Rain Director® the unique rainwater management system for total control of rainwater round the home and garden.

WRAS approval was accorded in 2009, the first time a complete rain management system has been approved by WRAS.

UK manufactured, the Rain Director was awarded the Waterwise mark in 2012 and the Housebuilding and Renovating Product Innovation Award in 2013.

The Rain Director® rainwater management system includes a header tank, a pump and a programmable control valve unit that directs the flow of rainwater to washing machines, toilets, the garden and other uses. A header tank in the roofspace is controlled by electronic level sensors. These sensors drive the valves through the programmable control panel. The result is a constant head or pressure of water to the toilet, washing machine or tap.

The Rain Director® is specifically designed so that rainwater can be used safely and economically in the home. The system features:

• Fail-safe valve controls with mains backup
• Fail-safe header tank controls
• Water quality is improved through cycling of header tank water
• Saves energy and prolongs pump life
• Assures water supply during a power cut
• Automatic and user-controlled functions
• No in-home pump noise

The Rain Director® ensures a constant head of clear rainwater for washing machines, toilets, the garden and other uses. A header tank in the roof space is controlled by electronic level sensors, valves and control panel.

The advantages over normal rainwater pumping systems are:

• Variable rainwater level in the smart header tank (all water is used before it’s refilled) eliminates pump cycling and reduces power consumption.
• The header tank only refills once it’s completely empty (while normal rainwater systems make the pump start every time any amount of water is used) so wear on the pump and electricity usage are both reduced.
• Provides a constant flow of rainwater under gravity at any time, including during power cuts.
• Mains water backup is automated by level sensors not stop valve or ball cock.
• Rain Director®’s dashboard indicates present mode and allows special modes to be selected.
• Rain Director®’s auto-flush function detects when the occupant is away from home (for example, for holidays) and empties header tank to avoid rainwater there going stale (yellowish water and possible stained toilet bowl, to be avoided).

On first fitting, Rain Director®‘s set-up mode lets the control unit memorise the header tank size and flow rate of the mains and rain water inflow. This enables the time-out periods and operating water levels to be set.

The components of the Rain Director® RD01 "Domestic and Garden" (price below) which are included when ordered without a rainwater harvesting tank are:

1. Smart header tank for roof space, including two electric level sensors, the float switch, the overflow tower, inputs and outputs. The 91 litre tank measures only 665Lx490Wx500H mm.
2. Rain Director® dashboard, control unit with mode indicators, programming buttons and control valves. The dashboard is just bigger than an A4 ring binder... 370Lx270Hx900Dmm.
3. 900 Watt Hydroforce submersible pump from Hydroforce Pumps (pumps to a max head of 40 metres and up to 3100 litres per hour.

So what problems does the Rain Director®address?

Problem 1: Typical rainwater systems have a pressure sensitive pump in or near the rainwater tank which maintains pressure on the pipe run to toilets, washing machines and any non-drinking-water tap. As pressure in the pipe run drops, the pump will start up again even when there has been no demand on the water supply. This creates a situation where the pump will cycle all day, i.e. turn itself on and off periodically, day and night. The moment of the pump starting draws a peak surge in power, which is repeated many times an hour. This effort also accelerates the wear on the pump bearings, seals and motor.

The Rain Director® solution: The low level sensor will start the pump only when all the water in the header tank has been used. No cycling. A 114 litre header tank will last for more than 10 full toilet flushes, or two clothes washing machine cycles. In a typical home the pump would only cycle about once a day. Less electricity used. Much less wear on the pump. Problem 2: Rainwater in a header tank inside the house gets stale after time (rainwater stored under ground is maintained at a temperature hardly ever above 5 degrees C, so it does not get stale). Rain Director® solution: Rain Director®’s auto-empty function detects when the occupant is away from home (for example, on holiday) and empties the header tank every three days. Unused water is returned to the underground rain water storage tank. When occupant returns home and starts using water, the system reverts to rain mode automatically.

The Rain Director® also offers unique advantages for multi-dwelling development. If an underground tank is shared between several dwellings then, in the case of a classic direct-feed system,  both the mains water and electricity have to be shared and a landlord supply must be installed. These charges have to be re-billed to each occupant. But in the case of the gravity feed Rain Director®, with a small header tank in each dwelling, both the mains water and electricity for the pump come through the dwelling's own meter, so no landlord's supply and billing is required. Read more about this application in our multi-dwelling brochure here

Download the sales brochure for the Rain Director 2012 evolution model here

If you need information about the previous model (the three pipes were in the reverse order and the casing in cream coloured fibre glass), please email info@rainwaterharvesting.co.uk .