Period rain water harvesting and Geysers

[parkview094]

Hi All,

I was reading through the original spec for the 1911 houses in our area and noted that quite a few mention rain water collection for internal use. Quoting from one particular property:

"The rain water is caught in an elevated galvanised cistern, giving an immediate supply by means of taps over the copper and sink in Scullery..."

"...The hot water is obtained by a first-class and simply-arranged geyser, which has it's advantage over the hot water system in the early morning and summer time"

..What happened to rainwater harvesting in this way? Was it a hotbed for mosquitos? Presumably the cistern would have been outside somewhere?

..and what on earth is a 'first-class and simply-arranged geyser' ?

M

 

[DJH]

It was common for sculleries to be located under a roof lower than the main roof and rainwater directed from the guttering into a cistern over the scullery and from there to a tap over the sink. Not a very sanitary arrangement what with bird droppings and the usual slime and muck that builds up in gutters... :shock:

It used to be my job to pump water from a well up to one of these tanks before I went to school most mornings.

I might have a picture somewhere of one of these geysers. I'll post it later if I can find it...

Couldn't find the one I was thinking of but here's a maybe more elaborate one...



and a few of those nasties in water... :shock: The germs at M look balletic :lol:





Doug

 

[Flyfisher]

I remember my grandparents having one of those 'geysers' over the sink in their scullery. It was gas powered and did the same job as today's instant water heaters, though I suspect it was not quite as efficient! I found this image on the web and it looks pretty much as my vague memory.

This would have been in the 1960s when they lived in a terraced house in Turnpike Lane (North London) with no bathroom and an outside toilet - all long since demolished and replaced with a modern housing estate.

 

[plasticpigeon]

I remember those when i was younger, they were everywhere until even quite recently. In fact i looked at a flat around 6 years ago that still had one of those. The water was either scorching or freezing.

 

[parkview094]

Thanks DJH - very interesting! I wonder if any of the Galvanised rain water cisterns survive..

..liking the idea of the bath and towel heater though (just above the Geyser). pre-heating a bath.. now that might catch on..

 

[DJH]

I'm sure many do survive. I never saw one of these enamel ones though, not that I can remember...



How about one of these for Period bathing then?



I've fitted a few of those in my time FF. Blooming dangerous...they either asphysxiated you or blew you up when trying to light them. I had my eyebrows singed more than once when looking in to place the match in the right place...

Doug

PS All these pictures are from no later than 1896 so they are old geysers...

 

[88v8]

Jenner's house
http://www.jennermuseum.com/his-house.html
has a huge rainwater collection tank built into the roof. As I recall it's above a central well and the surrounding roof slopes drain into it. Water was then used in the house for laundry &c, can't recall if it was supposed to be potable.

Gas geysers, as has been said were the forerunner to the instantaneous water heater. Strangely, they managed without gas control valves, flame failure devices, etc etc. :wink:

ivor

 

[Feltwell]

Rainwater was prized for washing laundry in hard water areas, as rainwater is soft.

Sunnycroft, the NT place close to me, has such a tank for exactly that purpose.

Slightly "niche" site below on it's heating arrangements!

http://www.hevac-heritage.org/items...al_trust_properties/sunnycroft/sunnycroft.htm

And Lucinda, as posh and slightly batty as ever, wears possibly the world's least flattering coat in order to visit Sunnycroft. Alas Feltwell Towers did not feature

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atee9ks8c3c

 

[PeterI]

And Lucinda, as posh and slightly batty as ever, wears possibly the world's least flattering coat in order to visit Sunnycroft. Alas Feltwell Towers did not feature

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atee9ks8c3c

I'll watch that later when I'm not at work.