By installing a cistern with an emergency overflow connected to the sewage system, we can reduce the rainwater charge to 10% of the usual estimated amount. If the overflow is directed to infiltration, it can even be reduced to 0%. This would save us about €250-300 per year, which is why we are interested in installing a cistern.
Unfortunately, there are many different suppliers, options, and prices available here, so my question is: What did you pay attention to when purchasing, what can you recommend or not recommend, and what were your prices?
Our key requirements:
- We would like a capacity of around 6000-7000 liters (1600-1850 gallons), as we have a large garden with many beds.
- A convenient withdrawal point is essential for us; preferably a pump with good pressure and a type of faucet that can be mounted at waist height.
- So far, I am leaning toward a concrete cistern.
Unfortunately, there are many different suppliers, options, and prices available here, so my question is: What did you pay attention to when purchasing, what can you recommend or not recommend, and what were your prices?
Our key requirements:
- We would like a capacity of around 6000-7000 liters (1600-1850 gallons), as we have a large garden with many beds.
- A convenient withdrawal point is essential for us; preferably a pump with good pressure and a type of faucet that can be mounted at waist height.
- So far, I am leaning toward a concrete cistern.
Nixwill2 schrieb:
here someone immediately shares from their own experience... Here,
House 1: Concrete cistern, 8m³ (8,000 liters / 2,113 gallons), debris trap (cleaned once a year) at the downspout in the gutter, no additional filters, built in 1995, garden pump with suction and pressure hose, never opened, works perfectly.
House 2: identical, built in 2019, works perfectly.
Changeling schrieb:
So, the cistern project is complete. In the end, we installed a 9100-liter (2405 gallons) cistern, the Blue model from the rainwater collectors, featuring a filter basket and a calm inlet. Based on the experience of @jfkgerd, I will keep a close eye on the filter.
The rainwater collectors are basically just intermediaries for cisterns: We got a branded cistern from Mall! And even cheaper than buying directly from Mall (€2005 including delivery). The local ready-mix concrete supplier couldn’t compete with that price either.
We are buying the pump separately because it is significantly more expensive through the rainwater collectors than from standard online retailers. The pump will cost around €300, but it will be a good model (not decided yet).
For the excavation, we paid another €2000 (including backfilling and partial removal of the excavated soil), and had a soakaway trench dug by an excavator at the same time. We filled the trench with 30 meters (100 feet) of drainage pipe (from a DIY store, €60), 16 tons of drainage gravel (16/32 mm (0.6/1.25 inch), €400 including delivery), and wrapped it with the appropriate geotextile fabric (€70).
Overall, the project ended up being quite expensive and will only pay off after 15–20 years, depending on how stormwater fees develop. However, we now have the small luxury of an almost always full water tank and, looking ahead to increasingly warm and dry summers, we are glad we did this. I didn’t raise the dead, and since I also have a Mall concrete cistern, I thought I’d share my opinion ;-).
5.8 m³ (770 gallons) concrete cistern (including water pressure system etc.) cost about €5000 total, including excavation, installation, and backfilling.
Watering 80 m² (860 square feet) of sod and beds for about two weeks used 25 m³ (6600 gallons) according to the water meter. So there’s no such thing as “almost always full” cisterns in summer. Regarding financial payback, I also expect it to take a very long time, if it happens at all. Still, I don’t see any mistake in choosing a cistern. The cistern was installed a bit over a year ago, and every water pressure system has already had to be manually vented once (the pump made noises, or the switch between city water and cistern water didn’t flow smoothly).
Hi, I have the "House Package Family M Rainwater Storage Tano L."
I wanted to check out the filter anyway. I’ll take a photo of it in the next few days.
On October 20, 2020, it cost €3265.63 gross including delivery and lowering into the foundation pit from our local building materials supplier. This was significantly cheaper than buying directly from Mall (even though they are located right here in town).
How do you usually remove the lid from the cistern? Do you use a crowbar for that or some other special tool?
I wanted to check out the filter anyway. I’ll take a photo of it in the next few days.
On October 20, 2020, it cost €3265.63 gross including delivery and lowering into the foundation pit from our local building materials supplier. This was significantly cheaper than buying directly from Mall (even though they are located right here in town).
How do you usually remove the lid from the cistern? Do you use a crowbar for that or some other special tool?
Then you should have the slot sieve filter, as shown in my post Variant 3 (https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/wer-hat-erfahrung-mit-zisternen.28223/post-588274).
I would really appreciate receiving photos and your feedback soon. I am currently prioritizing this filter as well, and from what it sounds like, you haven’t cleaned it for a long time, considering that Mall recommends a cleaning interval of 3 months.
I would really appreciate receiving photos and your feedback soon. I am currently prioritizing this filter as well, and from what it sounds like, you haven’t cleaned it for a long time, considering that Mall recommends a cleaning interval of 3 months.