The Plumbing

I was somewhat worried about how I was going to do this part of the conversion,  but as its turned out, I was worried about nothing.  The secret of it being so easy, like most things is to have the right gear.  Peter showed me system which consists of 12mm blue and red tubing and a series of connectors into which the tubing simply pushes and seals.  You can removed the tubing by pressing the back of the connector and make any changes you want.  A bit like a Lego system.

This the tubing and the connectors as delivered.  On the top of the box is a basic filter which removes grit or other foreign matter from the water before it hits the pump.

The above pic shows the connection on the right side tank.  The green bizzo is a tap which cuts the output from this tank.  I have fillers for each tank and now it is possible to take water from either or both tanks simply with the turn of a tap.  The taps are Pope brand irrigation taps from Bunnings. $3.00 each.  You can also see the filter which both tanks outlets go though.  The pump is directly above the right side tank.

The pic above gives a good idea of how the tubing and the connectors go together.  This is behind the hot water system.  The inlet and outlet of the hotwater system is through 15mm brass connectors which I have sealed with teflon thread sealing tape.  As you can see the tubing is flapping around at the moment.  I have bought some 13mm poly saddles from Bunnings to tie the pipes all down to the floor,  but until I install the indoor/outdoor carpet in the bottom of the storage they will have to stay that way.

This pic shows the pressure pump fixed to the floor behind the hotwater system.  The red clips on the connectors go on after the tubing is installed to prevent the backs of the connectors being pressed in and the pipes being removed.  I will have to pressure test the whole lot as soon as the battery is installed and running.

This pic shows the pipes running into the back of the shower taps.  These connectors are inside the long cupboard behind the shower/toilet.  I didn't really know whether to have the water go into the shower at this point or from the side.  If the pipes came in from the side, once the walls of the shower were up,  there is no way that I could get in to fix leaks or other problems.  This way even though the pipes are visible inside the cupboard,  when they are fixed against the wall they shouldn't be a problem, and they are accessible.

This pic shows the mixer tap over the kitchen sink in  position.  This tap unlike some household taps is fixed in position.  The handle on the top turns to vary the temperature of the water,  but the base is fixed.  I think this is good because it is less likely to leak.  The tap is located here because it removes it from the cupboard where I want a power point installed (safer) and there is plenty of room under it to get a pot or kettle under it.  Look OK I think.