With all the snow and rain I checked the tap on my water butt, the tap
"opened" easily but no water, not one drop. It maybe that some of the water
in the butt has frozen although I'm thinking the mechanism of the tap has
failed.

I will check again tomorrow . I have a spare tap but what is the standard
procedure/tool to get the nut fitted on to the tap inside the butt ? The
water butt is too tall to reach into .

Any tips ?

Michael

"M" wrote in message ...
With all the snow and rain I checked the tap on my water butt, the tap
"opened" easily but no water, not one drop. It maybe that some of the
water
in the butt has frozen although I'm thinking the mechanism of the tap has
failed.

I will check again tomorrow . I have a spare tap but what is the standard
procedure/tool to get the nut fitted on to the tap inside the butt ? The
water butt is too tall to reach into .


Well, I think the most likely scenario is that the water in the tap has
frozen. I would leave it until you have above zero temps and there is no ice
on ponds etc. or you could use a hairdryer to warm it up. Then try the tap
again. If you are still convinced that the tap is dead, you can remove it by
cutting it off. Then, when the butt is empty, you dangle a grandchild inside
the butt by the ankles to screw the nut off and the new one on.

Alternatively, you get a long strip of thin plywood or whatever with a cut
out in one end to accommodate the nut, hold it inside the butt while you
insert and tighten the tap, then pull the plywood off.

Steve

The message
from "M" contains these words:

With all the snow and rain I checked the tap on my water butt, the tap
"opened" easily but no water, not one drop. It maybe that some of the water
in the butt has frozen although I'm thinking the mechanism of the tap has
failed.

Much more likely that there's a plug of ice in it.

I will check again tomorrow . I have a spare tap but what is the standard
procedure/tool to get the nut fitted on to the tap inside the butt ? The
water butt is too tall to reach into .

Any tips ?

Yes, pour warm water over the tap until it unfreezes.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

"M" writes:

I will check again tomorrow . I have a spare tap but what is the standard
procedure/tool to get the nut fitted on to the tap inside the butt ? The
water butt is too tall to reach into .

Small child dangled upside down by the ankles and lowered in?

Anthony

"M" wrote in message ...
With all the snow and rain I checked the tap on my water butt, the tap
"opened" easily but no water, not one drop. It maybe that some of the
water
in the butt has frozen although I'm thinking the mechanism of the tap has
failed.

If it is the whiteish plastic as fitted to the fruit juice barrels, the
chances are that it is fractured in the frost. I have had two of mine go
from that problem.

I will check again tomorrow . I have a spare tap but what is the standard
procedure/tool to get the nut fitted on to the tap inside the butt ? The
water butt is too tall to reach into .

Any tips ?

If the barrel is free and you can lay it down, (Mine are not, I have 5
linked together across the back of the garage) then lay a blanket/plastic
sheet into the barrel, get her indoors out of doors to hold a wrench/spanner
in the tap whilst you crawl inside and hold the nut with a spanner/another
wrench/footprints/stillsons or whatever you have. If you can get her indoors
into the barrel, no joke please, then you can turn the tap outside :-))

and when you have finished, you can come and do mine :-))

Mike

On Fri, 30 Dec 2005 22:54:55 +0000, wrote:

"M" writes:

I will check again tomorrow . I have a spare tap but what is the standard
procedure/tool to get the nut fitted on to the tap inside the butt ? The
water butt is too tall to reach into .

Small child dangled upside down by the ankles and lowered in?

Anthony

Remember to empty it first, or not - depending upon the child.....

Most water butts of a size have a threaded entry hole, so you may find that
the tap removes just by unscrewing

Happy new year
cineman

"M" wrote in message ...
With all the snow and rain I checked the tap on my water butt, the tap
"opened" easily but no water, not one drop. It maybe that some of the
water
in the butt has frozen although I'm thinking the mechanism of the tap has
failed.

I will check again tomorrow . I have a spare tap but what is the standard
procedure/tool to get the nut fitted on to the tap inside the butt ? The
water butt is too tall to reach into .

Any tips ?

Michael

The message
from "shazzbat" contains these words:

Alternatively, you get a long strip of thin plywood or whatever with a cut
out in one end to accommodate the nut, hold it inside the butt while you
insert and tighten the tap, then pull the plywood off.

That sounds awfully uncomfortable...

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

In article , writes

"M" writes:

I will check again tomorrow . I have a spare tap but what is the standard
procedure/tool to get the nut fitted on to the tap inside the butt ? The
water butt is too tall to reach into .

Small child dangled upside down by the ankles and lowered in?

With a snorkel, obviously! Safety safety safety!

Oh, and just in case, use a neighbours child. You wouldn't want to lose
one of your own.

--
Flower Bobdew
South Facing Garden
South West: UK

yep, tap probably frozen
but it is possible to replace tap working solo. Have to lay it down and
crawl in having wedged the tap from outside so it doesn't turn. I've done 7
of mine at one time or another
the one that has defeated me is the expensive 'pretty' butt moulded to look
like wood, and with a solid top except for a drainpipe sized hole, and the
tap half way up the side. I didn't spot the stupidest design in the world
before I bought it. Tap hasn't failed yet, but it will be impossible to fix
when it does.
You'd think the industry would invent a push in type tap with bits that
expand on the other side to hold it in place. See you on Dragons' Den.
I've also had to cobble together a crude gubbins to prevent the entire butt
emptying into the pond instead of the 2" of pond that needs filling, while I
fall asleep. Has anyone seen anything on the market for this?



"M" wrote in message ...
With all the snow and rain I checked the tap on my water butt, the tap
"opened" easily but no water, not one drop. It maybe that some of the
water
in the butt has frozen although I'm thinking the mechanism of the tap has
failed.

I will check again tomorrow . I have a spare tap but what is the standard
procedure/tool to get the nut fitted on to the tap inside the butt ? The
water butt is too tall to reach into .

Any tips ?

Michael

Thanks for the replies regarding the water butt tap.

My fears were unfounded, opened tap this morning and water gushed out.

I have had to replace taps on other butts in the past by crawling into them
on the back garden, making a complete fool of myself ,no doubt to the
amusement of my neighbours.

This past Summer I broke a butt tap and in a panic bought another water butt
same day.the old one is at the end of the garden upturned resembling a
dalek.

Someone has suggested using a gripper stick to hold/turn the nut inside the
butt I might try this suggestion on the dalek.

Michael

The message
from "M" contains these words:

Thanks for the replies regarding the water butt tap.

My fears were unfounded, opened tap this morning and water gushed out.

I have had to replace taps on other butts in the past by crawling into them
on the back garden, making a complete fool of myself ,no doubt to the
amusement of my neighbours.

This past Summer I broke a butt tap and in a panic bought another water butt
same day.the old one is at the end of the garden upturned resembling a
dalek.

Someone has suggested using a gripper stick to hold/turn the nut inside the
butt I might try this suggestion on the dalek.

When you've mastered that, you could have a go at mine, if I can't find
an in-line fitting for it...

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ad/bottle.jpg

And then help put it on to of the porch outside the back door and plumb
in a filter...

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

M writes

Thanks for the replies regarding the water butt tap.

My fears were unfounded, opened tap this morning and water gushed out.

Don't panic! This could easily be remedied by packing some ice around
it. : D

--
Flower Bobdew
South Facing Garden
South West: UK

"Flower Bobdew" wrote in message
...
M writes

Thanks for the replies regarding the water butt tap.

My fears were unfounded, opened tap this morning and water gushed out.

Don't panic! This could easily be remedied by packing some ice around
it. : D

--
Flower Bobdew
South Facing Garden
South West: UK

Don't forget to remove the child first.

The message
from "Draven" contains these words:


"Flower Bobdew" wrote in message
...
M writes

Thanks for the replies regarding the water butt tap.

My fears were unfounded, opened tap this morning and water gushed out.

Don't panic! This could easily be remedied by packing some ice around
it. : D

Don't forget to remove the child first.

Spoilsport!

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig