I made a solar shower once that ran on rainwater (the water when brown but that was the old radiators falt). if I was going to use rainwater for washing myself all the time, i would filter it, just to be on the safe side. I would check out http://www.steampunkmagazine.com/pdfs/steampunksguide-web.pdf they have several water filters.
I rinse my hands in rain-barrel water if they've gotten muddy in the garden (it saves muddy hand-prints on door handles etc), but I always wash my hands in "normal" tapwater before eating.
I'm not dead yet.
However, if there is stuff growing in the barrel (algae, larvae etc), I would keep it strictly for irrigation.
. It shouldn't be any worse than a slightly turbid stream or pond. It's not going to be as clean as tap water (air pollution, germs, plus GF's roofing), but it should be OK to wash with.
. You might want to add some bleach, just to be on the safe side.
. If you wash yourself directly in the barrel, you will end up contaminating the water. Transfer some to a smaller vessel before using.
Is your roof covered in ashvalt shingles? You know, tar, tarpaper, and gravel with tar for adhesive... Would you lick your roof? No? Probably shouldn't wash in it either.
for washing up - reasonably safe - although without filtration it will never meet ...any...building code :D. Remember that if you wash your hands in it, you'll likely end up touching food, so you want it reasonably 'clean'
Several stages of filtration wouldn't be expensive to add on - mechanical large and small filters, a carbon stage for ions, and to make it potable a uv sterilizer.
In general rain barrels are great for irrigation, and toilet flushing...
Discussions
10 years ago
I made a solar shower once that ran on rainwater (the water when brown but that was the old radiators falt).
if I was going to use rainwater for washing myself all the time, i would filter it, just to be on the safe side.
I would check out http://www.steampunkmagazine.com/pdfs/steampunksguide-web.pdf they have several water filters.
10 years ago
I rinse my hands in rain-barrel water if they've gotten muddy in the garden (it saves muddy hand-prints on door handles etc), but I always wash my hands in "normal" tapwater before eating. I'm not dead yet. However, if there is stuff growing in the barrel (algae, larvae etc), I would keep it strictly for irrigation.
10 years ago
. It shouldn't be any worse than a slightly turbid stream or pond. It's not going to be as clean as tap water (air pollution, germs, plus GF's roofing), but it should be OK to wash with. . You might want to add some bleach, just to be on the safe side. . If you wash yourself directly in the barrel, you will end up contaminating the water. Transfer some to a smaller vessel before using.
10 years ago
Is your roof covered in ashvalt shingles? You know, tar, tarpaper, and gravel with tar for adhesive... Would you lick your roof? No? Probably shouldn't wash in it either.
10 years ago
for washing up - reasonably safe - although without filtration it will never meet ...any...building code :D. Remember that if you wash your hands in it, you'll likely end up touching food, so you want it reasonably 'clean' Several stages of filtration wouldn't be expensive to add on - mechanical large and small filters, a carbon stage for ions, and to make it potable a uv sterilizer. In general rain barrels are great for irrigation, and toilet flushing...