Waterbutts
 

In common with many others I have installed a waterbutt via a diverter.
This is also ducted into 3 others.
However, I have over several years I have two 210 litre butts splitting.
What do members think the life of a butt should be?

Colin

Waterbutts
 

"cojack" wrote in message
...
In common with many others I have installed a waterbutt via a diverter.
This is also ducted into 3 others.
However, I have over several years I have two 210 litre butts splitting.
What do members think the life of a butt should be?

Colin


We have 5 water butts along the back of the garage and they have been there
for about 10 - 12 years. However they are Industrial barrels and are I
expect made of 1st Generation Plastic whereas the 'el cheapo' green water
butts which are all the rage now, (we have 3) are I expect 2nd Generation
reconstituted reclaimed plastic and is of a lower grade and specification.

Just my thoughts

Mike


--
.................................................. .........
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com

Waterbutts
 

"cojack" wrote in message
...
In common with many others I have installed a waterbutt via a diverter.
This is also ducted into 3 others.
However, I have over several years I have two 210 litre butts splitting.
What do members think the life of a butt should be?

We've not had any problems of any kind with ours, the first was bought about
ten years ago, through Yorkshire Water.

Mary

Colin

Waterbutts
 

"cojack" wrote in message
...
In common with many others I have installed a waterbutt via a
diverter.
This is also ducted into 3 others.
However, I have over several years I have two 210 litre butts
splitting.
What do members think the life of a butt should be?

Colin


Although the plastic used, should be UV resitant, UV light as
found in all normal daylight, will eventually break down
most plastics, turning them brittle. Possibly the butts could
be shielded from direct sunlight in some way. Or it might be
an idea to paint the plastic with some kind of thick opaque
paint which would block out any UV light. In theory, butts
so treated should last almost indefinitely.

michael adams

....

Waterbutts
 

"michael adams" wrote in message
...

"cojack" wrote in message
...
In common with many others I have installed a waterbutt via a
diverter.
This is also ducted into 3 others.
However, I have over several years I have two 210 litre butts
splitting.
What do members think the life of a butt should be?

Colin


Although the plastic used, should be UV resitant, UV light as
found in all normal daylight, will eventually break down
most plastics, turning them brittle. Possibly the butts could
be shielded from direct sunlight in some way. Or it might be
an idea to paint the plastic with some kind of thick opaque
paint which would block out any UV light. In theory, butts
so treated should last almost indefinitely.

Um, that could be why ours have lasted so long, they're all sheltered by
north facing walls. Something I hadn't thought about :-)

Mary

michael adams

...

Waterbutts
 

As a matter of interest the butts were sited in a totally shaded area
and the splits are in the base!
I go for the earlier post that crap recycled plastic was used, so what
guarantee that another wont break down!

Colin

"michael adams" wrote in message
...

"cojack" wrote in message
...
In common with many others I have installed a waterbutt via a
diverter.
This is also ducted into 3 others.
However, I have over several years I have two 210 litre butts
splitting.
What do members think the life of a butt should be?

Colin


Although the plastic used, should be UV resitant, UV light as
found in all normal daylight, will eventually break down
most plastics, turning them brittle. Possibly the butts could
be shielded from direct sunlight in some way. Or it might be
an idea to paint the plastic with some kind of thick opaque
paint which would block out any UV light. In theory, butts
so treated should last almost indefinitely.

michael adams

...

Waterbutts
 

"cojack" wrote in message
...
As a matter of interest the butts were sited in a totally shaded area
and the splits are in the base!
I go for the earlier post that crap recycled plastic was used, so what
guarantee that another wont break down!

Colin

Some of the water companies are offering deals on water butts
made from 100% recycled plastic, which are guaranteed to last
for 10 years.

This one is 190 ltrs for £19.95, limited to Thames Water
customers.

http://www.getcomposting.com/thames/index2.htm

There seem to be quite a lot of recycled plastic items
around offering a 10 yr guarantee. Which is maybe longer
than you might expect the ordinary stuff to last.



michael adams

Waterbutts
 

cojack wrote:
In common with many others I have installed a waterbutt via a diverter.
This is also ducted into 3 others.
However, I have over several years I have two 210 litre butts splitting.
What do members think the life of a butt should be?

I won't buy the plain green ones from garden centres: My main one is a
converted chemical drum from the local farm shop. It is glass filled
polythene, and about 10mm thick. It looks a bit like this one:
http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environ...hwaterbutt.jpg
and is the same colour.

Two things destroy water butts: fatique and freezing. Fatigue can be
accelerated by sunlight, and is more rapid in thinner walled butts or
those of a simple structure. Avoid "floppy" ones. The better
purpose-made green ones are conical, rather than barrel shaped, so that
as they freeze the plug of ice merely climbs up without exerting radial
forces on the structure. (the weight, of course, remains the same).

www.leics.gov.uk/waterbutt.gif - a sensible shape
http://www.getcomposting.com/thames/index2.htm - ditto, with sensible
prices
http://www.homeflair-home.co.uk/cw2/...l/Slimline.gif -
I'd be worried about this one freezing.

Waterbutts
 

wrote in message
ups.com...
cojack wrote:
In common with many others I have installed a waterbutt via a diverter.
This is also ducted into 3 others.
However, I have over several years I have two 210 litre butts splitting.
What do members think the life of a butt should be?

I won't buy the plain green ones from garden centres: My main one is a
converted chemical drum from the local farm shop. It is glass filled
polythene, and about 10mm thick. It looks a bit like this one:

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environ...hwaterbutt.jpg
and is the same colour.

Two things destroy water butts: fatique and freezing. Fatigue can be
accelerated by sunlight, and is more rapid in thinner walled butts or
those of a simple structure. Avoid "floppy" ones. The better
purpose-made green ones are conical, rather than barrel shaped, so that
as they freeze the plug of ice merely climbs up without exerting radial
forces on the structure. (the weight, of course, remains the same).

Just as a matter of interest, given that the diameter becomes smaller
towards the top of a cone, how is to possible for the plug of ice to
rise ?

I always imagined conical shaped ones were simply more stable, and
easier to manufacture, being easier to extract from the moulds.

michael adams

....


www.leics.gov.uk/waterbutt.gif - a sensible shape
http://www.getcomposting.com/thames/index2.htm - ditto, with sensible
prices
http://www.homeflair-home.co.uk/cw2/...l/Slimline.gif -
I'd be worried about this one freezing.

Waterbutts
 

"michael adams" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...
cojack wrote:
In common with many others I have installed a waterbutt via a diverter.
This is also ducted into 3 others.
However, I have over several years I have two 210 litre butts
splitting.
What do members think the life of a butt should be?

I won't buy the plain green ones from garden centres: My main one is a
converted chemical drum from the local farm shop. It is glass filled
polythene, and about 10mm thick. It looks a bit like this one:

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environ...hwaterbutt.jpg
and is the same colour.

Two things destroy water butts: fatique and freezing. Fatigue can be
accelerated by sunlight, and is more rapid in thinner walled butts or
those of a simple structure. Avoid "floppy" ones. The better
purpose-made green ones are conical, rather than barrel shaped, so that
as they freeze the plug of ice merely climbs up without exerting radial
forces on the structure. (the weight, of course, remains the same).

Just as a matter of interest, given that the diameter becomes smaller
towards the top of a cone, how is to possible for the plug of ice to
rise ?

I always imagined conical shaped ones were simply more stable, and
easier to manufacture, being easier to extract from the moulds.

michael adams

...


www.leics.gov.uk/waterbutt.gif - a sensible shape
http://www.getcomposting.com/thames/index2.htm - ditto, with sensible
prices
http://www.homeflair-home.co.uk/cw2/...l/Slimline.gif -
I'd be worried about this one freezing.




Inverted cone. Smaller at the bottom

Mike


--
.................................................. .........
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk
www.nsrafa.com

Waterbutts
 

"cojack" wrote in message
In common with many others I have installed a waterbutt via a
diverter.
This is also ducted into 3 others.
However, I have over several years I have two 210 litre butts
splitting.
What do members think the life of a butt should be?

Here in Australia where plastic are sold in a range of sizes from
waterbutt sized to household water supply sized, I'd expect them to
last at least 15 years but more like 20 (with probably a guarantee
period of 10 years).

Waterbutts
 

wrote in message
ups.com...
snip
Two things destroy water butts: fatique and freezing. Fatigue can be
accelerated by sunlight, and is more rapid in thinner walled butts or
those of a simple structure. Avoid "floppy" ones.

Everyone's worst nightmare a fatigued, cold, floppy butt:-).