Installation Information User Manual

1-5 Anzac Avenue Smeaton Grange NSW 2567 is a division of BioSeptic Pty Ltd - ABN 95 056 461 226 Ph: 02 4629 6633 Fax: 02 4629 6677 Email: sales@sydneywatertanks.com.au Web: www.sydneywatertanks.com.au Installation Information User Manual Feb 2013

Introduction 1-5 Anzac Avenue Smeaton Grange NSW 2567 is a division of BioSeptic Pty Ltd - ABN 95 056 461 226 Ph: 02 4629 6633 Fax: 02 4629 6677 Email: sales@sydneywatertanks.com.au Web: www.sydneywatertanks.com.au The Rain Switch efficiently and seamlessly manages the use of rainwater around the home. It is installed between the rainwater tank, town water supply and the rain water outlets. It automatically uses rainwater from the water tank as the primary source to supply selected outlets such as toilets and outside taps. When there is no tank water, the Rain Switch seamlessly switches to town water. The Rain Switch display panel indicates the water source in use. With the Rain Switch display panel you will always know when unrestricted use of rainwater is available for gardening, hosing and car washing. The robust and practically designed Rain Switch is built to last while intelligently maximising rainwater use around your home. The Remarkable Rain Switch: Manages efficient water use around the home without you lifting a finger Can be used with any rainwater tank WaterMark licensed Factory pressure tested and requires no site assembly Supplies town water during power blackouts 1

Kit The Rain Switch kit includes: Rain Switch - housed within a water resistant powder coated steel cabinet Powder coated steel skirt fitted under the cabinet to conceal the pipe work Display panel - indicates water source in use Water pump - can be supplied with Rain Switch or by installer Activation float switch Operation When there is water in the tank. Action Activation float in the up position Tap open or toilet flushed Tap closed Operation Power is supplied to the pump controller Tank water supplied When the pump operates the normally open solenoid closes to stop the flow of town water Pump stops and the solenoid opens When there is no usable water in the tank. Action Float in the down position Operation No power supplied to the pump controller Solenoid valve is open All outlets are supplied by town water. The display panel indicates when rainwater from the water tank is available and when town water is being used so that any current water use restrictions can be observed. The display panel can be mounted at any convenient position around the house. 2 Rain Switch with above ground tank and submersible pump 3

4 Rain Switch with above ground tank and surface mounted pump Rain Switch with underground tank and submersible pump 5

How the Activation float switch components function The activation float switch floats upwards when there is water in the tank and supplies power to the pump controller. The switch s contacts are closed in the up position. Pump Controller located inside the Rain Switch cabinet Indicator lights Features Power On Green Illuminated only when tank water is in use. Pump on Yellow Illuminated when the pump is operating Pump failure Red Indicates a pump fault The pump controller starts and stops the pump whenever a tap is opened or closed It maintains the water from the tank at a constant pressure It stops the pump if there is no water in the system, thus protecting the pump from dry running and causing permanent damage to the pump A non return valve in the Presscontrol prevents water from the house flowing back to the tank Backflow prevention Water authorities apply hazard ratings to water tanks. See AS/NZS 3500 Section 4.3 for ratings. Most water tanks are rated as low hazard. Check with your plumber or the local water authority for its requirements for the type of tank you have installed. Zone Protection is required at the point where the rain water and town water are connected to prevent any rainwater flowing into the mains water reticulation system. The Rain Switch contains an integral dual check valve for zone protection. The water authority may require a second backflow prevention device to be fitted after the water meter at the site boundary for Containment Protection. The Rain Switch is also available with an integral testable double check valve if the installation is deemed to have a medium hazard rating. Display panel The panel has two LED lights that indicate whether Town or Tank water is available. The display panel can be mounted on the outside of the box or at a convenient position inside the house. When tank water is not available town water will be supplied. Solenoid valve The normally open solenoid valve is closed only when the pump is operating. It stops the flow of town water. It is open when the pump is not operating. In the event of a power or pump failure the solenoid valve is open and town water is supplied. 6 7

The Rain Switch cabinet will only operate in the vertical plane and must be mounted in the vertical position. It should be screwed to the wall by the four mounting points. A cover or skirt is available to be bolted to the base of the cabinet to conceal the pipes and electrical conduits. Mounting the cabinet The Rain Switch can be mounted at any convenient location between the tank and the first rain water outlet. The Rain Switch is pressure tested during the assembly process and requires no site assembly. It is suggested that the plumber mounts the cabinet to suit the pipe positions. The pipe size and method of connecting the water supply between the tank and the Rain Switch should comply with Australian Standard AS3500.1:2003 Plumbing and Drainage, Part 1 Water Services. A properly licensed plumbing contractor must undertake the work. Note: if the tank is located down hill or a long way from the house the use of larger pipe sizes will reduce friction loss and reduce the power consumption of the pump. It is not advisable to mount the Rain Switch on bedroom or sitting room walls if the building is of brick veneer or other light weight type of construction. In some instances there may be water noise from the pipes which can be unsettling at very quiet times. The cabinet is weather proof. Measure the length of the pump and float cables and mount the Rain Switch at a position within the reach of the cables. If this is not possible an electrician will need to extend the pump and float cable or preferably fit a junction box at a suitable position. connections Do not use excessive force when connecting pipes to the cabinet. Each inlet and outlet is clearly labelled. Connections are by ¾ nipples and unions. A dirt box strainer is supplied that must be fitted to the pump line. This strainer protects the Rain Switch from any debris that has settled in the pipes during the construction phase of a new house. If an inline filter is being fitted to the pump line the dirt box strainer may be omitted. All connections are made at the base of the Rain Switch cabinet. All connection points are clearly marked inside and under the cabinet. To make it easier to pull the pump and float switch cables into position, fit large bore conduit between the Rain Switch cabinet and the tank. 32mm or 40mm conduit is recommended. The following components are connected to the Rain Switch Component Direction Connector size Pump outlet pipe From pump to Rain Switch 20mm brass nipple Town water From supply to Rain Switch 20mm brass nipple Outlets to be supplied From Rain Switch to outlet 20mm brass nipple 240vac dedicated circuit From supply to Rain Switch 25mm female adaptor Pump cable From pump to Rain Switch 25mm female adaptor Float switch cable From tank to Rain Switch 25mm female adaptor Display From Rain Switch to panel 12mm cable gland Supplying power to the cabinet A wiring information sheet for the electrician is located in inside the electrical junction box inside the Rain Switch. Power from a separate circuit breaker should be supplied to the junction box inside the Rain Switch cabinet. Connecting the pump and activation float cables The electrician should connect the pump and float cables from the tank to the junction box. Connect only the brown and black wires to the float switch input. 8 9

10 Connecting the Display Panel The display panel is low voltage. Connect the A and B terminals in the junction box to the A and B terminals on the display panel - do not reverse. Mounting the Display Panel There are two options for mounting the panel On the Rain Switch cabinet The panel can be mounted on either the left or right outside face of the Rain Switch cabinet. Choose the side that is most visible. Drill a small hole (3-5mm) through which to pass the wire and use two self tapping screws to mount the panel. Inside the house Mount the panel in a suitable position or in the householder s preferred position. Either speaker wire or 1mm cable may be used to connect the display panel. Electrical Junction Box 02 4629 6633 Turning on the power for the first time If there is usable water in the tank, the pump will automatically supply water to the outlets when there is power to the Rain Switch. If there is insufficient water in the tank, the outlets will be supplied by town water. The green Power on light is permanently illuminated only when there is usable water in the tank. To purge air from a new system open all of the rainwater taps or flush the toilets, this may have to be repeated a few times to completely purge all of the air from the plumbing system. When the taps are closed and the system is at the correct pressure the yellow light will be off. If the correct pressure is not achieved the red Failure light will be illuminated. In this situation open an outlet such as the garden tap and press the red restart button until pressure builds up and the red Failure light is off. After the initial start up and if there is water in the tank, the yellow Pump on light will be illuminated whenever the pump is operating. The Yellow pump light will be off when the pump is not operating. Troubleshooting the 1. Neither of the lights on the display panel are illuminated. Probable cause - there is no power to the system. Check the power to the Rain Switch cabinet to confirm that the power supply is on. The electrical junction box contains 240 volts and must only be opened by a licensed electrical contractor. In this situation water will be supplied from the town supply. 2. Pump will not turn off when all outlets are closed. Cause - debris has entered the Rain Switch and is stopping the pump controller from turning off the pump. This should not occur if the dirt box strainer was fitted to the pump inlet before the pump was connected. To remove the debris requires the pump controller to be dismantled. An electrician must disconnect the power before the pump controller is dismantled and cleaned. 3. There is a ten second delay in the water supply to the selected outlets. Cause - there is no water supply from the rain water tank. Check the pump controller inside the Rain Switch cabinet. If the failure light is illuminated the pump has most likely failed. Call Rain Switch on 02 4629 6633 for assistance or have the pump checked by a pump technician. 4. Tank light is illuminated on the display panel and the red pump failure light is also illuminated. Cause the pump has failed. Have an electrician check the power to the pump from the electrical junction box in the cabinet. Repair or replace as necessary. 5. Wet spots around the tank Cause leak in pipe work causing the pump not to turn off. Find and repair leak. 6. Rain Switch constantly turning on and off Cause - Drop in pressure in plumbing service. Find and repair dripping taps or leaking cisterns. Educate users to turn off taps after use. 11

RAIN SWITCH OPERATING DATA & COMPONENT SPECIFICATIONS WaterMark approval number WMKA 21237 12 Quality Assurance auditor SAI GLOBAL Designed to comply with ATS 5200.477 Maximum pressure of unit 10 bar (1 mpa) Maximum liquid operating temperature 50 o C Minimum flow 5 litres/minute Pump pressure >3 bar <10 bar Recommended pump flow rate 40 litres/minute Recommended main water supply pressure >2 bar <5 bar STEEL CABINET Material 1.5mm cold rolled steel stove enamel finish Protection rating IP 66 Security Two key locks Left opening PUMP CONTROLLER Type Electronic presscontrol Required power supply 230 volts +/- 10% Maximum current 16 (8) amperes Maximum power of pump 1.5kW (2HP) Protection rating IP 65 Maximum working pressure 10 bar (1 mpa) Maximum working temperature 65 o C ACTIVATION FLOAT SWITCH IN TANK Function Provides power to the pump controller Operating power 12 volts Cable PVC 2 x 1 20m cable Protection rating IP 68 BACKFLOW PREVENTION TO TANK Non return valve in pump controller PIPE WORK & FITTINGS Brass fittings AS3688-1994 1 & ¾ Copper pipe AS1432 ¾ Connection points ¾ male BACKFLOW PREVENTION TO RETICULATED WATER SUPPLY - low hazard rating - standard Type Dual check valve OPTIONAL - BACKFLOW PREVENTION TO RETICULATED WATER SUPPLY - medium hazard rating Type Testable double check valve Manufacturer Conbraco Model No 40104A1l Hazard rating Medium Device is Product Certified to AS2845.1 ELECTRICAL JUNCTION BOX Power supply 240 volts Control circuit 12 volts DISPLAY PANEL Power rating 12 volts Indicator lights Town/tank supply LED x 2 tap sign Two rainwater signs are supplied with each Rain Switch to be fixed to the rainwater outlets. 1-5 Anzac Avenue Smeaton Grange NSW 2567 is a division of BioSeptic Pty Ltd - ABN 95 056 461 226 Ph: 02 4629 6633 Fax: 02 4629 6677 Email: sales@sydneywatertanks.com.au Web: www.sydneywatertanks.com.au 13