Hi, can anybody suggest a cheaper alternative to the rather expensive ones on the market please?

Dustbin, that's what I'm using.
You don't necessarily need a tap - it's quicker to dip a watering can into the top than it is to wait while it fills from a tap, so any large waterproof container will do. You do need a lid, to keep out dead leaves and mozzies.

And if you're looking to store a lot of water, consider those 1m square water cubes that they use on building sites in remote areas - no idea how much they cost, but they might cost less than the equivalent volume of water butt.

No - I'm looking for an alternative TREATMENT for the water - I already have water butts.

"Sadge" wrote in message
...

Hi, can anybody suggest a cheaper alternative to the rather expensive
ones on the market please?




--
Sadge

I have used redundant fruit juice barrels see picture towards the end of
http://www.myalbum.com/Album=MUKLG34Q picture SG101021 these were obtained
quite some time ago from a local nurseries. Any good nursery will try to get
them for you.

Our neighbour has a huge plastic tank which was taken from a building which
was having a new direct water system fitted and didn't need a tank in the
roof. Try your local plumbers/central heating engineers.

Mike

--

....................................
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
....................................

On 23/05/2011 11:03, 'Mike' wrote:
wrote in message
...

Hi, can anybody suggest a cheaper alternative to the rather expensive
ones on the market please?




--
Sadge

I have used redundant fruit juice barrels see picture towards the end of
http://www.myalbum.com/Album=MUKLG34Q picture SG101021 these were obtained
quite some time ago from a local nurseries. Any good nursery will try to get
them for you.

Our neighbour has a huge plastic tank which was taken from a building which
was having a new direct water system fitted and didn't need a tank in the
roof. Try your local plumbers/central heating engineers.

Mike

Check if your local water company subsidises them, mine does, also the
local council might.

--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

On Mon, 23 May 2011 11:14:05 +0100, Moonraker wrote:

Hi, can anybody suggest a cheaper alternative to the rather
expensive
ones on the market please?

I have used redundant fruit juice barrels ...

Our neighbour has a huge plastic tank which was taken from a
building
...

Check if your local water company subsidises them, mine does, ...

How do either of those answer the question about treatments? Mind you
I don't know what a water butt treatment is either or the reasons for
wanting to use one.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 23/05/2011 13:06, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Mon, 23 May 2011 11:14:05 +0100, Moonraker wrote:

Hi, can anybody suggest a cheaper alternative to the rather
expensive
ones on the market please?

I have used redundant fruit juice barrels ...

Our neighbour has a huge plastic tank which was taken from a
building
...

Check if your local water company subsidises them, mine does, ...

How do either of those answer the question about treatments? Mind you
I don't know what a water butt treatment is either or the reasons for
wanting to use one.


I was wondering the same thing. I have several water butts but there is
no "treatment" of the butts or water in them, so the question is lost on me.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

On 23/05/2011 08:44, Sadge wrote:
Hi, can anybody suggest a cheaper alternative to the rather expensive
ones on the market please?

I think you might have to define better what you mean.

There are waterproof additives for concrete that can be used to make a
sump for rainwater - used to have one like that in a previous large
greenhouse. For small repairs ordinary concrete will do provided you
don't need it to set under water. And there are some polymer compounds
to stop lime leaching out of the concrete and seal any minor leaks.

Regards,
Martin Brown

On Mon, 23 May 2011 12:06:46 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

On Mon, 23 May 2011 11:14:05 +0100, Moonraker wrote:

Hi, can anybody suggest a cheaper alternative to the rather
expensive
ones on the market please?

I have used redundant fruit juice barrels ...

Our neighbour has a huge plastic tank which was taken from a
building
...

Check if your local water company subsidises them, mine does, ...

How do either of those answer the question about treatments? Mind you
I don't know what a water butt treatment is either or the reasons for
wanting to use one.

Maybe something like this:
http://www.gardencentre.co.uk/produc...r=gbase&ad=860

I think the straight answer to the original question is that the
cheaper alternative is a bit of elbow grease - pick a time when it's
almost empty and give it a good clean if it needs it. A quick jet
clean with a Karcher a few times a year is all I ever do, mainly to
get rid of muck that washes down from the gutters.

OK, sorry. Read too quickly (that's the trouble with putting the subject *only* in the heading)

What water butt treatment are you thinking of? ie what are you trying to treat it for? I've googled and found "enzyme technology to prevent unsightly scums, eliminate unpleasant odours and helps keep the water slime and algae free. It is also specially formulated to control soaps and body fats."

Scum, slime and odour is something you shouldn't have if you're collecting rainwater, algae is not a problem if light doesn't get in. So are you looking for a treatment because you're planning to collect used bathwater?

On Mon, 23 May 2011 13:28:25 +0100, Jake wrote:

Maybe something like this:
http://www.gardencentre.co.uk/produc...r=gbase&ad=860

Ah, something to stop the water going stagnant or growing Alage.
Algae needs light to grow so a decent opaque lid and side cures that
one. Stagnant would require quite high volumes of organic matter I
would have thought, not just atmospheric fallout or tile/slate
debris.

Like David I don't "treat" ours. The last time I emptied it 'casue
the silly plastic tap broke there was about half an inch of very fine
black mush in the bottom and a healthy population of blood worms...
Not much organic or other matter makes it into the butt though as the
hosepipe feed has a deep dip in it that traps most grunge and needs
emptying every year or so.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 23/05/2011 14:26, Martin Brown wrote:

I think you might have to define better what you mean.


Reminds me of the Two Ronnies sketch: "Got any O's?"

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

On Mon, 23 May 2011 13:26:01 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:

For small repairs ordinary concrete will do provided you don't need it
to set under water.

Cement will set under water. Getting it stay in place while is sets
is a different problem. The "waterproofing" admixes don't help with
that, they only reduce the amount of water that will pass through the
set cement.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Sadge" wrote


Hi, can anybody suggest a cheaper alternative to the rather expensive
ones on the market please?


Some time ago I was given a "Garden Yoghurt" kit and I use that, both in our
pond filters and in the rain barrels to keep them sweet and to ball up any
detritus. Takes a couple of weeks to make a supply
http://www.recycleworks.co.uk/em-gar...-pr-16177.html

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

It's OK - found the answer. Thanks.