# Water Butts



## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

Looking at installing 2 water butts at the back of my house taking water from the roof for car washing and perhaps even dishes in the kitchen if it is feasible.

With the most likely introduction of mandatory water meters, minimising the use of tap water is preferable.










The black bit bottom left, is the downpipe. The yellow bit, is the outside tap, which needs some work as it's leaking and the hose attachment doesn't stay on while using the pressure washer. The grey areas are paved, although not evenly in some places. The right hand path is slightly higher than the left hand bit. At the moment there are some plant things round the downpipe, but I want to get rid of them anyway.

It would be good if someone could clarify all the parts that are needed to get everything set up.


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## Maxtor (Feb 23, 2007)

This might be some use to you mate.

Maxtor.


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## olliewray (May 13, 2009)

obviously need 1 rain-sav downpipe converter kit, we sell them at our place for £13.99 and 1 waterbutt connector kit, £4.99

water butts at our place roughly £28 for 210L ones and stands are £7.99

With the amount of rain that is coming down at the minute, it will be a good investment! haha

Oll


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

you need to decide where to put the water butt, then get a diverter kit for the downpipe, and then join the two together - you can have your water butts anywhere you can run a pipe to, but obviously it better to have it close to the downpipe if possible.


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## Neil_S (Oct 26, 2005)

For house hold use I assume by washing dishers you mean the dishwasher? In which case a dishwasher doesn't use much water, infact the econmentalists actually like them because filling one up uses less water than washing by hand.

I'd think if you could setup a system to use rainwater for flushing toilets, that'd be a fair gain.


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## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

Bigpikle said:


> you need to decide where to put the water butt, then get a diverter kit for the downpipe, and then join the two together - you can have your water butts anywhere you can run a pipe to, but obviously it better to have it close to the downpipe if possible.


Drawing is not really to the right scale, but there is probably just enough room for 2 butts between the downpipe and outside tap. Would be best for that anyway, as it means if the butt is out of water I can easily move the hose over to the outside tap.

Do I need a pump or anything for the pressure washer or is gravity OK?

I assume the first water butt needs to be at a slightly higher altitude than the lower butt to allow the water to flow through to it better which means it could be quite high unless I am being stupid (most likely) or do they just stay at the same level and have the join between the 2 high enough so that the grit doesn't go through it?

Thanks for the link Maxtor.

olliewray, where do you work? Homebase/B&Q?

I take it, it is easy enough to fit myself (bare in mind I am hopeless at DIY).


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## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

Neil_S said:


> For house hold use I assume by washing dishers you mean the dishwasher? In which case a dishwasher doesn't use much water, infact the econmentalists actually like them because filling one up uses less water than washing by hand.
> 
> I'd think if you could setup a system to use rainwater for flushing toilets, that'd be a fair gain.


Household I mean hand washing. I think setting it up for the toilet may be a lot of hassle. The toilet has a strong/weak flush function on it anyway so that isn't too much of a problem.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

jamest said:


> Household I mean hand washing. I think setting it up for the toilet may be a lot of hassle. The toilet has a strong/weak flush function on it anyway so that isn't too much of a problem.


I would be a bit careful as the water isnt 'clean' in the sense that it has washed down your roof and pipes etc so I wouldnt want to use it for my eating stuff personally. Washing my metal on the drive is fine but I'll stick to tap water for my eating irons :thumb:

Keep the butts the same height and get a joining kit (pipe between them) and physics means they both keep the same level of water in them.


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## Oliscrim (May 8, 2009)

Are you trying to link the two butts together so they fill at the same time, or one as a primary fill, then the other as a secondary?? In my mind it would make sense to have one that fills completely first, then it overflows into the other down an inclined tube near the top.


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## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

Bigpikle said:


> I would be a bit careful as the water isnt 'clean' in the sense that it has washed down your roof and pipes etc so I wouldnt want to use it for my eating stuff personally. Washing my metal on the drive is fine but I'll stick to tap water for my eating irons :thumb:


Fair enough.



Bigpikle said:


> Keep the butts the same height and get a joining kit (pipe between them) and physics means they both keep the same level of water in them.





Oliscrim said:


> Are you trying to link the two butts together so they fill at the same time, or one as a primary fill, then the other as a secondary?? In my mind it would make sense to have one that fills completely first, then it overflows into the other down an inclined tube near the top.


Don't mind how they are layed out, as long as there will be enough water to do at least 1 wash would be good.

In my mind, either of those would work as well as the other, although the same level would be a better alternative as long as the joining pipe was reasonably low down. That way you would only need to connect the hose to one of them rather than having to change it over when the primary butt was full.

I assume it would be a good idea to get gutters cleaned out before setting up etc.


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## caledonia (Sep 13, 2008)

Try joining your butts one third of the way up.
This was all the sediment and heavier materials will settle to the base of the first butt.
Use the second butt as your water source.

Gordon.


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## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

caledonia said:


> Try joining your butts one third of the way up.
> This was all the sediment and heavier materials will settle to the base of the first butt.
> Use the second butt as your water source.
> 
> Gordon.


Presumably the second butt will have to be cleaned out occasionally? I have no idea how much sediment would gather.


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## caledonia (Sep 13, 2008)

its a balancing act. The higher you take the outlet between the two butts the cleaner the water would be in the second one. But you then compromise the volume of water that can be used safely.

Again weather conditions come into play. After a long dry spell. There will be a lot of dry fine dust on your roof. Which will wash into your butts and because its fine, would mix easily and become held in suspension.

The perfect scenario would to have one just as a filter and sediment holder and one for washing. But you can see the down side also. As you would only have one clean butt of water. As the connector would be at the top.

Gordon


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## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

caledonia said:


> its a balancing act. The higher you take the outlet between the two butts the cleaner the water would be in the second one. But you then compromise the volume of water that can be used safely.
> 
> Again weather conditions come into play. After a long dry spell. There will be a lot of dry fine dust on your roof. Which will wash into your butts and because its fine, would mix easily and become held in suspension.
> 
> ...


Indeed. And any sort of filter on the primary butt where the water originally drains in to would reduce the pressure of the water coming in from the second butt.

I think same level would be my best option. Is it a problem if the butts are in direct sunlight? Something I just thought of is that in the morning the sun is directly on the back of the house. Would the butts have to be enclosed in a wall or have some panelling to stop direct sun rays?


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## caledonia (Sep 13, 2008)

Direct sunlight should not be an issue. Evaporation will be slight. But most butts are made of none transparent materials and have lids or covers. 

But with any standing water. Nature will run its coarse. Beginning with the Nitrogen cycle and ending in anaerobic conditions. In the sediment. I know this is high end words. But all you need to know is it will help clean the butt and remove the build up of plant matter within the sediment. It would only become an issue if the lids where removed and in continual sunlight. Where algae would for due to the build up of Nitrates, within the water.

So make sure the lids are held in place or fixed.


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## Star2 (Aug 20, 2008)

The type of tiles you have on the roof will influence the amount of sediment and foreign bodies present within the water.

Do you know of they are concrete, slate etc tiles?


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## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

Star2 said:


> The type of tiles you have on the roof will influence the amount of sediment and foreign bodies present within the water.
> 
> Do you know of they are concrete, slate etc tiles?


Not sure, they are textured like bricks rather than smooth so I would assume concrete, unless you can get slate that looks textured.


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## swiftflo (Jul 28, 2008)

Here we go again, complications,complications & more complications. This subject was touched on in great detail some weeks ago. There is no need for any complicated set up, all you need is at least 2 butts on a level,but raised off the floor to get buckets under, joined together either 1/3rd or 1/2 way up, rain water into one and draw off the other.
Thats it, take it froma retired plumber, thats it.


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## Richf (Apr 26, 2008)

I have a water butt at the front of the house for washing the car and watering the hanging baskets in the summer , i have one at the side of the house for watering pots and one at the back of the house which pumps water up to two 1000l IBC tanks which i use for irrigation of the garden 

The pump in the water butt is on a timer switch and goes on for 10 minutes every 24 hours , it will empty a 200l water butt in that time , of the two IBC's i have one is connected to a normal hosepipe and the other is connected to a large pump with feeds numerous sprinklers covering a large wall which is planted during the summer, this is also on a timer and operates for 15 minutes twice a day 

NOW THATS COMPLICATED!!!


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## swiftflo (Jul 28, 2008)

Richf said:


> I have a water butt at the front of the house for washing the car and watering the hanging baskets in the summer , i have one at the side of the house for watering pots and one at the back of the house which pumps water up to two 1000l IBC tanks which i use for irrigation of the garden
> 
> The pump in the water butt is on a timer switch and goes on for 10 minutes every 24 hours , it will empty a 200l water butt in that time , of the two IBC's i have one is connected to a normal hosepipe and the other is connected to a large pump with feeds numerous sprinklers covering a large wall which is planted during the summer, this is also on a timer and operates for 15 minutes twice a day
> 
> NOW THATS COMPLICATED!!!


Not really.


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## Captain Morgan (May 7, 2007)

one point aren't you "ment" to inform the water board that your are collecing rain water?


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## Richf (Apr 26, 2008)

swiftflo said:


> Not really.


Helpful post 

As far as informing the water board cant see why , i actually bought a couple of my water butts from Thames Water as they were doing a promotion , not mention of that at the time


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## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

Captain Morgan said:


> one point aren't you "ment" to inform the water board that your are collecing rain water?


Would I get any money off from them for it? Doubt it.

The main reason for doing it, is because water meters will become mandatory sooner or later which will cause the price of water butts etc to rise dramatically with demand.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Captain Morgan said:


> one point aren't you "ment" to inform the water board that your are collecing rain water?


nope - no need to inform them of anything as its just rain.


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## olliewray (May 13, 2009)

jamest said:


> Drawing is not really to the right scale, but there is probably just enough room for 2 butts between the downpipe and outside tap. Would be best for that anyway, as it means if the butt is out of water I can easily move the hose over to the outside tap.
> 
> Do I need a pump or anything for the pressure washer or is gravity OK?
> 
> ...


Sorry for the late reply mate, I work at a place in Northallerton called Sam Turner & Sons which is a very cheap agricultural store, which sells almost everything down to car cleaning products aswell! haha its the same sort of place as Homebase and B&Q aswell, but mainly agricultural and that ort of stuff.

If you need to know anything else just drop me a p.m

Thanks Alot

Oll


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