Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing—our system’s been pretty much set-and-forget except for the occasional filter clean. I do wonder if certain neighborhoods just get way more debris, though. Did you have to do anything special for backflow prevention, or was that all built in? Insurance was a headache for us too... took ages to explain what a rainwater flush even was. Worth it for the savings, but man, the paperwork.
Backflow prevention was a big deal for us, actually. I didn’t trust the “built-in” claims from the installer, so I insisted on an extra valve just for peace of mind. Maybe overkill, but I’d rather be safe than sorry with something that could mess up the main water line. Did you run into any city inspection hassles? Ours nitpicked every little thing, especially around the greywater connections. I get why, but it felt like they were making it up as they went along...
I didn’t trust the “built-in” claims from the installer, so I insisted on an extra valve just for peace of mind.
Totally get that. I did the same—extra valve, even though the plumber rolled his eyes. City inspection was a headache here too, especially with their random “new rules.” Did you have to redo any of your piping after they checked? I had to swap out a section because it “looked too flexible,” whatever that means...
Yeah, the “too flexible” thing cracks me up. Like, what do they want—pipes made out of concrete? I had to redo a section too, but mine was because the inspector said my venting was “ambiguous.” Not sure how a pipe can be ambiguous, but hey, I’m just here for the ride. At this point, I just expect to redo at least one thing after every inspection... keeps me humble, I guess.
Honestly, inspectors seem to have their own secret language sometimes. “Ambiguous venting”? That’s a new one for me. I get the need for safety and all, but sometimes it feels like they’re just making us jump through hoops because they can’t wrap their heads around anything that isn’t straight out of the 1970s codebook. I’ve had to argue about using recycled greywater for irrigation—one guy looked at me like I was suggesting we flush with lemonade.
I’m all for these rainwater toilets and greywater showers, but the city’s got to get their inspectors on the same page. Otherwise, people are just going to give up and stick with the wasteful status quo. I mean, if we’re serious about saving water, let’s not nickel-and-dime every innovative idea to death. At some point, you just have to trust that folks aren’t trying to flood their basements or poison the neighborhood. Maybe a little more flexibility (pun intended) wouldn’t hurt.
