15 January 2009

How high will water use climb?

| johnboy
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[First filed: January 14, 2009 @ 13:27]

The Bureau is still sure we’re going to see 37 degrees today.

Yesterday water use surged to 168ML (above the target usage of 139ML).

So how high do you think water use will get today?

In the publicly minded interest of preserving the blue stuff here’s a low water use way to reduce the impact of the heat:

    1. Take a beer from the fridge,
    2. Wrap your sweaty genitalia around it until it becomes less than icy,
    3. Offer it to someone you don’t like very much as a cold one.

Satisfaction guaranteed.

UPDATED: And the verdict is a stonking 185ML. Any bets on how high we’ll go today?

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Jonathon Reynolds2:14 pm 15 Jan 09

When I was doing my original research I also came across the following paper from the The University of Arizona: http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/consumer/az9145.pdf Although the paper was published, and last its last revision was in 1994 I think there may be a clear similarities between the Canberra and the Tuscon (Az) climates.

The figures they gave for cooling a typical 1,600 square foot home (148 square metres) were quite scary, with 19,000 US gallons (71,923 litres) of water being used annually.

Given that drewbytes indicated: “I have mine set on the lowest water use setting and it more than fills an empty bin (220 litres) in a day.” – remember that is just for the purge cycles, it is excluding usage due to the actual evaporation, so the figures may be accurate.

Just as aside I rang the ACTEW Water Conservation Office on (02) 6248 3131 today – they were worse than useless in that they indicated they had no details on typical evaporative cooling water usage. All they could do is suggest I contact ActewAGL technical inquiries…

Whilst it appears that ACTEW Corporation are good at telling us how to save water it appears that their “Water Conservation Office” is for corporate appearance only rather than being anything actually useful or functional.

Danman said :

This thread reminds me, everyone, myself included, who has evap aircon should plumb some PVC piping from the purge on the unit to a container at ground level.

Our neighbours roof rattler purges quite often (4 to 5 times a day) and only to the rainwater guttering, so I am assuming ours does too. A hose clamp and a piece of hose of the appropriate length and I can water my vegetable garden 7 days a week now.

As well as the purge, you also need a 2nd line for the overflow as this is where most of the water is lost. Water will constantly drip all day from the overflow as the water wetting the filters overflows, but only get purged at set intervals (mine is set not to purge at all, only when turned off)

Gungahlin Al said :

I think Jonathon was onto something with the concern about water consumption of evap coolers. This could be a looming problem for Canberra.

I have the water from my evap cooling directed into a wheelie bin with internal pump so the water doesn’t get wasted, it gets used on the garden. It’s scary how much water these things use. I have mine set on the lowest water use setting and it more than fills an empty bin (220 litres) in a day. It may only hold say 100 litres in the evap cooler at any time, the issue is the constant water flowing through the filters to keep them wet. This water is what makes up most of the usage.

I don’t feel quite so bad about using it as I also have a 4500 litre tank which is used for all external watering along with the evap cooling water.

Hey good idea!

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy10:45 am 15 Jan 09

Maybe it’s time to think about some new water infrastructure. The population’s not getting any smaller.

Selfish … “self-first” … to think of one’s self before others … or, if i don’t use the water, someone else will. So? What IS the problem there?

I’m guessing water use will be very high. Yesterday I saw my non-law-abiding neighbour wash out his recycling bin using potable water, not tank water. How selfish are some people?

Got tricked into taking the kids to the pool today. My teen niece would only go to Tuggers, so I was forced to swim in human soup with the children, way gross, way.

Vic Bitterman7:54 pm 14 Jan 09

Danman said :

This thread reminds me, everyone, myself included, who has evap aircon should plumb some PVC piping from the purge on the unit to a container at ground level.

Our neighbours roof rattler purges quite often (4 to 5 times a day) and only to the rainwater guttering, so I am assuming ours does too. A hose clamp and a piece of hose of the appropriate length and I can water my vegetable garden 7 days a week now.

Ours drains into the garden – I’d never considered that they’d set it up any way?? I guess draing straight into the roof gutter is cheaper and saves the installer 5 minutes??

V twin venom4:38 pm 14 Jan 09

@ post no. 4

“The artist formerly known as The Brad”

….classic.

Wrap your sweaty genitalia around it

I’m not sure I could manage that feat. Maybe partially around it, but not all the way.

OK, step one and two are fairly straight forward… but as for three – am I offering this unliked person the beer or my sweaty and now slightly cooled genetalia?

Wide Boy Jake3:20 pm 14 Jan 09

the artist formerly known as The Brad said :

Offer it to someone you don’t like very much as a cold one
Well, if we ever meet, I won’t be letting you shout me a beer. 🙂

Gee, I would 😉

Wow that’s quite the mental image you’ve painted jb… I’ll have to have wine tonight so I’m not too haunted.

tylersmayhem3:06 pm 14 Jan 09

I much prefer to let others do the buying.

Imagine that?! In the meantime – how do the powers that be set their targets for a given day?

I have shouted you beer before JB, but didn’t know you were onto me just yet 🙂

My vote is for 182ML.

This thread reminds me, everyone, myself included, who has evap aircon should plumb some PVC piping from the purge on the unit to a container at ground level.

Our neighbours roof rattler purges quite often (4 to 5 times a day) and only to the rainwater guttering, so I am assuming ours does too. A hose clamp and a piece of hose of the appropriate length and I can water my vegetable garden 7 days a week now.

Water use for tomorrow I’m going to guess at 176ML

the artist formerly known as The Brad said :

Well, if we ever meet, I won’t be letting you shout me a beer. 🙂

I much prefer to let others do the buying.

the artist formerly known as The Brad1:37 pm 14 Jan 09

Offer it to someone you don’t like very much as a cold one
Well, if we ever meet, I won’t be letting you shout me a beer. 🙂

Gungahlin Al1:31 pm 14 Jan 09

I think Jonathon was onto something with the concern about water consumption of evap coolers. This could be a looming problem for Canberra.

Perhaps they need water star ratings?

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