 4” pipe upstream, does not overspill.

Debris Filter Design - Utility Room

Front View

Bottom

exit

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Side View

Back of Debris Filter

90 degree street elbow or 90 degree elbow was not used because it is too tall - an NDS vent elbow is the shortest, favored option. ABS Vent Elbow is special order at Menards.Another Short 90 Deg Vent Elbow.

Overall Height - Vent Elbow

Bottom

Exit

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6”

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• Height to mid of delivery pipe = 6”+2”

~ 8”

• 8” is the minimum distance from top of Debris Filter to mid of Vent pipe below

1-7/8”

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Overall Height + Leaf Eater Types

Utility Room

8’ high walls

(above sill plate)

• Bottom of gutter is 2” above soffit, but approximately even with 8’ high wall level
• Distance from bottom of Utility Room gutter, or 8’ wall height mark, to mid point of Main Pipe is 8”

Main Delivery Pipe

8”

Gutter bottom is at top of greenhouse bond beam

Midpoint of pipe is 4.5” below gutter

Greenhouse

Bond Beam

Needs Bottom Vent Elbow Because side exit from leaf eater would be too high for Main Delivery Pipe

No downspout.

Bottom Exit + 90deg Vent Elbow.

Leaf Eater faces South for easy leaf eater cleaning.

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Downspout.

Bottom Exit + 90deg Elbow.

Leaf Eater faces West for leaves not falling on greenhouse roof.

No Dwonspout.

Bottom Exit + 90deg Elbow.

Leaf Eater faces West for easy leaf eater cleaning

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Overall Height

Main Delivery Pipe

9.5”

Bottom-exit Debris Filter under standard downspout with street elbow to main house

Left Side Exit Debris Filter at end of gutter with exit going North against greenhouse

3” pipe

3” pipe

4” pipe

Tee into cistern, inputs from Main and Utility Roof feeds

Utility Room

Need this detail. See next page.

Bottom Exit Debris Filter

Utility Room Detail

Utility Room Roof

gutter

Pipe Against the Wall

Mid is 4” below 8’ panel top.

4” DVW pipe is 4.5” OD

Top of 8’

panels

1.75”

Mid point of Leaf Eater exit pipe is 4.5” below top of leaf eater - just about lined up with 4” main pipe

4”

4.5”

Slight issue - if 4” delivery pipe is completely full, there may be leakage out of the Leaf Eater

First Flush

Diverter

Elbow going into utility room

Cistern overflow to surface pond

First Flush Diverter - Concept Only

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7’

8” PVC Pipe

• Divert 10-50 gallons per 1000 sf roof
• Using 8” PVC, get 18 gallons per 7’
• Cost: $53 for parts not inluding PVC
• (water flow from 3 roofs - concept only)

First Flush Diverter

• 3 foot section of 4″ Schedule 40 PVC pipe holds approx. 2 gallons of water
• Recommended: 50 gallon drainage per 1000 sf of roof area- heavy pollution
• 1700 sf - so drain 85 gallons
• Use 40’ of 4” pipe
• Each 1” of rain produces 1072 gallons
• Fill volume = 550 gallons, so ~ ½” of rain is enough to fill cistern

Kansas City Rainfall

Instructions

First Flush Detail

Utility Room Roof

gutter

Ball + Seat

Ball Grate prevents ball from going past bend

Screen

Unscrewable Cap

⅛” weep hole

32’ pf pipe after bend + 8’ vertical

6 total elbows

Corrugated drainage pipe to surface pond

elbow

elbow

Gutter Cheatsheet - 50’, 32’, 13’

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[10] total:

[3.2] sections - greenhouse

[5] sections - main house

[1.3] sections - utility room

5’ left over

Support Bracket

every 2’ -3.3’

[50] total - $150

[17] - greenhouse

[26] - main roof

[7] - utility room

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Drop Outlet

[3] total - $18

Installation Guide

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Gutter Connectors

[8] total - $30

[3] - greenhouse

[4] - house

[1] - utility room

End Caps

[6] total - $16

2 for each roof

Support Bracket

every 2’ -3.3’

[50] total - $150

[17] - greenhouse

[26] - main roof

[7] - utility room

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• Need to double up on hangers - every 2’ at greenhouse

link

Gluing Instructions

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• Special cement is used. $7.28

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• Next: 2.5” square to PVC connection

3D Printing List

• Leaf Eater - $30x3
• First Flush Diverter - $30 - it’s just a tee that fits a floating ball - perfect territory for 3D printing. The other end is the exit - which is a closeable lid with a screen that prevents the small exit (⅛” irrigation tubing) from getting clogged

Subject Matter Expert Requests

• Arduino Touchscreen LCD - for systems monitoring display