Although it is a container in which blue gold is stored, regular maintenance is required.
Using rainwater allows you to reduce your household water bill and make an ecological gesture. If you invest in a water collector, it needs regular maintenance like any container.
How often should you clean the rainwater collector?
As its name suggests, a rainwater collector (there are two categories: aerial water collector and buried collector) directly collects blue gold to be reused for watering plants, vegetable gardens and cleaning garden equipment.
If it is open at the top, the rainwater collector collects not only water, but also leaves, small branches, flowers or other elements deposited by the wind in this collector. And finally, any microbes and bacteria can develop in the rainwater and reduce its quality.
If it is closed at the top with a lid, objects could also pass through the collecting tube.
In both cases, despite the presence of the filter, cleaning is required on average every year or every two yearspreferably before or after winter. This is done automatically if there is an unpleasant smell coming from inside the tank or if the water changes color.
How to clean the tank, filter and gutters?
In order to keep the rainwater in the best conditions, the cleaning takes place in three stages: the gutters, the filter and the flushing tank.
Depending on the surroundings, cleanliness varies. If the gutter and collector are isolated, without trees nearby, the former can be cleaned every two years. Otherwise, you will have to solve the task once a year to remove all the elements that have been stored there since the last time. This will rid the entire gutter of twigs, leaves, insects and other materials that could have stuck and would have the effect of reducing the flow of rainwater into the collector.
You can first pick them up by hand and then run a pressure washer over the entire affected area so that smaller or stuck elements don’t resist.
Strategically placed to create a connection between the gutter and the tank, the filter is an essential element of the water collector, ensuring that the water is of the best possible quality. It blocks dirt, pieces of wood or flower petals that could fall into the tank.
It is also recommended to clean the pre-filter at the same time if you have one.
Of course, it can be said that only rainwater settles there, and yet the inside of the sump also needs to be cleaned. Some debris manages to make its way into the tank and over time forms sludge.
First disconnect the pump and then remove the drain plug or pump out the remaining water using the basement drain so that the water trapped inside the tank drains to the ground. Once the tank is empty, clean it with a brush, water and soap – in case of unpleasant smells, a little bleach can be added to properly disinfect the walls – or run a high-pressure jet from the top of the tank so that the walls, sides and bottom are clean. Then replace the cap and return the tank to its original place, not forgetting to replace the filter.
Read also10 tips for an ecological and economical garden
What product should I use to clean and remove unpleasant odors?
To avoid the presence of unpleasant odors, if your rainwater collector is overhead, you can place a cover on top so that the light does not support the formation of algae.
Heat is also a factor in unpleasant odors. The location of the tank must therefore be considered before installation. It should be placed in the shade if possible if it is above the ground.
Finally, debris that has managed to find its way into the heart of the tank can emit an unpleasant odor. If the collector is not protected at the top, you can install a grid to prevent any insects, mosquitoes and other branches from getting into the collected rainwater.
Mud formed after a while at the bottom of the tank can be the cause of the unpleasant smell.
To maintain water quality and avoid the presence of possible microbes, bacteria or algae, you can add a small amount of chlorine or bleach.
You can also invest in an aeration system, an air pump or run a chlorine-free treatment suitable for rainwater.
For prevention, you can also use an organic solution specially prepared for treating rainwater or white vinegar.