Fleximake RAIN-CATCH™ system offers a comparative durability and cost effectiveness to traditional solid moulded tanks with complete reliability.
Fleximake Rainwater Bladder tanks are designed and manufactured in Australia. Our bladder tanks are self-supporting and are made of heavy duty, reinforced PVC material which is puncture resistant, allowing them be robust yet flexible. These flexible and collapsible rain water tanks are superior to the traditional, rigid tanks as they take up less space and can easily utilise areas that are unusable for other purposes such as spaces with limited height. This means that you can place it under your house or under a deck (i.e. under deck tank or under house rainwater tanks). You can also fit our rainwater bladder tanks in spaces that have an awkward shape that a rigid tank would not be able to fit in. Not only is it convenient and allows your rainwater collection system to be hidden, but it is also easier to install as it is flexible. We have two different fabric material options for these tanks; Potable (suitable to store drinking water as per AS/NZ 4020) and Non-Potable. Standard sizes of our rainwater tanks range from 750L to 40,000L. We can manufacture custom dimensions and shapes to perfectly fit your space and capacity requirements.
Fleximake can provide three different arrangements for connecting the downpipe to the bladder tank for harvesting rainwater; bottom fill, top fill and side fill. These provide great flexibility, allowing you to choose the method that is most suitable for your specifications.
If our standard rainwater bladder tanks do not suit your needs or if you have an inquiry, you can simply contact us and we will give you a solution to perfectly fit your requirements.
Made of heavy duty, puncture resistant and reinforced PVC material
Flexible, but robust and durable
Easy to install
Guaranteed longevity
Can be made to fit any space available
Wide selection of standard sizes to fit your needs
Can be made to custom requirements
Easy to transport as it can be rolled into a small package and costs less to transport
Can be placed in areas with a height restriction and awkward shaped spaces
We offer three filling inlet connection configuration choices for flexible rainwater bladder tanks to perfectly fits your unique space
Bottom Fill Configuration
Top Fill Configuration
Side Fill Configuration
Why Bladder Tanks for Rainwater Collection
Traditionally the method for storing rainwater has been hard corrugated iron or poly tanks. These tanks take up a lot of usable space that could be used for other endeavours. As homes become larger and block sizes become increasingly smaller, a rainwater storage solution is needed for both space and aesthetic conscious home owners who desire to save money. Rainwater bladders are flexible tanks that are not rigid, allowing them to fit into spaces that would not usually be used to store water. For example, underneath the house or as an underdeck water tank. There are some flat rainwater tanks available in the market, however, the flexible nature of the bladders makes them superior compared to other types of low profile rainwater tanks.
Bladders tanks enable you achieving a low cost rainwater harvesting solution. Unlike rigid rainwater tanks, our flexible rainwater bladder tanks are easy and cost much less to transport especially to rural areas. As you can imagine, only a few rigid poly tanks can fit into a large truck at once, causing it to be very expensive to transport. On the other hand, a large bladder tank, such as one with a capacity of 20,000L, can be rolled up into a small package of 60cm x 50cm x 50cm for transporting. This makes bladders an ideal solution for rural rainwater tank applications.
Once the bladder tank arrives at its destination, it is easy to install as you do not have to push a large container as you would for a rigid rainwater tank. Due to its flexibility, rainwater bladder tanks can accept much greater installation dimension tolerances compared to a rigid water tank, saving installation time.
Rainwater is a valuable natural resource that has been collected by Australians for domestic, agricultural and commercial use since colonial times. With Fleximake flexible rainwater bladder tanks, storing water is less space consuming and gives opportunities for rain collection to every Australian.
Rainwater Bladder Tank Sizes
Inlet Pipe Configurations
Accessories
Rainwater Bladder Tank Sizes
At Fleximake, we have a range of standard sizes with capacities from 800L small rainwater tanks to 40,000L large rainwater tanks. The table below shows the dimensions for each size.Please visit fmestore for Fleximake standard rainwater tanks prices. These can be used as residential rainwater tanks and also for commercial water storage application. Up to tank capacity of 10,000L are commonly used as under deck rainwater tanks in houses.
Model No.
Width (m)
Length (m)
Height (m)
Capacity (L)
RWP-010-030
1 m
3 m
0.45 m
800 L
RWP-010-040
1 m
4 m
0.45 m
1,100 L
RWP-010-050
1 m
5 m
0.45 m
1,400 L
RWP-010-060
1 m
6 m
0.45 m
1,650 L
RWP-010-080
1 m
8 m
0.45 m
2,250 L
RWP-010-100
1 m
10 m
0.45 m
2,850 L
RWP-015-030
1.5 m
3 m
0.7 m
1,650 L
RWP-015-040
1.5 m
4 m
0.7 m
2,300 L
RWP-015-050
1.5m
5 m
0.7 m
3,000 L
RWP-015-060
1.5 m
6 m
0.7 m
3,700 L
RWP-015-080
1.5 m
8 m
0.7 m
5,000 L
RWP-015-100
1.5 m
10 m
0.7 m
6,400 L
RWP-020-030
2 m
3 m
0.75 m
2,550 L
RWP-020-040
2 m
4 m
0.75 m
3,650 L
RWP-020-050
2 m
5 m
0.75 m
4,700 L
RWP-020-060
2 m
6 m
0.75 m
5,750 L
RWP-020-080
2 m
8 m
0.75 m
8,000 L
RWP-020-100
2 m
10 m
0.75 m
10,000 L
RWP-030-100
3 m
10 m
1 m
20,000 L
RWP-040-100
4 m
10 m
1 m
30,000 L
RWP-050-100
5 m
10 m
1.1 m
40,000 L
Fleximake can provide you a tailor made, custom rainwater tank solution to perfectly fit your requirements. We can design and manufacture rain water bladder tanks to exactly match your need in regard to the size. We can also manufacture very large bladders for large scale rainwater harvesting system. The friendly team at Fleximake are always happy to help in regards to any specific requirements. Please simply fill the Enquire form below or give us a call on 1300 195 295. We’ll discuss your needs, rainwater tank sizing and deliver the perfect solutions to you on time. We can help you to achieve successful DIY rainwater collection system.
How to choose a size for your rainwater bladder tank
When deciding on a rainwater tank, it may be tricky to estimate the water storage size as we cannot exactly predict how often it will rain. However, you should consider the past rainfall data for your area, water usage and space availability.
The amount of water you can collect mostly depends on the amount of rainfall in your area, for example it would rain more in coastal areas compared to areas isolated from water. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) publishes past monthly rainfall data for your area in the website, Table Format. BOM also publishes this data in a Map Format.
Once you have found your rainfall data, you can then find out the volume of water that you could collect, by multiplying the amount of rainfall with your roof area. If you do not know the roof area, you can find it by looking at the building plans or going online to google maps. This is important so that you can know a rough number on how much water you could collect every month.
You may also need to consider the climate patterns and irregularities in your area. If your area is prone to spontaneous heavy rains or dry seasons, then it is best to get a larger tank to keep the water for more necessary times. It is also important to estimate your water usage prior to deciding the size of your rainwater tank. This helps you to avoid choosing an unnecessarily large tank or a tank that is too small. Lastly, you need to consider how much space is available for you to place your rainwater tank. Fleximake rainwater bladder tanks and under deck water tanks can utilise unusable place, allowing them to be space efficient. Once all of these have been considered, you can decide the most suitable size for your rain harvesting tank that collects sufficient water for the best price.
Inlet Pipe Configurations
Bottom Fill Configuration
Rainwater bladder tanks with a bottom fill option has the inlet underneath the bladder. The downpipe is required to be connected to the inlet through a rigid pipe extension. Similarly, the outlet is a placed underneath the bladder. The installation of this bladder requires trenches for both the inlet and outlet piping. Given that the inlet pipe is rigid, the bottom fill connection arrangement allows the bladder inlet point to be stable when the bladder is being filled or emptied frequently, improving the longevity. In addition to this, the elbow connected to the extension inlet piping passes through the supplied metal plate before connecting to the bladder to create extra support. The inlet fitting can either be 90mm or 100mm and the outlet fitting can either be 32mm or 25mm as standard. A flexible outlet piping section will be supplied to eliminate the vibration of the pump passing into the bladder tank. The bottom outlet maximises the extraction of water from the bladder.
Items supplied by Fleximake with standard Bottom Fill rainwater storage tank kit are listed below.
Item No.
Qty.
Description
A1
1
Rainwater Storage Bladder – Inlet 90 or 100mm, Outlet 25 or 32mm
A2
1
Elbow for outlet (25 or 32mm)
A3
2
Directors (Barbed fitting)
A4
1
Flexible outlet hose
A5
2
Hose clamps for flexible outlet hose
A6
1
Metal support plate for inlet fitting
A7
1
Ground Sheet
A8
1
Breather hose
1
Thread seal tape
Additional accessories Fleximake can supply as an option are listed below. In some cases, you may find that items can be easily bought at your local hardware supplier and you may save money on delivery.
Item No.
Description
B1
Rain Head (i.e. Leaf Filtering Device)
B2
First Flush Diverter
B3
Air Gap (backflow prevention device)
B4
Pump
B5
Ball valve at the inlet of pump
B6
Pipe Nipples
B7
Barrel union
Additional items that you are required to purchase from your local hardware supplier to complete the system are listed below.
Item No.
Description
C1
90mm or 100mm T-sockets to suit your piping route
C2
90 or 100mm Plain Female-to-female elbows to suit your piping route
C3
90mm or 100mm Solid pipes to suit your piping route
Rainwater bladder tanks with a top fill option has the inlet on top of the bladder. The downpipe is required to be connected to the inlet through a flexible pipe extension. This flexible pipe extension will be supplied with the bladder, to avoid stressing the inlet connection point when the bladder is being filled or emptied frequently. This increases the bladder’s durability and longevity. Furthermore, the flexible pipes also allow for more installation dimension tolerances. The outlet is placed at the side, closer to the bottom to maximise the water extraction from the bladder. The inlet fitting can be either 90mm or 100mm and the outlet fitting can either be 32mm or 25mm as standard. A flexible outlet piping section will be supplied to eliminate the vibration of the pump passing into the bladder tank. This arrangement is ideal when you have hard ground or concrete slabs which cannot be dug for underground piping.
Items supplied by Fleximake with standard Top Fill rainwater storage tank kit are listed below.
Item No.
Qty.
Description
A1
1
Rainwater Storage Bladder – Inlet 90 or 100mm, Barbed Outlet 25 or 32mm
A2
1
Flexible inlet pipe with slip ends to connect to 90mm or 100mm downpipe
A3
1
Director (i.e. Barbed fitting)
A4
1
Flexible outlet hose
A5
2
Hose clamps for flexible outlet hose
A6
1
Breather hose
A7
1
Ground Sheet
1
Thread seal tape
Additional accessories Fleximake can supply as an option are listed below. In some cases, you may find that items can be easily bought at your local hardware supplier and you may save money on delivery.
Item No.
Description
B1
Rain Head (i.e. Leaf Filtering Device)
B2
First Flush Diverter
B3
Air Gap (backflow prevention device)
B4
Pump
B5
Ball valve at the inlet of pump
B6
Pipe Nipples
B7
Barrel union
Additional items that you are required to purchase from your local hardware supplier to complete the system are listed below.
Item No.
Description
C1
90mm or 100mm T-sockets to suit your piping route
C2
90mm or 100mm Plain elbows to suit your piping route
C3
90 or 100mm Plain Female-to-female elbows to suit your piping route
Rainwater bladder tanks with a side fill option has the inlet on side of the bladder. The downpipe is required to be connected to the inlet through a flexible pipe extension. This flexible pipe extension will be supplied with the bladder, to avoid stressing the inlet connection point when the bladder is being filled or emptied frequently. This increases the bladder’s durability and longevity.Furthermore, the flexible pipes also allow for more installation dimension tolerances. The outlet is also placed at the side, close to the bottom to maximise the water extraction from the bladder. A flexible outlet piping section will be supplied to eliminate the vibration of the pump passing into the bladder tank. The inlet flexible pipe is 50mm in diameter. One side of this flexible pipe is fitted with a reducer fitting suitable to connect to 90mm or 100mm standard downpipe. The outlet can be either be 25mm or 32mm.
Items supplied by Fleximake with standard Side Fill rainwater storage tank kit are listed below.
Reducer socket (90mm or 100mm to 50mm) for connection to downpipe
A4
2
Hose clamps for flexible inlet hose
A5
1
Directors (Barbed fitting)
A6
2
Hose clamps for flexible outlet hose
A7
1
Flexible outlet hose
A8
1
Ground Sheet
A9
1
Breather hose
1
Thread seal tape
Additional accessories Fleximake can supply as an option are listed below. In some cases, you may find that items can be easily bought at your local hardware supplier and you may save money on delivery.
Item No.
Description
B1
Rain Head (i.e. Leaf Filtering Device)
B2
First Flush Diverter
B3
Air Gap (backflow prevention device)
B4
Pump
B5
Ball valve at the inlet of pump
B6
Pipe Nipples
B7
Barrel union
Additional items that you are required to purchase from your local hardware supplier to complete the rainwater harvesting system are listed below.
Item No.
Description
C1
90mm or 100mm T-sockets to suit your piping route
C2
90 or 100mm Plain Female-to-female elbows to suit your piping route
C3
90mm or 100mm Solid pipes to suit your piping route
An important accessory that you must have when installing a rainwater tank is the leaf filtering device. These devices prevent leaves and debris on the roof and in your gutter from entering your rainwater bladder tank. It also assists with keeping the pipes clear so that water can go through, to reach the bladder. Fleximake can provide this accessory in sizes of 90mm and 100mm as an option with your bladder.
1. Leaf Eater Original (Blue Mountain Co)
This unit has the vertical outlet and is suitable for installation on vertical downpipe.
Leaf Eater Advanced is a compact rain head for small and awkward spaces, allowing it to be installed on both horizontal and vertical downpipes. This is due to the VH Pivot outlet that is incorporated in the Rain Head.
The Leaf Eater Ultra rain head can maximise the volume of water you collect while still handling high flow rates. The patented Hydro Active Filtration™ screen vibrates for maximum leaf shedding, while larger leaves and debris are deflected before they even reach it by the Leaf Slide “fingers”.
It is recommended to install a First Flush Diverter in the downpipe, upstream of a rainwater bladder tank as it assists you with keeping your stored rainwater clean. This device diverts the predetermined amount of the first rainwater that washes the roof and gutters. This goes into the first flush diverter where it fills up with water. As water fills the first flush diverter, a ball installed in the pipe will float along with it to close the opening, blocking off the dirty water from getting into the rainwater bladder tank.
The length of the pipe for the first flush diverter needs to be selected to suit your roof area and environmental conditions. Guidelines for selecting the lengths are as follow.
If your house is in an area with less pollution, meaning you have little debris, leaves, bird droppings and animal matter you should divert around 0.5 litres per a square metre of your roof.
o 90mm first flush diverter: around 80mm of pipe length per a square metre
o 100mm first flush diverter: around 65mm of pipe length per a square metre
If your house is in an area with higher pollution, meaning you have more leaves, debris, bird droppings and animal matter, you should divert around 1-2 litres per a square metre of your roof.
o 90mm first flush diverter: around 160mm to 320mm of pipe length per a square metre
o 100mm first flush diverter: around 130mm to 260mm of pipe length per a square metre’
2. First Flush Delta Diverter (Blue Mountain Co)
If you do not have sufficient height to place the First Flush Diverter pipe length, you may require to use First Flush Delta Diverter with multiple parallel pipes to achieve the required volume.
In some cases, there is a risk of the stormwater system being blocked downstream, causing stormwater to flow back into your valuable rainwater storage. This may cause contamination as the content of the water from the stormwater drain system is unknown.
This device simply creates an air gap that prevents the stormwater backflow from entering the bladder. Instead it flows out of the air gap and discharges onto the ground. This device is also fitted with a mesh mosquito screen to prevent mosquitoes from entering the rainwater tank system..
A pump is required to be connected to the outlet pipe of your rainwater bladder to provide the required pressure to allow it to be connected to your water system. Fleximake can supply a suitable pump for your application. The selection of the pump depends on the required head and flow. We offer three pump sizes as standard for connecting rainwater tank to house. These pumps are fitted with a pressure switch that automatically will changeover to the main water system if your rainwater bladder is empty (i.e. Rain/Main changeover). Pumps that are used for rainwater irrigation system may not require the Rain/Main changeover function.
HYJET HHR – 400/550
The HYJET HHR SERIES is an automatic Rain / Mains changeover pump system allowing tank water to be used for water supply in preference to mains water. As a general guideline, this pump is suitable for single or double storey homes for up to 4 water outlets (toilet and laundry use).
The MHR20 Series is a fully Automatic Hydraulic Rain / Mains water changeover device designed for pressure pump supply systems in harvesting rainwater for the toilet, laundry and household applications with an automatic mains backup. As a general guideline, the HYJET MHR20-370 is suitable for a single storey home for up to 3 outlets and the HYJET MHR20-550 is suitable for a double storey home for up to 4 outlets.
The MaxiSAVE MHR Series is a fully automatic Hydraulic rain/mains water changeover device designed for pressure pump supply systems. As a general guideline, the MHR series is suitable for both single and double storey homes and have a range of different options. The MHR550 can be used for 1-4 outlets, the MHR750 and MHR2-40 can be used for 4-6 outlets, the MHR1000 and MHR4-60 can be used for 6-8 outlets and the MHR4-60 can be used for 8-12 outlets.
