Jug of Plenty- Automatic Filling Water Jug

If you're like me, you too are frustrated by having to fill a water bottle or glass to have in the bedroom or office. Well, look no further, because this Instructable describes how you can run a clean water line all around your house with some very basic tools.

What's more, you can easily have a jug full of water which refills every time you use it, making sure

1. You have some potable water in emergencies
2. The flow rate is high when you pour water out of the jug

I'd like for you to seriously consider the idea of running a water line in your house, it's really no more difficult or intrusive than an ethernet cable. So, let's get to business!

Supplies

If you just want to run a water line which carries the main line's water supply directly to your bedroom, you'll need

• 3/8" to 1/4" push to connect water line splitter - link1
• 1/4" pipe with assorted push connectors - link1(with float switch), link2(without float switch)
• 1/4" Inline water filter - link1
• Water jug link1

Tools:

• Adjustable wrench
• Pipe cutter
• Drill
• Screwdriver
• Stepped drill bit
• Long drill bit

Step 1: Turn Off the Water Supply

You'll need some place to access the main water line. Probably the easiest place to do this is under the bathroom or kitchen sink. So, first turn off the water valve by rotating in clockwise, so that you can go on to detach the water hose.

Step 2: Detach the Existing Water Hose

You'll need an adjustable wrench to detach the existing hose. It's also a good idea to place a tray under the valve, to catch any water in the hose.

Step 3: Add the Water Line Splitter

The water line splitter (also called T splitter) will allow water to flow up to the tap as usual, but also fork a supply line to the 1/4" water line.

Step 4: Attach a Valve on 1/4" Line

The first thing we connect to the 1/4" line should be a valve so that we can turn off water to the whole 1/4" line if needed. Thankfully, this is very easy with 'push to connect'. Just attach a small section of pipe to the valve by pushing it in and then push connect the other end of the line to the T-splitter.

Step 5: Attaching the Water Filter(optional)

The water filter can be mounted with the provided screws and mount. The inlet of the filter is connected to the 1/4" valve using a section of 1/4" pipe. Pay special attention to the arrow marking direction of flow on the filter.

Step 6: Clean the Filter(optional)

The filter contains activated charcoal or carbon black. By letting a few gallons of water wash through the filter, the loose carbon is flushed out. This only needs to be done once with a new filter.

Step 7: Run the Water Line

Now, you have a clean water supply in 1/4" pipe. You can route it to wherever you need in the house. The pipe can be bent and inserted through walls if needed. I used 6mm cable clips to direct the line along the wall.

While drilling through walls, please use extreme caution to avoid electrical and load bearing walls. When you're not sure if you should be drilling through a wall, assume that you shouldn't!

Step 8: Jug of Plenty-1

Because we're filtering the water, the water flow rate will reduce significantly. So, it can take several seconds to fill up a glass, which is unacceptable! The jug of plenty solves this problem by providing a local reservoir which can fill a glass in a few seconds.

To start with this, we puncture a hole in the jug lid and attach a threaded valve connector to it.

Step 9: Jug of Plenty-2

The float switch is connected to bottom of the lid, and a valve is connected to the top as shown in the pictures above.

Step 10: That's All!

Now, just connect your clean water line to the valve on the jug and that's it! Once you open the valve, the jug should start filling and automatically stop once the float switch lifts up.

WARNING!! Relying on the float switch alone can be a water leak risk if the switch fails. I tend to close the manual valve out of habit, and the float switch is more of a safety in case I forget to close it. If you have thoughts on how to make the system safer, I'd love to hear them!

You can now enjoy unlimited water without ever having to carry water around!