# Beat the hose pipe ban (water butt and pressure washer idea)



## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

Been meaning to get this pictured and posted.........

This is my little set up as My Stihl will pick water up from a barrel.. so...

take one water butt and stand..

one down pipe diverter..

and add a paving slab if on gravel



















Then rake about in the garage for the tap connector that comes with most new hose pipes and the quick click male spigot.... and a length of hose to get you to where you normally put your pressure washer (the closer the better)










Now to protect the pressure washer and car from debris... You need an inline filter of some type... I got this from lidl (Our local still has some in stock for £9.99)










needed a 1" male to male adaptor got mine from a local agri spares place and 2 female 1" threaded quick hose connectors.....

can also be had from here but at a cost :doublesho
http://www.rainwaterharvesting.co.uk/filter-in-line.php

so cobbled it all together










left the pw end disconected and turned on the butt tap and left it till all the air had been purged out then connected the PW...

The PW worked fine with its supplied lances (both the fan and the savage vortex type) But my Foam lance was down on power and produced a slurry like foam...and my AB under body lance was down on pressure ) but i think both have a larger jet bore so use more water....

Anyways there you go i can use my PW to pre rinse the car prior to doing a 2 bucket wash or using ONR :detailer:


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## jimbo666 (Mar 17, 2007)

Nice idea Andy. I liked it so much so that I went out and bought the filter yesterday from my local Lidl. 

It seems a good quality bit of kit for the price. I'm impressed!

Did you get your 1" female hose connectors from the Agri spares place? I'm struggling to find some from any local shop.


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## maersk (Sep 6, 2007)

I think you may find a pressure washer is allowed as they use so little volume of water........................:detailer:


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## Sean_Jaymo (May 24, 2006)

Not if you are a Thames water customer. Bit a sod really! I got myself a water butt during the week but have yet to find out if it supplies adequate pressure. It's 190 litres so i'm hoping there is a decent head of pressure! 

Our outside tap has a water saving pressure restrictor in it anyhow so it was hardly as if I had some to start with!


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## howie parks (Jun 5, 2006)

just need enough rain now to fill it!!


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## nickfrog (Nov 29, 2010)

howie parks said:


> just need enough rain now to fill it!!


Why ? Just put the hose in it. :devil:


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## -Simon- (Oct 29, 2010)

Very interesting thread, just picked up two IBC tanks to go with the two water butts in situ, should give me around 2500 litres. Just need to work out how to connect up and really would like one of the filters between the 2nd butt and the first tank but £22-00 a bit steep for me.

Have just added a inlet filter to the Kranzle so might just leave at that. Interesting I notice you have used the hose lock type fittings....The guy at Kranzle recommended to avoid these as they can draw air, also how long is the hose run from the tank to the PW? Max recommended is 3m, these factors could be causing your loss of pressure????

Be interested in your thoughts?


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## Sean_Jaymo (May 24, 2006)

There was a very localised rain storm a few days before the ban came into effect....


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## Squadrone Rosso (Aug 11, 2009)

No hosepipe ban here but thinking of a similar set up.

Did you buy the butt etc from homebase?

More info on that filter too, please


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## thehulk2002 (Mar 16, 2011)

All its done is rain here the last few days makes me laugh a water ban I live in rainy Manchester no ban here.


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## Shinyvec (Feb 12, 2010)

I have been doing this since October lastyear more because I am on a Watermeter and really fedup of Utility Bills being sky high all the while. I use 3 large waterbutts around my house to collect the rainwater and then this gets filterd and then stored for use in a new clean waterbutt in my garage and 4 25L plastic drums. I use a Karcher with no problems and also use the karcher waterbutt kit so the feed comes from the top of the butt down to the washer. For a drying rinse I just fill 10L Watering Cans from the same waterbutt and they act like a open end hose. I am currently looking for more 25 / 30L cans and a couple more waterbutts to put onto 2 more downspouts and that then should always give me a free supply of water


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

Sean_Jaymo said:


> There was a very localised rain storm a few days before the ban came into effect....


....but luckily after the butt was set up?


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## Sean_Jaymo (May 24, 2006)

It was uncanny....


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## simjk (Feb 19, 2012)

I'm in Southern Water's area who have a link off their website to a voucher for 20% off water butts in B&Q. 

I got the same in line filter from Lidl for 9.99 (much cheaper than online) - I'm hoping my Karcher can draw enough water from the butt through the filter without an additional pump. I then spent the savings from Lidl on a down pipe collector that has a filter built in that is easy to remove the debris - although it was about equal cost between this and a small butt to act as a gravity filter.


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## minibbb (Mar 9, 2012)

simjk said:


> I'm in Southern Water's area who have a link off their website to a voucher for 20% off water butts in B&Q.
> 
> I got the same in line filter from Lidl for 9.99 (much cheaper than online) - I'm hoping my Karcher can draw enough water from the butt through the filter without an additional pump. I then spent the savings from Lidl on a down pipe collector that has a filter built in that is easy to remove the debris - although it was about equal cost between this and a small butt to act as a gravity filter.


Or do what i've done....


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