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DIY Basic Installation Guide

  • 18 Dec 2019

Installation Guide for DIY Home Based System

The following Installation Guide is provided to give you an idea of how to go about installing your own DIY WFP system. This is not intended to cover every eventuality, but will help you with most of the basic stages involved.

 

(STATIC) INSTALLATION OF WATER PROCESSING UNIT AND STORAGE

  1. Choose site for your water storage unit (i.e. 1000 litre IBC)
  2. Your RO unit needs to be able to reach the storage tank to fill it and also needs to be close to a water supply and drain. You also need to have a socket outlet relatively near to your tank so that the lead from the submersible pump can reach the tank.
  3. Install your RO unit
  4. Assemble the RO unit according to the manufacturers instructions and connect to a mains water supply. Make sure that you have a suitable drain for your waste water. If your unit comes with a separate DI vessel then connect this up to the product coming out of the RO membrane. If installing your RO unit outdoors (or in a vehicle), ensure that it is adequately insulated as frost will damage your RO membrane and can split the housings.
  5. Install the submersible pump into your tank
  6. If you have an IBC 1000 litre tank you will need to fit this through the tank lid. Many lids have a small pop out centre that you can reverse feed the plug and lead through. If the pump is too large to fit through the tank lid hole, you can try one of two things:
  7. First, disconnect the side hose elbow from the pump and see if it now fits through the hole; if it does, then connect your delivery hose using one of the large jubilee clips to the elbow before fitting the elbow back onto the pump with both inside the tank.
  8. If that doesn't work, you can cut two slots on one side of the tank lid hole about 6" apart and about 4" long. This will allow you to flap this part up and fit the pump through the now enlarged hole. These slots can be silicone-sealed back up if you are storing your tank outside (if cutting these slots, be sure to flush the resulting plastic fragments out of the tank before starting to store your processed water). Feed your delivery hose end through the central lid hole alongside the cable and re-fit the lid. Using the other large jubilee clip, fit the shut off valve to the end of the delivery hose (sometimes it is necessary to dip the end of the hose in a kettle of boiling water to soften it before sliding the hose tail in fully). Push your RO unit's product feed pipe into the tank through the same lid hole.  To allow the RO unit to shut off when the tank is full, we would recommend fitting a suitable float valve and shut off device.
  9. This has now completed the home side of this system.

 

 

 

 

TANK AND PUMP INSTALLATION IN VEHICLE

  1. Before installing your vehicle tank, ensure that the tank is clean inside. Sometimes in manufacture, plastic swarf is left inside and this will need a quick wash out before fitting.
  2. Work out where to install your tank. Ensure that you have enough sideways space for the tank and the tank elbow that will stick out beyond the tank. Ensure that you are able to adequately strap or fix your tank down to a suitable anchor point or reinforced tie-down loops. Suitable ratchet straps can be obtained from Halfords, northerntooluk.com etc. for about £8-20 each. These have a very high breaking strain, usually about 750 -3000kg. Ensure that the tank is within your vehicle carrying limit when full of water (a litre of water weighs 1kg). Please note that the above ratchet strap methods of securing the tank are not guaranteed to prevent movement during an accident. Gardiner Pole Systems Ltd. provide this as a suggestion not a recommendation in anyway - we personally would recommend having a crash-tested system fitted by a professional company.
  3. Fit the elbow to the tank before fitting the tank and also connect one end of the 10 metres of clear reinforced ½" hose using a ½" jubilee clip. Fit the tank loosely in place. Do not securely fix it yet as you may have to move it about later.
  4. Work out where you want to mount your delivery pump and controller. You can mount this on the side of your vehicle or on a separate piece of wood, metal or plastic. Ensure that the pump is mounted as low as possible with the water inlets at the bottom of the pump.  When you have decided where to mount the pump, run the hose/tubing to it and cut to a suitable length. Attach this to the inlet side of the pump (check for the flow arrow on the pump body).  Also insert a pump strainer in this feed hose/tubing prior to the pump. This will protect the pump from any swarf damaging the delicate diaphragms.  If required, insert an inline shut-off valve somewhere between your tank outlet and your delivery pump. This will make it possible to isolate your tank if it is full of water and you need to work on/adapt your system later.
  5. Attach a length of ½” re-inforced hose to the pump outlet using a stem to barb adapter. There should be enough hose to exit the rear of your vehicle with a couple of metres to spare. It is useful to have between 1 and 2 metres of hose outside of your vehicle, as this will allow flexibility in placing and running your hose reel from it.  Attach your Hozelock type end-stop fitting to the ½" re-inforced hose.
  6. When storing hose reels in your vehicle drip trays can be made up for them to sit in which saves excess water from draining into your vehicle. These trays only need to be 4-5 inches high. You can buy something suitable from a DIY store or cut down a plastic storage tub to leave a 5 inch tray perfect to sit the hose in.

 

IN VEHICLE RO SYSTEM INSTALLATION (If required as an alternative to a home based water treatment system)

  1. Install your tank and restraint system as per previous instructions.
  2. Assemble and fully test the RO unit before fitting in vehicle. Work out where to strap/fix the system into your vehicle.
  3. Assemble the RO unit according to the manufacturer’s instructions and connect to a mains water supply. Make sure that you have a suitable drain outlet from your vehicle for the waste water. If your unit comes with a separate DI vessel then connect this up to the product coming out of the RO membrane. If installing your RO unit outdoors (or in a vehicle), ensure that it is adequately insulated as frost will damage your RO membrane and can split the housings.
  4. Attach to resin bead, after the filter, the two push-fit adapters. 
  5. Connect the outlet from the resin vessel to the tank. 
  6. If needed, install a float valve into the vehicle tank to shut off water supply when full. 

 

You have now completed the water-side of the vehicle installation.

Now you need to provide an electrical feed for your delivery pump and controller.

 

WIRING IN YOUR VEHICLE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT

There are several options. If in doubt about dealing with your car electrics, consult a qualified technician.

Option 1 - Use the vehicle's own battery. First check your battery and if necessary upgrade to the heaviest duty battery that will fit in your vehicle. Bear in mind that using this method you will need to change your battery every 18 months.

You now need to connect to a permanent live feed. One way of doing this is to find out which lead feeds your rear boot courtesy light. Check the car fuse rating for your courtesy light. If it is only 5 amps, you will need to find another feed which has a 10amp fuse. If it is a 10 amp fused system then pull this light fitting out from its surround and note the colour code on this wire. Now look behind your rear light units. On one side of the vehicle you will usually find this same colour coded wire. This will provide you with your permanent feed. Using a blue crimp on connector, connect a 10 amp length of electrical wire to it, run to an inline fuse and then to the pump controller and connect to live wire using a chocolate strip connector.

You can now fit an isolation switch to this live feed somewhere convenient in your vehicle. We usually fit this switch to the rear of the vehicle and attach to the plastic housing near the rear light fittings. Make sure this is a 10 amp switch.

Now you need to get an earth. Looking once again behind the rear light clusters, you will find a large black earth wire bolted to the vehicle body. Using a blue snap on fitting, connect a length of electrical 10 amp wire to it. Run this to your pump and connect using a chocolate strip connector.

Option 2 - Similar to above except you run a permanent live feed direct from your vehicle battery to your pump controller. Ensure, if doing this, that you also fit an inline 10 amp fuse and switch.

Option 3 - Fit a second battery (deep cycle, leisure battery) in your vehicle/trailer. Wire the pump controller directly to this. This battery can either be removed every two days and charged at home or you can wire in a split charging relay (available from a caravan/towing centre) to your vehicle circuit. You would need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for this.

 

 

Please note that these instructions are only provided as a guide and no liability can be accepted by GPS Ltd for following these instructions. If in doubt always consult with a trained professional before attempting any work on your vehicle. Our personal recommendation would be to have a professionally fitted crash-tested system installed.  This would provide peace of mind for your driving safety and the simplest set-up option.  

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Posted in WFP Information & Advice