Recycling gray water in the toilet

[dh]

I know it really doesn't apply to teardrops, but might to some standies. I saw a mod where they put in a bypass for the fresh water suply to the toilet, and put in a seperat pump that would pump grey water into the toilet to flush with. I'm sure they had a filter of some sort to keep chunks out of the pump, and a check valve to prevent grey water from contaminating the fresh water tank.

[S. Heisley]

? You want to recycle urine-contaminated water?
Won't that eventually stink?
What about solids that have dissolved into the water?

Or, do you mean to use the old dishwater, etc. to flush the toilet?

[dh]

You would save fresh water from being used to flush, and essentially transfer grey water to the black water tank every time you flush, increasing the length you can stay ''boondocked'' withought dumping grey water or refilling fresh water. You could easily get an extra shower in over a weekend.

[dh]

? You want to recycle urine-contaminated water?
Won't that eventually stink?
What about solids that have dissolved into the water?

You would have to pee in the shower or sink to get urine in your grey water. Even if you do get some solids from the kitchen sink, youre just dumping it into the black water tank when you flush.

[S. Heisley]

You would save fresh water from being used to flush, and essentially transfer grey water to the black water tank every time you flush, increasing the length you can stay ''boondocked'' withought dumping grey water or refilling fresh water. You could easily get an extra shower in over a weekend.

That makes sense. Since you already have an outlet on the grey water tank, all you'd need is a way to connect it to the toilet and a valve to limit how much and when it was used.

Alternatively, rather than emptying the sink dish water into the drain, use a dish pan and pour it in a bucket to use for your next flush. Or, simply divert the sink's drain so that the dishwater empties directly into the bucket. Over the length of a camp stay, that might equal an extra shower without too much hassle. You'd get to choose what water was used, too, so you wouldn't get greasy tomato-laced rings in your toilet. Since you wouldn't be using fresh water to flush but rather the equivalent in grey water, you wouldn't need an extra black water tank.

DH, just because you're building a teardrop doesn't mean you have to say "can't" to saving shower water for reuse. When you change oil on an automobile at home, there is a little tub-like device or tank that catches the old oil. You could rig up a little shower platform outside where one of those oil-catching tubs or tanks could be slid under it to catch the grey water for re-use. Or, you could simply do what Startleen2 does and stand in a plastic wash tub when you shower.

[dh]

I guess if you wanted to cram a toilet in a teardrop you could, but I haven't even heard of one yet. Without a toilet, where would you recycle the shower water you collected? Unless you put it in a porta pot, but that completely negates the mod altogether. This wasn't a post on saving water, but a post on a plumbing modifiation that I personally saw in use on a big rig that could be applied to a ttt with a toilet, and possbly a shower.

[8ball_99]

It probably wouldn't be worth the effort. Its not a bad idea but you have a few issues. Grey water can get pretty funky on those extended stays. Most people even pour a little of that holding tank stuff down the drain to help with that.. So you would either end up with funky water or treated water in your toilet which would stink up your trailer.. If you could filter the water before it went into the toilet it would work. Problem is thats where that not being worth the effort part comes in.. Your talking second pump+some kind of filter.

Might want to consider doing what I did in my new cargo trailer. I installed 2 freshwater tanks and connected them together with some valves.. On normal trips I can just fill up one which is placed right between the axles. If its a longer trip or we have more people I can open a few valves and fill both tanks. Each tank is 40 gallons so with both tanks plus the hotwater heater I have 86 gallons give or take.. Thats A LOT of water lol.. But the same idea could work on any scale.. Say an extra 5 or 10 gallon tank for longer trips. Would be enough for a few showers..

[dh]

Do you have a second grey water tank as well? Can't legally dump grey water on the ground where I camp. How much does all that extra water weigh? A 1gpm demand sprayer pump (remember, you arn't pumping fresh water) is $45, a strainer is $12, a checkl valve is $8, $65 total, can't get a second fresh water and grey water tank for that, and cut out the water weight. My thoughts anyway.

[S. Heisley]

One gallon of 'clean' (no food particles, etc.) water weighs 9 pounds.

[dreadcptflint]

Yeah, you should be able to do it with out too much head ache. I know that earthships reuse water 4 times before they are done with it. You are using it once to just flush toilets. I would probably use a grey water tank that could be accessed to freshen up with some bleach or something similar. Go for it.