new flow meter sytem

[murdock]

they installed the flow yesterday...while they were trying to decide what to do i managed to collect about 10000 litres in my storage tanks.

this new flow meter is the best thing since sliced bread...with the washer restriciting my water it was a pain because there was no pressure...just drip drip...so i couldnt run anything...the washing machine had to be filled with buckets...i couldnt shower because the water would run out...but now it has all changed for the better we had a first trial run today...and i have to say things are looking up....tomorrow morning i have my first hot shower i have had in a while ...now i can fit my gas geyser because there will be enough pressure to run it...i manged to get one for just over R2000

we are alocated 300 litres free per day...it switches on a 5 am in the morning and once the reaches 300 litres the flow meter switches the water off completely...but there is also a catch if you dont use it...it doesnt carry ove rto the next day...i have just been around and flushed the toilets and filled the buckets to use the last of the water...

with the 300 litres today...we have all bathed...did a load of washing...washed the dishers...all the cooking......washed the car using a buckets...i have 50 litres stored in 2 clean water tanks...just in case we need drinking water during the evening...and still had to flush the toilets to use up the last of the water and it has just switched off...it is a pity i cant get a pre paid water meter...becuase i run my bussiness from home...i need the workers to shower...and wash etc...so any additional water useage over and about my free water could be charged to the bussiness...but they dont have prepaid water yet...i am in no hurry.

so now my plan is to get a prepaid meter installed so i can get my free electricity...i have installed a meter in my workshop...so that anything over and above the free electricity will be charged to the bussiness...all my batteries will be charged in my workshop...my entertainment area will be wired from my workshop...so if we have" customers" over for a braai or dinner...then i will purchase the electricity which will be metered and charged to the bussiness.

now i just need to figue out how to get out of sewage...rubbish removal and rates....at least my monthly metro bill is only R1100 for everything including interest and vat....water zero and i dont get nailed the R80 + that all you suckers are being charged for my free water...electricity zero...but i can see a bill coming for the flow meter.

[Dave A]

What a strange country we live in

So this is the big punishment they were threatening?

[Justloadit]

Jeese R1100 is still high for not using the municipal services.

[AndyD]

at least my monthly metro bill is only R1100 for everything including interest and vat.

Is that just your rates?

I used to pay around a thousand rands rates until I extended my house two years ago. We built two extra stories on top and increased the livable area by over 250sq m. When the building was signed off and the paperwork went through they halved my rates bill instead of increasing it. We're now paying R470.00 per month even after the latest increase. I never figured how that worked, I keep meaning to contact them and ask but somehow I never got round to it :-)

[murdock]

my june bill from metro

including vat

water disconnect fee =R257.90 (only added on this month been off since march maybe to try recover because my water bill was nil)
water loss insurance =R7.81
refuse removal =R107.84
rates =R793.21 (reduced from R914.07 since sewage was added)
interest =R99.33
water 9 kl =nil
fixed water charge =nil
sewage disposal =nil
electricity =nil

total =R1266.09 (less disconnect fee R1008.19 from next month but we will wait and see what they nail me for the flow meter )

once flow meter is sorted and we are down to the wire with this...my monthly bill will be around R1100.00 per month...

considering just my electricity account for november last year was R2331.31 total bill for the month...it is a huge improvement

we are gona start looking for a property with a river at the bottom of the garden and a CDU on the road instead of an everhead line

the cdu to connect directly...the river will work for 3 purposes 1 to get additional water required...2 dump rubbish and 3 sewage disposal (which seems to be the norm in south africa if you look at all the shack areas waste water works) then i can cut back of refuse removal and sewage disposal...YEAH RIGHT...i would end up getting arrested.

[murdock]

the good news is i have just had to dump 79 litres of excess water...left over fom my 300 litres for the day...because it doesnt carry over...at 5 am it resets to 300 no matter how much is left...and starts counting down again.

this is amazing to think we have gone from a consumption of betwen 28 kl -42 kl per month which is more than 1000 litres per day...down to being so efficient that we have to dump water at the end of the day...all about the planning.

got to thank my wife for sticking it out with me thru this challenging time ...and putting up with my stubboness...but it is finally paying off....it has also shown us all how much we use to waste.

i mentioned that i would need to sort out the sewage...i noted today while going thru my account that it is also free if i only consume 300 litres per day...so that leaves rates and rubbish removal.

once i pay this off and the interest stops we will be down to under R900 per month...i can live with that...and the fact that everyones else is paying towards my free water (fixed water fee)...thanks guys and gals.

[murdock]

and tonight i had to dump 210 litres...so i decided to soak the vegetable garden

[Dave A]

It's amazing how much we can change our lifestyle and habits when pushed to it. I remember as I headed for my rocky patch in '96/'97 looking at our expenses and thinking there was nothing left to trim. Well guess what - when you have no choice we ended up halving those overheads with startling ease. Scary really.

got to thank my wife for sticking it out with me thru this challenging time

It's so good to hear that. It really does make a big difference.

[wynn]

Why don't you connect the mains to your water tanks with a ball valve? that way the water will trickle into your tank all day until the 300L has been used, and if you trickle it slowly enough maybe it won't register on the meter and you get more free water??

[murdock]

with the new flow meter installed last week...the water flows at the normal pressure...such a bonus because now we can shower...use the washing machine etc etc with out having to carry .

what i do at night is dump the excess water into the storage tanks...the veggie garden is a source of food so i decided to soak it last night and boy did that pay off...everything is standing staight today.

as i mentioned in another thread...you need to monitor the domestic during the day...i believe thats where all my wastage was...the biggest consumer i think was the washing machine...considering it consumes an average of 275 litres per load times that by 3 or 4 washers a day times 20...you start seeing significant consumption

[AndyD]

considering it consumes an average of 275 litres per load.....

Are you sure? That sounds high considering the drum would hold around 20 liters when it fills to the half way mark I'm guessing.

[Sparks]

An automatic takes in more than 20L to wash, then again to rinse, then again for bleach,then again to rinse, then again for softner and finally to rinse again. The exact amount will differ according to make & model but still a whole lot more than most people realise.

[AndyD]

But all those 'then again's' still only come to 120 liters, not 275 as per Murdock's estimate. Do washing machine manufacturers publish their machine's water consumption I wonder, I'm sure they might for their European and US models at least.

[murdock]

But all those 'then again's' still only come to 120 liters, not 275 as per Murdock's estimate. Do washing machine manufacturers publish their machine's water consumption I wonder, I'm sure they might for their European and US models at least.

i am also finding this hard to believe...we managed to to 2 loads with the balance of our water left over from the 300 litres but we...wenow only use the low level....my machine is a smasung wa8ou3 top loader..i know for a fact that it takes more than 20 litres because i personally fill more than 20 litres into it with buckets....my plan is to check out the flow meter when the macine is on...then i will know exactly how much it uses.


i got the 275 litre figue from the pamphlet they gave me when they installed the new flow meter...with estimated consumtion of various items

i check the user manual ...water useage 150 litres

[Sparks]

Also have a SAMSUNG, HUGE mother, I dod not believe it has ever run on "small" load. Sometimes twice and occassionally 3 times a day. We are 5 adults and the 2-year old.