Quick question regarding water-butts...

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MontyVeda

a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
Just installed a couple of water butts beside my mother's garage...

593797


...do they need strapping to the wall?
 

Low Gear Guy

Veteran
Location
Surrey
Ours has never been strapped down. Once full of water it won't be going anywhere.
 

T4tomo

Guru
as long as the paving they are standing on is solid and level (a marginal backward tilt even better) then as others have said, they will be rock solid.
 

BrumJim

Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
Thought I would do a quick check to make sure that this isn't one of those hazards that we hadn't considered yet, but will be focus of a tabloid campaign to "Secure those Killer Water Butts".

Turns out that your biggest risks from a water butt are drowning (particularly if you are working on a ladder above one or are a small animal) and Legionnaire's disease, particularly if you pump the water out and use a garden hose. Nothing about toppling butts. Presumably because unlike tall shelving, you **have** to load them from the bottom first.
 
We have had those for many years. Never even thought about strapping them down. If the base is solid and level then the but will go nowhere. Even a few inches in the bottom will be heavy enough to hold it in place - think how heavy a bucket of water is.
 

Alex H

Legendary Member
Location
Alnwick
As long as they don't freeze :whistle:

When we lived in France, I had to change the tank for the heating oil. I thought I could use the old one to store water from the barn roof. I made a base in the barn, connected it all up and it filled very quickly, all 1500 litres.

This is the new oil tank and the base for the old one
593825


A couple of years pass and we have a very cold winter.

I am outside when i hear a loud bang in the barn. I go and have a look and see this.

593826


A 1500kg ice cube has decided to fall over and smash most of our garden furniture. The base of the tank curved as the water froze. It took about 2 weeks to thaw and drain away. Surprisingly there was only a tiny crack near the top, so I moved it outside, buried about a third, so it would not fall over again. (I seem to remember the temperature tha previous night was something like -15 deg C)
 
OP
OP
MontyVeda

MontyVeda

a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
We have had those for many years. Never even thought about strapping them down. If the base is solid and level then the but will go nowhere. Even a few inches in the bottom will be heavy enough to hold it in place - think how heavy a bucket of water is.
Neither had I, until a YT video randomly popped up about securing them to the wall and I thought... is that really necessary?

It's always best to ask a cyclist. :okay:
 

BrumJim

Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
As long as they don't freeze :whistle:

When we lived in France, I had to change the tank for the heating oil. I thought I could use the old one to store water from the barn roof. I made a base in the barn, connected it all up and it filled very quickly, all 1500 litres.

This is the new oil tank and the base for the old one
View attachment 593825

A couple of years pass and we have a very cold winter.

I am outside when i hear a loud bang in the barn. I go and have a look and see this.

View attachment 593826

A 1500kg ice cube has decided to fall over and smash most of our garden furniture. The base of the tank curved as the water froze. It took about 2 weeks to thaw and drain away. Surprisingly there was only a tiny crack near the top, so I moved it outside, buried about a third, so it would not fall over again. (I seem to remember the temperature tha previous night was something like -15 deg C)

Missed the bikes. What's the problem?
 
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