rain barrel toilet question

terracore

Hello,

At our off-grid cabin I have a rain barrel mounted up by the roof and it supplies the water for flushing the toilet. I have a stupid question. I've been to Home Depot and Ace looking for an adapter that will allow me to hook the two directly together so the toilet fills itself. The rain barrel has a typical "garden hose" spigot. The toilet has the typical connector. Currently to flush the toilet I have to fill the back of the toilet with a short garden hose. I've asked at Home Depot and Ace and the people weren't able to help me. Does such an adapter even exist, what's it called, can I order it online etc?

wewantutopia

Here I got you!

Rain barrel -> hose ->

to this (get the 1/2" NPT to Garden hose not the 3/4 inch) ->

to this ->

to this ->

to this ->

to this (this assumes your toilet is a 7/8 fip fitting which seems to be standard) ->

to your toilet.

Asside from the first item ( the adapter) you should be able to get the brass pipe at your local home depot or menards etc. for pretty cheap and avoid shipping charges. Just posted links so you would understand what I mean.

If your rain barrel is higher than your toilet the toilet should then fill and stop like normal.

Hope this helps!

oh'mike

The above poster has it--nutshell version here---

Standard 3/8 inch plastic tubing ---rubber toilet washer---hose cap adapted to 3/8 inch--done.

a filter might help keep leaves and such out of the toilet guts--

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terracore

thanks for your help. I had given up.

bbo

I was bored, pics accompanied below. Hope I got them right.

oh'mike

Show off!! I never learned how to post pictures---

I was thinking of a set up much like an ice maker water line---

3/8 inch plastic tubing right off the rain barrel--then directly into the toilet flush valve --using a rubber compression washer--

Those rubber washers are included in the Fluidmaster toilet gut set--most people just throw them out as they are used with rigid water lines--and most folks like the flexible ones.

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terracore

What do you think- buy four adapters, or just insert one hose into the other and use a hose clamp? (clamping down on the screw thing so not to crush the hoses and defeat the purpose). It doesn't have to look pretty, just not leak (at least not leak much)



Hopefully my combination of found-on-the-web images and MS "Paint" demonstrates what I mean

Yoyizit

You might get only 15 PSI into your toilet, which may result in long fill times.

terracore

Probably less than that, depending on how high up the rain barrel is going to wind up.

Hardway

I would pipe it 3/4" plactic house barb at the ball cock and 3/4" house up to rain barrel.

terracore

I don't know what that means.

oh'mike

Simplest way---adapt a female hose fitting to 3/8" plastic tubing--all those parts are in the brass fitting section of any hardware store--run that plastic tubing down to your toilet.

next you need a toilet nut (the nut that screws onto the bottom of the fill valve)
and a rubber compression washer for a toilet water line--(both of these parts are in a fluidmaster fill valve kit-)

Connect the line to the toilet -- slip the toilet nut over the tube--place the black rubber compression washer onto the tube ,rounded side up---screw on the nut--done--

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Hardway

these are hose barbs, cheaper then brass. if i am not mistaken or if they have not changed the threads on a ball cock it is standard pipe thread. screw a 90 3/4" hose barb to the ball cock and run the 3/4" water hose to rain barrel. hose fitting come in plastic too. inexpensive too. Lowes, Tractor supply, home depot. 3/8" will reduce flow

Attached Images

 

terracore

OK if I understand correctly, I have a 7/8" connector on the bottom of the toilet, and I don't want to use a standard 1/2" toilet hose because the long fill times. So I need to find something else?

wewantutopia

Wow, lots of posts now!

I had originally assumed the end of your garden hose had the standard garden connector at the end (to thread on nozzles, sprayers etc).

Going off of Hardway's post (#13) you could use a connector (doesn't have to necessarily be a 90 degree elbow, could be straight) with a 3/4" barb into the end of the hose (secured with a hose clamp) and a 1/2" NTP thread on the other. Then attach to a toilet hose.

hose -->

to this [click me] -->

to this [click me] -->

to this [click me] -->

to your toilet.

This will give you 1/2 supply into your toilet a bit cheaper using nylon.

I know my toilet has a 3/8" supply valve but our municipality supplies water from 40-60 psi. With your reduced pressure the increased diameter should speed up the fill times.