We live in dry So Cal, and I’m remodling my kitchen.
In the interest of reusing water, I’ve been thinking about adding a dedicated basin for pouring water glasses, water bottles, and that water that normally goes down the drain while you wait for the tap to run hot. It would be behind the sink in the windowsill (in range of the swiveling kitchen faucet). The water would be directed to an herb garden just under the exterior kitchen window. The sill is about 7″ over the height of the countertop.
I was thinking about casting a new concrete interior windowsil with a small shallow basin. I was initially thinking about plumbing a conventional P trap, but now I’m thinking about a screened gravel sediment tube directly down to the water tube running under the dirt – I was thinking soaker hose for distributing the water. The travel distance is about 12″ from inside to outside. The basin itself could be filled with glass or stone pebbles, the tube (say 3″ diameter) with rough gravel.
Any thoughts on this?
Tu stultus es
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
Replies
a soaker tube needs pressure to bleed the water, make the holes bigger and ants, etc can get in .. if you have a 2 bowl sink you could do 2 ptraps, one through the wall to a rain barrel?
I want to keep it over and above the "food zone" of the counter tops to keep greasy soupy water out of it - that would require some cleaning first.
I didn't know that about soaker hose - I'm glad I can vet these ideas here! Instead of soaker hose, I could use a gravel filled tube of weed blocking fabric.
As far as ants are concerned, there are already about a thousand entry points for them, they basicly already have the key to my house!
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
I'm guessing there are several opportunities to run afoul of the plumbing code. Not that there's anything technically wrong with what you propose, at least as far as I can tell.
That is actually one reason why I want to stay away from plumbing type fixures, and simply portray this as a poorly sealed but well flashed hole in the wall!
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
I've often thought about combining your two threads, and routing the drain line from a disposal-equipped sink to the compost pile.
I envision it draining onto a smooth, cleanable slab, and the nutrient-rich water running downhill from there to a garden, maybe by way of a level run of PVC gutter with 3/8" - 1/2" holes every 6"?
No meat or grease, of course, just veggies. It would be way less mess than most compost systems.
AitchKay
I think your idea is a great invitation to all the rats within a 1/2 mi. to show up for chow!!
"If all else fails, read the directions"
"I think your idea is a great invitation to all the rats within a 1/2 mi. to show up for chow!!"One way or the other, he's going to have a compost pile, right? What's the difference?AitchKay
There lies the problem - since the garbage disposal lies at the bottom of the sink, everything that might be put in the sink by design might go down that hole.
On the other hand, that compost chute could end in a garbage disposal on an angle, the outlet pointing down. Make the bits eaier to digest, I suppose.
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
"...everything that might be put in the sink by design might go down that hole."Sounds like a dedicated veggie sink is the ticket, then.AitchKay
I'd say go to your local building salvage and get a cheap used garbage disposal and make your own dedicated GD/compost chute system. Avoids all the headaches of trying to keep a separate grey water system off your main sink...Z
How would plumbing a GD be any simpler/easier than plumbing a basin as I've described?
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
I was referring to AitchKey idea about combining both into a greywater/compost chute. You should be able to salvage the mount hardware from an old sink (or just cut it out and epoxy it into your basin) for the GD. Then it's all your usual plumbing. I don't think you'd need a p-trap, but you might want one anyhow to discourage any critters from crawing up the pipe into the house. I don't know how wet compost should be, or if it'll be ruined if it's too wet, so you could use a modified leaf screen like you see on micro-hydro to siphon off some of the water before it hits the compost pile.Or put a just put bucket on the sink for the compost ;)Z