Creative Water Storage For Tight Spaces

A mammoth rain water tank in Adelaide is an effective, Eco-friendly choice for water harvesting. Unfortunately, it has a few downsides, one of which is its enormous size. The good news is that in the last few years, designers have been flexing their creative muscles in an effort to create more appealing, space saving solutions that can be marketed to a broader range of customers.

Slimline tanks have been around for a while now, and they are still as popular as ever for their sleek design that fits on almost any property. They are often slotted down the side of a house so that they are barely visible and using space that was previously wasted. Remember, it is the roof space that actually captures your water, not the surface area of the tank itself. So long as you have roof space to spare, there is no reason why a slimline tank would be a compromise. Keep in mind that some council areas have restrictions in place concerning how close a rainwater tank can be to a neighbour’s fence.

All properties are different in their amount and shape of outdoor space available. In many cases, a property has a square patch free but the owner assumes that it is too small for a tank. There are new round models that are extra thin and tall which are perfect for these scenarios. They have a domed top for extra strength, as otherwise the weight of the water inside would be too much for the design. Obviously these cannot come in as great a capacity as standard or even slimline tanks, however they can suit some situations. They are fantastic especially if you are looking for rainwater just for use in the garden or to minimise your reliance on mains in summer.

In some instances, a regular large tank would be ideal but the problem is with access to the site. A rainwater tank is a huge item and so you can imagine rolling or lifting it into place would regularly generate some problems. Most of the time, these situations can be rectified with a built on site solution. Instead of craning in a prefabricated tank, some qualified professionals can come to your home and assemble the much smaller pieces for you. This is essentially what they usually do at the factory, just on your property. Talk to your local tank supplier about whether this is an option that might be possible for you. If so, they should send someone to conduct a site visit and confirm that a build on site can take place.

The search for space on a property has become more and more important. Water rates are rising and so people are scrambling for any way that they can collect their own water and avoid the steady rise. Houses are taking up more of the property space, and people who do have a bit of a yard like to cover it with decking or verandahs so that they can entertain outdoors. Have you ever thought about using this to your advantage? There now exists a special water storage bladder that can be installed under a deck or under a house. This material balloon can lay flat in any space under your home, and slowly is filled. After a little while, you will completely forget that you have one, except for when you are pleasantly surprised by your water bill every quarter.

Please visit the Taylor Made Tanks website if you would like to learn more detailed rain water tank information in Adelaide.

Which Capacity Rainwater Tank is For Your Situation?

When purchasing a suitable rain water tank model in Adelaide, no doubt one of the first topics to consider is the right size. One of the major factors that muddy this decision is salespeople trying to upsell. While opting for a slightly roomy tank is a wise choice, selecting a style that is grossly too big will be a complete waste of money and precious garden space. The goal is to capture the closest volume to what you comfortably use, with bigger not necessarily being better. So, here we will look at the factors that you should chat to your tank supplier about, as well as some more general size estimates.

Obviously, the rainfall in your area will determine the size. However, this is far from the only consideration, and some customers have been known to place far too weighty an emphasis on this element alone. Here in Adelaide we enjoy over 550 mL of rain on average per year. In short, this is a decent amount and certainly makes a solid harvesting effort worthwhile, but it is certainly not the most in Australia. 

The next two factors are usually related. First of all, the area of your roof will limit how much of this water you could possibly hope to capture. There is no point in installing a huge tank in a heavy rainfall area to support a large family if they are all cramped under a little roof. A medium sized roof is considered to be around 150m², or 5m x 10m. When talking to a professional about your roof size, it is best to estimate or measure the length and the width and calculate an area. Of course, this can be difficult with roofs which jut out all over the place, but a rough estimate is better than blindly guessing.

Next to consider is the number of people who will be consuming the water. Helpfully, SA Water now offers statistics and comparisons on their quarterly water bill. You can look at the average usage for a family of your size. Many people who note that they are above average do not realise the extent, and so this can help you predict the amount of water that you would realistically use while being a little more sparing.  I say these two are usually related as there are some clear exceptions. Most importantly are two storey houses, particularly townhouses. Being built vertically on a tiny block, they can house a large number of people quite easily but the roof space is not proportionate.

Adelaide is certainly ahead of the curve when it comes to leading the charge on rainwater usage. An Impressive 49% of Adelaide homes use some rainwater, compared to only 26% nationally. This is almost double. Further, the rest of the state is also doing incredibly well. 83% of homes outside the capital city in our state use rainwater to some degree, compared with 37% nationwide.  In fact, if looking at a ten year average, South Australia was the top state in relying on rainwater.

A professional tank company will be able to perform some minor calculations and determine your ideal sized tank. As a guide, residential tanks generally vary anywhere between 1,400L and 14,000L. If you know for a fact you are at the top or the bottom of this spectrum, the choice is easy. The hard part is working out where in the middle majority your family sits. To help with this Important Rain Water Tank Decision in Adelaide, have a chat to the always honest Taylor Made Tanks.