Why do you need to fill the bathtub with water before a typhoon? Toilet flushing, drinking water backup and pressure motor protection after power outage

Why is there no water when the faucet is turned on at home even though it is not flooded?

Many people couldn’t figure out one thing during the typhoon: There was no flooding outside, and the water plant didn’t cut off the water. Why did the water suddenly cut off at home? The answer is usually just one word - Electricity.

The water supply method of most apartment buildings in Taiwan is a secondary pressurization system of "ground reservoir + rooftop water tower". The tap water first flows from the water pipe to the reservoir on the first floor or in the basement, and then the water is pumped into the water tower on the top floor by a pumping motor (water pump). The entire building relies on the gravity generated by the water level height of the water tower to supply water.

So, once a typhoon causes a power outage, the pumping motor stops. There is only as much water left in the water tower on the top floor, and it will be gone when it is used up. A 1 ton (1,000 liter) water tower, if ten households use normal water at the same time, will reach the bottom in about two to three hours. Then the whole building started to lose water.

Water storage before typhoon: not superstition, but scientific backup

The older generation often says that the bathtub should be filled with water before a typhoon comes. Many young people think this is an old concept. But this is actually a very practical backup method. The main purpose of the water stored in the bathtub is not to drink (tap water is of course drinkable, but it is recommended to boil it after standing for a long time), but to do these things:

• Flush the toilet:This is the biggest need after the water is cut off. One flush of the toilet requires approximately 6 to 8 liters of water. By going to the toilet five or six times a day, a person uses 30 to 50 liters. A family of three consumes close to 150 liters a day. The tub capacity is usually between 150 and 250 liters, which is just enough for a day.
• Simple cleaning: Wash hands, wipe dishes, simple cleaning.
• Emergency backup: This water is a last resort reserve if the water outage is larger than expected.

In addition to the bathtub, it is recommended to use several large plastic buckets or kettles to store extra water. As for drinking water, the safest way is to buy several boxes of bottled water in advance, at least 2 liters per person per day, to keep enough for 3 days.

How to flush the toilet manually after the water is cut off?

When many people encounter a water outage for the first time, they don’t know that the toilet can be flushed manually. The method is very simple:

1. Prepare a bucket of about 6 to 8 liters of water (fill it with water from a bathtub)
2. Lift the toilet lid
3. Pour the entire bucket of water into the toilet bowl quickly and in one breath (not into the water tank, but directly into the toilet bowl)
4. The weight and flow rate of the water will trigger the siphon effect, flushing away the dirt in the toilet

The key is to "pour it in one breath", not slowly. Too little water or too slow pouring will not produce enough siphon force.

Problems that the motor may encounter after power restoration

After the power outage ends and the power is restored, the pumping motor will automatically start to pump water up to the water tower. But two situations may occur at this time:

1. An empty water tower causes the motor to "run dry" (idle):If the water in the water tower has been used up and the motor cannot pump out water but keeps running after starting, it is called dry running. The motor relies on water for cooling and lubrication. Dry running will cause the motor to overheat rapidly, wear the shaft seal, and in severe cases, burn out. In order to prevent this situation, modern pressurized motors are usually equipped with a "water shortage protector (water shortage protection switch)", which automatically cuts off the power supply when there is no water flow. If your motor is older and does not have this protection device, it is strongly recommended to install one.
2. The power resumption surge damages the motor control board:Like other electrical appliances, the control circuit of the water pumping motor may also be burned by the power resumption surge. If there is a circuit dedicated to the motor in your home's distribution box, you can turn off the circuit breaker (NFB) of that circuit during a power outage, wait for 5 to 10 minutes for the power to stabilize, and then manually close it again.

Pre-typhoon maintenance points for pressurized motors

Conclusion: Store a tank of water and feel at ease all day long

To put it bluntly, the water outage problem during the typhoon is the chain reaction caused by the power outage. If you store water and bottled drinking water in advance, you won’t be in a hurry even if the power goes out for half a day. By the way, check the condition and protective device of the pressurized motor before the typhoon season. A few hundred yuan of parts can avoid thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan in motor repair costs. None of these things are complicated, but there is a big difference between doing them and not doing them.