Most potable rainwater systems in Central Texas need 2 to 4 service visits a year. Sediment and carbon filters should be changed about every 6 months, and the UV lamp every 12 months, since it is rated for about 9,000 hours. Clear the first-flush diverter quarterly. Once a year, check the pump and pressure tank, measure sediment in the tank, and clean the screens.
Those intervals are a baseline, and your roof and yard move them. Tree cover matters most. In the Hill Country, cedar (Ashe juniper) sheds pollen and fine debris in winter, and live oaks drop leaves, tassels and pollen in spring. A roof under or next to those trees loads the gutters, first flush and sediment filter much faster than an open roof. Some homes need the sediment filter changed every 3 to 4 months in spring.
Usage and weather matter too. A large roof feeding a household that runs everything on rainwater pushes more water, and more fine particles, through the filters than a small system used part time. Rain in Central Texas tends to come in big bursts after long dry stretches, and the first heavy storm after a drought washes months of dust and debris off the roof at once. Filter housing size also changes the math: a 20-inch big-blue housing holds more dirt before pressure drops than a standard 10-inch one, so it can go longer between changes.
Plenty of owners handle the basics themselves. Swapping sediment and carbon cartridges, changing a UV lamp, draining the first flush and clearing gutters are all reasonable DIY jobs if you shut the system down properly and keep the parts clean. What a service visit adds is the measuring you can’t easily do with a flashlight: reading pressure across the filters to see how fast they are loading, checking the pressure tank’s air charge, measuring sediment depth in the tank, inspecting the pump and pressure switch, and testing the water.
Dripping Rainwater services systems from any brand or installer. The Essential plan covers 2 visits a year for $750, and the Standard plan covers 4 visits a year for $985. If you would rather do it yourself, a single annual inspection is still worth it for the checks above. The shop is on Ranch Road 12 in Dripping Springs and covers Hays, Travis, Blanco and Comal counties; call (512) 829-5800 to schedule.
Yes. Most cartridges and UV lamps are made to be owner-replaceable. Turn off the pump and UV, relieve the pressure, keep the housing and O-rings clean, and flush new carbon before use. What you give up is the annual inspection of the pump, pressure tank, tank sediment and water quality, so plan for that separately.
Usually nothing dramatic at first. Pressure drops as filters clog, carbon stops working, and a year-old UV lamp may still glow while no longer disinfecting reliably. Sediment keeps building in the tank and a low pressure tank charge wears the pump faster. The real risk is drinking water that looks fine but isn’t being treated properly.
No. Without drinking water treatment there is no UV lamp or carbon filter to replace. You still want gutters and screens cleaned twice a year, the first flush cleared quarterly, a pump screen or filter checked, and the tank and pump looked at once a year. One or two visits a year is typical.
Go by the calendar, not by whether it lights up. A lamp loses UV output long before it burns out. Most controllers have a countdown or alarm; if yours doesn’t, write the install date on the housing or set a reminder. Check the sleeve for film or scale at the same time.
A typical lamp is rated for about 9,000 hours, and a year of continuous running is about 8,760 hours. Lamps are meant to stay on all the time, since frequent switching shortens their life. Replacing yearly keeps output above the level needed to disinfect the water.
Check sediment depth every year, but most tanks with good gutters, screens and a working first flush only need the sludge removed every few years. Clean it out when the sediment layer gets close to the pump intake or floating suction, or if you notice odor or discolored water.
