Hi all

I am in the process of installing a JoJo tank for water backup in the case of municpal outages.

Just wanted to check though - under normal circumstances where there is muicipal supply, does a person run the house water from the tank all the time - ie. as you use water the tank refills itself via the float valve.

Or is it a situation where you switch the water supply to the tank when the municipal feed is not there?  Ie use it for backup ONLY? 

I see JoJo reckons you should wash the car or fill the pool everytwo weeks or so with the water in the tank in order to refill with clean water again. I assume this is for where it is used as backup only, as in my first scenario above you would be refilling it continiously.

I am installing an under counter water purification system in the kitchen.  I also havea  fridge connected to water supply with a filter.  So enough to sort out the odd glass of water.  We never drink out of the taps in the bathrooms.

Specs: 5000L tank with a 0.75w pump.

Cheers

Douw

 

i have mine running from the tank all the time, which fills up as i use the water and then the float valve closes when full

You can put a ball valve at the top of the JoJo tank, to automatically top it it up from Municipality, and then run your house directly from the tank. If the water pressure is a bit low, install a 3bar pressure pump

30 minutes ago, SilverNodashi said:

You can put a ball valve at the top of the JoJo tank, to automatically top it it up from Municipality, and then run your house directly from the tank. If the water pressure is a bit low, install a 3bar pressure pump

Exactly what i have, and it works just fine 😎

Thanks for the replies all 🙂

Check if there are municipal by-laws that restrict you from filling tanks from municipal water, or from connecting tanks to household piping. My area does, for reasons of drought/scarcity, and water quality/safety.

Personally I keep my toilets semi-permanently on rainwater, to keep the system in regular use and at least not stagnant, but only sanitise and switch the tank to supply to the rest of the house in case of emergencies. 

Here is an easy design that switches automatically to tank water when there is no municipal water. I've been using it for almost 20 years.

If you want to use tank water even when municipal water is available just close the valve at the bottom next to the 1-way valve.

12 minutes ago, Proff72 said:

Here is an easy design that switches automatically to tank water when there is no municipal water. I've been using it for almost 20 years.

If you want to use tank water even when municipal water is available just close the valve at the bottom next to the 1-way valve.

My system is also connected like this.

1 hour ago, Proff72 said:

Here is an easy design that switches automatically to tank water when there is no municipal water. I've been using it for almost 20 years.

If you want to use tank water even when municipal water is available just close the valve at the bottom next to the 1-way valve.

So I am very uninformed when it comes to plumbing LOL 🙂 

in the auto scenario - how does the water consumption end only use the mains supply when it is there - how does the water not flow from the tank automatically?  Sorry if the question is unclear - not sure how to explain what I am asking 🙂 Is it a function of the pumpthat detects it needs to pump when the mains supply is down?

I understand the second scenario 🙂

 

Municipal water pressure is higher than what the pressure pump produces. So municipal water  flows through the bottom 1-way valve but is stopped by the top 1-way valve. This keeps the pressure pump off and forces the water to the consumption end.
When the munipal water pressure drops enough the top 1-way valve opens and the pump switches on, sucking water from the tank. This water cannot flow through the bottom 1-way valve and is forced to the consumption end. 
When munipal water pressure is restored it flows again through the bottom 1-way valve and closes the top 1-way valve, switching the pump off.

I am not sure if I am answering the or it's a question, 

 

I have the same issue, but little bit different. 

 

I have installed 0.37kw jojo pump getting water from the tank when no municipal water supply, and when municipal water is supplies, I get it from the main source(municipal) 

 

When there's municipal water, it works OK, but when the municipal water is not available, the pump will switch on/off regularly, I checked the leaks but got nothing, no leaks so far

 

I am not sure how to remedy this, need assistance 

 

Thanks

Edited March 27, 20242 yr by Furlongs

On 2023/06/27 at 7:22 PM, Douw G. Gerber said:

I see JoJo reckons you should wash the car or fill the pool everytwo weeks or so with the water in the tank in order to refill with clean water again. I assume this is for where it is used as backup only, as in my first scenario above you would be refilling it continiously.

This implies that you can by pass all the other valves and wotchamacallits to extra water directly from the JoJo. Also that if left in there long enough the water will go manky. This worries me because I will lose a bet with the wife.

4 hours ago, Furlongs said:

I am not sure if I am answering the or it's a question, 

 

I have the same issue, but little bit different. 

 

I have installed 0.37kw jojo pump getting water from the tank when no municipal water supply, and when municipal water is supplies, I get it from the main source(municipal) 

 

When there's municipal water, it works OK, but when the municipal water is not available, the pump will switch on/off regularly, I checked the leaks but got nothing, no leaks so far

 

I am not sure how to remedy this, need assistance 

 

Thanks

I used to have the same issue with my old Peroni pump that had a mechanical pressure sensor - pump will switch on randomly for a few seconds. Since installing a new pump with an electronic sensor the pump is not switching on except when I open a tap.

4 hours ago, Furlongs said:

I am not sure if I am answering the or it's a question, 

 

I have the same issue, but little bit different. 

 

I have installed 0.37kw jojo pump getting water from the tank when no municipal water supply, and when municipal water is supplies, I get it from the main source(municipal) 

 

When there's municipal water, it works OK, but when the municipal water is not available, the pump will switch on/off regularly, I checked the leaks but got nothing, no leaks so far

 

I am not sure how to remedy this, need assistance 

 

Thanks

Toilet float valves? You could be unlucky and have an underground leak? Main valve closed off properly?

Hi everyone 

Hoping you can assist.

On 2023/06/28 at 2:09 PM, Proff72 said:

Here is an easy design that switches automatically to tank water when there is no municipal water. I've been using it for almost 20 years.

If you want to use tank water even when municipal water is available just close the valve at the bottom next to the 1-way valve.

Hi all

I installed and connected a back up water system exactly the same as per the above diagram. I am having 2 issues with the system.

1. When the municipal water goes off, the pump runs every 80 seconds even though nobody is using the water. As soon as I turn the ball valve off at the bottom (the one before the one-way valve), then the pump doesn't switch on every 80 seconds. Any idea why this is happening?

2. The other issue is am having is that when the municipal water is switched off, the pump switches on when opening the cold water taps, but the hot water taps don't supply any water at all. 

I have a 0.75kw pump with the electronic pressure sensor.

1) There is most likely a leak at the one way valve or in the piping at the bottom.

2) Ensure that the piping from the tank is feeding both the cold water and hot water taps. Sometimes the hot water taps are fed from a hot water tank, maybe that tank needs to be filled first by the backup tank before water comes to the hot water taps?