Water butts

[Speicher]

I have found a water butt diverter that is available with a three metre hose. The down pipe from the gutter is in the middle of the front of the house. So I would like to connect up a water butt to water the front garden. The diverter, hose, and the guttering all are white, the Butt would sit slightly round the corner from the front of the house. I would probably have a slim line one, so it is not so obtrusive.

Yes, I know it is not necessary this week, due to the weather, butt I could also use the water for the first rinse of a car wash, and cleaning the wheely bin etc.

Between the down pipe, and the place where I would like to put the Butt, is a full length window. So, what do you know about hydraulics and water pressure etc? Do I put the connector above the window, secure it to the wall over the window, and into the top of the Butt. Or put the diverter at the bottom of the downpipe, lay the pipe along the ground, and into the Butt at the top or the bottom?

I am sure some very clever person might be able to help. I have also found where I can get a water butt for £5.00, so I would then just need to buy a tap. I already have a large water butt in the back garden, but the back garden is upstairs from the front of the house. Carrying a watering can down stairs is a pain in the butt.

TIA

 

[Davidc]

The diverter needs to have its high water level point at the same height as or very slightly higher than the inlet to the water butt, so that when the butt is just below full there's water in the system stoping any more from flowing.

The pipe in between can be any length, but needs to be below the level of the diverter and butt inlet. That way whether it's full of water or it's got air in it water will flow.

The longer the pipe in between the slower water will flow. Don't seal the ends of the pipe to the butt or diverter, or seal up the top of the diverter. You need to be able to strip it down (frequently IME) to clear out the gunge which comes off the roof, and the grey green slime which grows inside the system.

Be careful washing the car, bike, whatever - only draw the water when it's had time to settle as little bits of sharp gritty dust seem to get in from somewhere. I filter it through a couple of layers of old cotton shirt first. Then it's super soft water which doesn't leave little spots when it dries out.

If you'd like one I'll do a little drawing and post it.

 

[Bigtwin]

If it's like mine, you have some leeway with the diverter height, as there's a small trap in there. But it needs to be at about the same height as the inflow at the top of the butt. Don't inflow at the bottom.

Ditto the grit and shite - mine get's clogged with moss from the roof.

 

[Speicher]

So if the butt is not on a stand, the inlet to the butt would be about three feet off the ground. The diverter then needs to be higher than that, say 4 feet off the ground. I think I would prefer the hose to trail along the ground, silly question; would there be enough pressure if the hose is in a loop?

Thank you for your advice so far.

 

[Bigtwin]

So if the butt is not on a stand, the inlet to the butt would be about three feet off the ground. The diverter then needs to be higher than that, say 4 feet off the ground. I think I would prefer the hose to trail along the ground, silly question; would there be enough pressure if the hose is in a loop?

Thank you for your advice so far.

It need to be about the same height, That way, when the butt is full, the water just goes down the gutter downpipe. Loop is fine, so long as the butt end is slightly lower/same height as the feed end.

 

[Davidc]

The butt needs to be on a stand or you'll need a pump to get the water out

Here's a drawing

 

[Bigtwin]

The butt needs to be on a stand or you'll need a pump to get the water out

Here's a drawing

Jezuz you have a massive downpipe!

 

[Night Train]

That's correct.
Also if you are making up your own butt then the tap should be a little way up from the bottom of the butt to prevent debris getting in the tap.

The ones a the back of my house (old wheelie bins) have the down pipe feeding straight into them and then an overflow from the butt goes to the drain.

 

[Davidc]

FWIW The best set up I had for a water butt was when I built a stand abot 1m high (with breeze blocks), and set up a 250l water butt on that. The feed pipe from the diverter was about 5m long and ran under a patio. Always had enough pressure from the butt, even when nearly empty, to water with a hose - just.

I put a nylon cord in the feed pipe before installing it so I could drag a cleaning cloth through.

 

[Davidc]

Jezuz you have a massive downpipe!

It rains heavily in the west. You should see the size of today's raindrops....

Did I say it was to scale!

(Or else it's perspective, the water butt is a long way back)

 

[Bigtwin]

It rains heavily in the west. You should see the size of today's raindrops....

Did I say it was to scale!

(Or else it's perspective, the water butt is a long way back)

Now come on now Dougal, let's try it again.

These ones are small, those ones are far away....

 

[Speicher]

I have looked again at where I might put it. I could put the diverter very high up in the first short section of the down pipe of the guttering, Then tie the hose to the same brackets that support the guttering. Then it would go down to the water butt, to flow in at or near the top. As it is a white hose, it should not look too untidy.

I will also print out your drawing, Davidc. to see if the hose could trail along the ground instead.

I will obviously plan this very carefully. I had thought about a second water butt in the back garden, so the tap, diverter and hose would not be wasted.

Night Train, the easy option would be to have the butt next to the down pipe, but that would put it in the middle of the front of the house.

 

[Davidc]

The problem with putting the diverter higher than the butt is what happens when the butt's full. The lid lifts up and the water goes over the sides!

It does tend to fill a bit faster though, and the pipe between the two cleans itself a bit better.

 

[Speicher]

The diverter needs to have its high water level point at the same height as or very slightly higher than the inlet to the water butt, so that when the butt is just below full there's water in the system stoping any more from flowing.

The pipe in between can be any length, but needs to be below the level of the diverter and butt inlet. That way whether it's full of water or it's got air in it water will flow.

If you'd like one I'll do a little drawing and post it.

Memo to self - read the first sentence of the first post. Also carefully study the technical drawings,

I failed my Applied Mathematics 'A' level, can you see why?

This might be a case of going back to the drawing board. If I put a second water butt by the back door, and near the top of the outside stair case, I can put a hose (green this time) on the tap, and water can run downstairs for cleaning wheely bin/patio/etc.

 

[Davidc]

I never did it, but was once tempted to build a high stand for one so as to get good pressure for a hose. Then I thought about the little matter that 250 litres of water weighs 1/4 tonne and I didn't fancy that perched above head height in the garden.

I also considered burying a big tank and pumping the water out, but gave that idea up as well.

Now I need to go and buy a new one, the old one split last year and I haven't replaced it - tap water doesn't do the plants as much good, and no free water for cleaning.