- Q: How much water will the Brac System save?
- A: The Brac System will reduce your household water consumption by over 30%. For a family of four, this would be a savings of over 80,000 litres (21,108 us gal.)
- Q: Will the chlorine tablets cause problems with my septic tank?
- A: Considering the concentration of chlorine in the volumes of water involved, the chlorine in your greywater shouldn’t cause any problems in a modern, healthy septic system.
- Q: How clean will the water be when it goes into the toilet?
- A: The greywater leaving the BRAC tank will be completely disinfected and contain approximately 0.5 ppm of free chlorine. Swimming pool water has between 3-5 ppm of free chlorine.
- Q: What will the the water look like in the toilet bowl?
- A: The water will be slightly cloudy.
- Q: Can the greywater be used for irrigation?
- A: Yes! Our systems can be used in subsurface irrigation systems, such as drip lines, to water your plants and shrubs. However, check your local codes to make sure that it is acceptable.
- Q: Is it safe to water vegetable plants and fruit trees?
- A:Greywater recycling codes restrict the uses and do not recommend using the recycled water on edible plants such as vegetables and fruit trees.
- Q: Can regular laundry detergent be used?
- A: If the greywater is being used for irrigation purposes, then a phosphate-free detergent should be used.
- Q: How does the filtration system work?
- A: The filter media used is a 100-micron Polypropylene filter sock. The greywater enters the filter housing where any particles larger than 100-microns (about the thickness of a human hair) are trapped by the filter.
- Q: How often does the filter need to be cleaned? What is that process like?
- A: The filter will need to be cleaned every 2-4 weeks depending on usage. This process will only take a few minutes. Rinse the filter inside-out under a tap. A good tip is to leave the filter turned inside-out after it has been thoroughly rinsed, and run it with the next load of laundry.
- Q: Can the kitchen sink and/or dishwasher be connected to the Brac System?
- A: The greywater produced from kitchen sinks and dishwashers is reffered to as “dark grey” water and is not permitted to be recycled by most codes as it contains a fat, oil and grease (FOG) content. It can also contain high concentrations of micro-organisms.
- Q: How come the bathroom sinks are not connected to the Brac System?
- A: The main reason why we do not suggest including the greywater from the basins is because the plumbing’s piping system would have to be considerably altered to include the basins. Typically the toilets are vented through the basins wet vent pipe so the added costs involved to have another vent pipe installed versus the little greywater produced from basins, may not be cost effective for some people.
- Q: How hard is it to install a Brac System?
- A: While the connections are not difficult, we do still recommend that the Brac System only be installed by a qualified professional plumber.
- Q: What happens in the event of an extended power outage?
- A: A fresh water bypass complete with a ball valve and check valve should be installed between the fresh water supply pipe and the greywater outlet pipe. This will allow you to easily supply your toilets with fresh water in the event of an extended power outage or when the system is being serviced.
- Q: Can the Brac System be used in a single level home?
- A: Yes. Brac Systems Inc. offers a Sump and Pump kit (BSP kit), which consists of a sump basin and submersible sump pump. The basin is installed in the foundation or floor to collect greywater from bathing fixtures, and the sump pump automatically pumps the greywater up to the level of the tank’s inlet.
