Hello, - there have been several posts about water butts recently.

How big does it need to be & what if it overflows ?

Are they easy to plumb in to the downpipe ?

Thanks

KK

In message , KK
writes
Hello, - there have been several posts about water butts recently.

How big does it need to be

Depends on how much you want to consume. In general I'd say the
bigger/more of them the better.

& what if it overflows ?

Are they easy to plumb in to the downpipe ?

If you use the special diverters you can get for downpipes, then once it
is full it doesn't fill up anymore and the water just goes straight down
the downpipe.
--
Chris French

"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , KK
writes
Hello, - there have been several posts about water butts recently.

How big does it need to be

Depends on how much you want to consume. In general I'd say the
bigger/more of them the better.

& what if it overflows ?

Are they easy to plumb in to the downpipe ?

If you use the special diverters you can get for downpipes, then once it
is full it doesn't fill up anymore and the water just goes straight down
the downpipe.
--
Chris French

Chris how does that work? Does it have some kind of float valve. I have only
ever used the original models which had a separate overflow back into the
downpipe.

Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:
"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , KK
writes
Hello, - there have been several posts about water butts recently.

How big does it need to be
Depends on how much you want to consume. In general I'd say the
bigger/more of them the better.

& what if it overflows ?

Are they easy to plumb in to the downpipe ?

If you use the special diverters you can get for downpipes, then once it
is full it doesn't fill up anymore and the water just goes straight down
the downpipe.
--
Chris French

Chris how does that work? Does it have some kind of float valve. I have only
ever used the original models which had a separate overflow back into the
downpipe.


No, there are no moving parts, as long as you position it correctly when
the butt is full the outlet hole is full of water so the water rises in
the diverter and so flows back into the down pipe. The water companies
sell, at discounted rate, butts complete with diverters, stands and some
even a watering can. Simply look at your water companies web site.

--
Please do not reply to this Email address,
as all Emails are deleted before opened.

On Wed, 3 May 2006 13:51:07 +0100, "Rupert \(W.Yorkshire\)"
wrote:


"chris French" wrote in message
k...
In message , KK
writes
Hello, - there have been several posts about water butts recently.

How big does it need to be

Depends on how much you want to consume. In general I'd say the
bigger/more of them the better.

& what if it overflows ?

Are they easy to plumb in to the downpipe ?

If you use the special diverters you can get for downpipes, then once it
is full it doesn't fill up anymore and the water just goes straight down
the downpipe.
--
Chris French

Chris how does that work? Does it have some kind of float valve. I have only
ever used the original models which had a separate overflow back into the
downpipe.

They work because when water flows in the downpipe, surface tension
ensures it flows over the inner surface, not as a stream down the
centre of the void, IYSWIM. The diverter has a shallow annular
'gutter' arrangement on the inside, which intercepts this surface flow
and diverts it off into the butt. When the butt is full, the water
backs up the connecting pipe and overflows the shallow internal
'gutter' and then on down the downpipe.

For the system to work properly, the diverter on the downpipe _must_
be at _exactly_ the same level as the surface of the water in the butt
when the latter is full. The easiest way to get it right is to fit the
diverter in the downpipe fractionally too high (say an inch or so, but
no more) and then raise the level of the butt with packing such as
concrete slabs, old slates etc. to get the level just right.

For the OP, I would choose the biggest butt you can get or that will
fit the space available. If you can, get several butts and link them
together as near to the bottom as you can (butt suppliers do linking
kits). Linking them in that way means they all fill to the same level
and you only need one outlet tap.

Inlet =| | | | | |= Alternative inlet
|butt1| |butt2| |butt3|
| | | | | |
|_____|====|_____|====|_____|=Tap
link link

I find it's amazing how rapidly the levels drop when you are watering
a lot. I have two butts linked as above, and they're only two thirds
full ATM, and it's only the beginning of May. We only had half our
average rainfall last month :-(




--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 3 May 2006 13:51:07 +0100, "Rupert \(W.Yorkshire\)"
wrote:


"chris French" wrote in message
. uk...
In message , KK
writes
Hello, - there have been several posts about water butts recently.

How big does it need to be

Depends on how much you want to consume. In general I'd say the
bigger/more of them the better.

& what if it overflows ?

Are they easy to plumb in to the downpipe ?

If you use the special diverters you can get for downpipes, then once it
is full it doesn't fill up anymore and the water just goes straight down
the downpipe.
--
Chris French

Chris how does that work? Does it have some kind of float valve. I have
only
ever used the original models which had a separate overflow back into the
downpipe.

They work because when water flows in the downpipe, surface tension
ensures it flows over the inner surface, not as a stream down the
centre of the void, IYSWIM. The diverter has a shallow annular
'gutter' arrangement on the inside, which intercepts this surface flow
and diverts it off into the butt. When the butt is full, the water
backs up the connecting pipe and overflows the shallow internal
'gutter' and then on down the downpipe.

For the system to work properly, the diverter on the downpipe _must_
be at _exactly_ the same level as the surface of the water in the butt
when the latter is full. The easiest way to get it right is to fit the
diverter in the downpipe fractionally too high (say an inch or so, but
no more) and then raise the level of the butt with packing such as
concrete slabs, old slates etc. to get the level just right.

For the OP, I would choose the biggest butt you can get or that will
fit the space available. If you can, get several butts and link them
together as near to the bottom as you can (butt suppliers do linking
kits). Linking them in that way means they all fill to the same level
and you only need one outlet tap.

Inlet =| | | | | |= Alternative inlet
|butt1| |butt2| |butt3|
| | | | | |
|_____|====|_____|====|_____|=Tap
link link

I find it's amazing how rapidly the levels drop when you are watering
a lot. I have two butts linked as above, and they're only two thirds
full ATM, and it's only the beginning of May. We only had half our
average rainfall last month :-(

--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Excellent info thanks. I got confused by thinking the water flowed in and
then out again.

Chris - thanks for this , but does plumbing them together like this mean
that you get low pressure ? Is it better to fill butt1 and overflow to butt2
etc ?



KK




For the OP, I would choose the biggest butt you can get or that will
fit the space available. If you can, get several butts and link them
together as near to the bottom as you can (butt suppliers do linking
kits). Linking them in that way means they all fill to the same level
and you only need one outlet tap.

Inlet =| | | | | |= Alternative inlet
|butt1| |butt2| |butt3|
| | | | | |
|_____|====|_____|====|_____|=Tap
link link

I find it's amazing how rapidly the levels drop when you are watering
a lot. I have two butts linked as above, and they're only two thirds
full ATM, and it's only the beginning of May. We only had half our
average rainfall last month :-(




--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

On Thu, 4 May 2006 12:36:02 +0100, "KK"
wrote:

Chris - thanks for this , but does plumbing them together like this mean
that you get low pressure ? Is it better to fill butt1 and overflow to butt2
etc ?

It makes no difference to the pressure, which is dependent on the
depth of water in the butt, regardless of how you link them or how
many.

You will have to cut additional holes in order to link them as I
showed. But you would have to do that anyway however you link them and
it's no problem if you have the appropriate drill.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 4 May 2006 12:36:02 +0100, "KK"
wrote:

Chris - thanks for this , but does plumbing them together like this mean
that you get low pressure ? Is it better to fill butt1 and overflow to butt2
etc ?

It makes no difference to the pressure, which is dependent on the
depth of water in the butt, regardless of how you link them or how
many.

Hello all.
I'm planning to fit a water butt, but my downpipes are inconveniently
placed. Can I tap directly into a gutter (i.e. create my own small
downpipe just for the butt, with no overflow or soakaway). ?

I'm thinking that when the butt and its small downpipe is full the
water will just run past straight to the proper downpipe.

Al

wrote in message
ps.com...

Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 4 May 2006 12:36:02 +0100, "KK"
wrote:

Chris - thanks for this , but does plumbing them together like this mean
that you get low pressure ? Is it better to fill butt1 and overflow to
butt2
etc ?

It makes no difference to the pressure, which is dependent on the
depth of water in the butt, regardless of how you link them or how
many.

Hello all.
I'm planning to fit a water butt, but my downpipes are inconveniently
placed. Can I tap directly into a gutter (i.e. create my own small
downpipe just for the butt, with no overflow or soakaway). ?

I'm thinking that when the butt and its small downpipe is full the
water will just run past straight to the proper downpipe.

Al

The only way of the butt and the small downpipe becoming full is if the butt
end of the system is totally sealed. If it is sealed then the amount of
water managing to get into it will be small.
Much better to have an on/off tap in your small downpipe.

In message om,
writes

Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 4 May 2006 12:36:02 +0100, "KK"
wrote:

Chris - thanks for this , but does plumbing them together like this mean
that you get low pressure ? Is it better to fill butt1 and overflow to butt2
etc ?

It makes no difference to the pressure, which is dependent on the
depth of water in the butt, regardless of how you link them or how
many.

Hello all.
I'm planning to fit a water butt, but my downpipes are inconveniently
placed. Can I tap directly into a gutter (i.e. create my own small
downpipe just for the butt, with no overflow or soakaway). ?

Well yes you could...

I'm thinking that when the butt and its small downpipe is full the
water will just run past straight to the proper downpipe.

i think the head of water in the 'small downpipe' would mean that you
would still have an overflowing butt. -unless it was some hoe fully
sealed - what about a valve in the downpipe to turn it off.

how far away from the butt is the nearest downpipe? You could run the
filler pipe from the diverter along a wall to the butt
--
Chris French

Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:

Hello all.
I'm planning to fit a water butt, but my downpipes are inconveniently
placed. Can I tap directly into a gutter (i.e. create my own small
downpipe just for the butt, with no overflow or soakaway). ?

I'm thinking that when the butt and its small downpipe is full the
water will just run past straight to the proper downpipe.

Al

The only way of the butt and the small downpipe becoming full is if the butt
end of the system is totally sealed. If it is sealed then the amount of
water managing to get into it will be small.
Much better to have an on/off tap in your small downpipe.

I knew it was worth asking, I forgot that having a top fill instead of
a side fill would mean I always have a head of water above the butt.
The butt will go beside my separate double garage but the downpipe is
at the wrong end, so we're talking maybe 15 feet at least away from the
best site for the butt. Still thinking.

For the OP, I would choose the biggest butt you can get or that will
fit the space available. If you can, get several butts and link them
together as near to the bottom as you can (butt suppliers do linking
kits). Linking them in that way means they all fill to the same level
and you only need one outlet tap.

In fact you can link together several butts that do not have low-level
linking kits, even butts that do not have ANY linking kits! You just link
them via their taps. I currently have three one hundred litre butts linked
this way. with more on the way. The way they make these small butts (I'm
talking about the "Space-Sava" type) means the linking cutouts are at the
top, for overflow use, not at the bottom as you get with the bigger sizes
which have a true linking capability. But linked via their taps with some
hose and some three-way adapters, and of course you have to leave the taps
open for this to work, they will all fill up equally with the rain only
flowing into one of them. This way you can add further small butts as the
need arises. As they are not deep from front to back they can line up against
a wall. Needless to say you have to turn all the taps to OFF before removing
this makeshift linking kit from and filling watering cans etc from one of the
taps. Or use inline taps as well.

The only downside I can see is that the tap flow rate is slow compared to an
overflow or linking kit, which seem to use 1" hose and have large apertures,
so in a really serious downpour the first butt might still fill and overflow
before filling its companion butts. The answer is to use the overflow
connections to link the butts as well so any overflow fills the other butts
before going anywhere else- then the last butt in the chain can have an
overflow that leads somewhere else.

It is surprising what combinations and configurations you can come up with if
you draw these things out on paper. Like for example an external water level
indicator that shows the level inside all the linked water butts. But it
seems I'm spending quite a lot on hose fittings.....

--
VX (remove alcohol for email)

"nicandal" wrote in message
oups.com...

Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:

Hello all.
I'm planning to fit a water butt, but my downpipes are inconveniently
placed. Can I tap directly into a gutter (i.e. create my own small
downpipe just for the butt, with no overflow or soakaway). ?

I'm thinking that when the butt and its small downpipe is full the
water will just run past straight to the proper downpipe.

Al

The only way of the butt and the small downpipe becoming full is if the
butt
end of the system is totally sealed. If it is sealed then the amount of
water managing to get into it will be small.
Much better to have an on/off tap in your small downpipe.

I knew it was worth asking, I forgot that having a top fill instead of
a side fill would mean I always have a head of water above the butt.
The butt will go beside my separate double garage but the downpipe is
at the wrong end, so we're talking maybe 15 feet at least away from the
best site for the butt. Still thinking.

if the butt fills from the top, cut a hole on the side of the barrell at the
very top and plumb it back in to the downpipe. Water will drain in to the
butt and any excess siphon off the side. Maybe not that pretty but should
work.

rob

YEs, that would work but the problem is my favoured "buttsite" is too
far from the downpipe, with a shed door in the way.
If it was next to the downpipe I would just use the usual downpipe
fitting (with internal "saucer").