How best to connect two water barrels?

[Ed]

The first water barrel (A) on my allotment is at the top of a slight slope and is fed by rain water gathered from the roof of my shed. I want to put in a second barrel (B) in a direct line (no bends involved) from the first barrel and down a slight slope. Both are fitted with taps, but I would always prefer to drain the water from the lower barrel B as it is a little more accessible. How best to connect these?

I have options to run a connection pipe from the upper barrel (A) to the lower barrel (B) as follows:

1. Connect from top of barrel A to top of barrel B
2. Connect from top of barrel A to bottom of barrel B
3. Connect from bottom of barrel A to top of barrel B
4. Connect from bottom of barrel A to bottom of barrel B

Which would be the best option? Or maybe there are other options that I not thought of?

Thanks for replies in advance.

Ed

[NT]

all depends how much difference in ground height there is

NT

[Owain]

Has the advantage of circulating the water through both barrels which may help to avoid it becoming stagnant. It's what would be done with potable water tanks but probably woudln't matter much for water butts.

Owain

[David WE Roberts]

Top to top seems best. As already noted it depends on the difference in heights. If there is no difference then it may not matter (but you imply B is lower than A). Bottom of A to any part of B will only fill A to the top point of B. Top to top fills both barrels to the top and also lets any sediment settle.

You could always go for more than one connection.

Connect top to top so that both barrels fill fully. Then connect the bottom of A via a tap to anywhere on B. This allows you to run water from A to B when B is empty without compromising your ability to fill both barrels to the top.

[Dave Liquorice]

A will fill to the take off point for B. B will fill to it's overflow level. A will fill first then B. When B is empty you'll have to go to A for water.

A will only ever fill to the overflow level of B. If B is entirely below A, A will never fill. You can take water from B all the time but may have less water to start with.

I'd connect top to top as the flow into the bottom may disturb the sediment that will accumulate or draw it into the pipe. You can also clear the connection pipe without having to empty either barrel.

[Weatherlawyer]

Obviously a new barrel is designed to hold most things it may be required to hold. Sometimes with another barrel on top. None are designed to hold 2 barrel load-fulls.

Nor are the taps, seals and etc.

Can you raise the 2nd barrel with a dais or something so both fill and empty simultaneously. It's a fecking garden, don't waste time wondering about potability.

When it's dry weather take "B" off the dais and fix pipes bottom to bottom. You can just join the taps. Put a couple of stones in the bottom of "A" near the exit to help filter. I presume it's too late to raise the position of the tap of "A".

[F]

Mine are on the same level and I use...

The top of barrel B then goes as an overflow to the pond to keep it topped up.

[chris French]

In message , Ed writes

The alternative is connect via a siphon. which in essence is the same as no. 4

Basically a hose pipe dangled over the top butt A until it lies on the bottom, do the same with the other end in butt B. Once A is full, prime the siphon (attach to tap, pour water down it, suck very hard :-) etc.) water will flow from A to B until levels are the same. As long as doesn't break, then the siphon will maintain the levels.

Ideally B is the same height as A as otherwise A will only fill to the top of B, but if slop isn't to much shouldn't matter a great deal. You can always raise B up a bit on a platform

[1501]

Simplify the whole thing by co-locating both barrels at A joined bottom to bottom and running a long pipe from the bottom of either barrel to point B with a tap at that point. Oh! Don't forget a local tap in the bottom of one of the barrels at A.

[Andy Dingley]

Taps near the bottom of each. Linking pipe between both that's as low as possible, but no closer to the bottom than 6" of either (allowing for crud and for barrel curvature). It doesn't matter if this is horizontal, downhill or uphill.

Wickes sell all the bits (look in gardens), cheap too.

[Mike Tomlinson]

In article , Ed writes

I have done exactly that.

I just took the taps out and connected the two tap holes together using plastic solvent-weld overflow pipe (21.5mm) and the 'straight tank connector'

part no. 11937. Those fitted the tap hole in my butts perfectly.

The advantage of this is that you drain from both tanks at the same time, preventing one becoming stagnant, and you drain from the bottom. The water finds its own level across both butts.

Then I inserted a T-piece in the cross-pipe between the barrels and fitted one tap to that. But as you say you would prefer to drain from barrel B, fit the T-piece and tap there.

Worked well for me.

[Vass]

yup, connect near bottom avoiding the very bottom to stop muck blocking the through pipe but this only works if both barrels are same height, or... if different heights, and connected at bottom, the higher one will only fill to the lower height before the lower one then spills the water.

Connection can be with a piece of hose pipe (maybe insulated) as you're not going to have a quicker rate of flow than the tap (unless its huge of course)