Hi Folks, Long time no speak, hence apologies if I am repeating previously-discussed information here (I did a quick search and found nothing, hence this post).
At one side of my garage door there is a rainwater downpipe. There is no room beside it for a barrel, but plenty of room at the other side of the garage door. I got interested in the rainwater diverter (Screwfix sell them for seven quid) but there is a limit of 50cm from downpipe to barrel which is no good for my circumstances.
A quick email to Screwfix met with (I'm guessing) a rapid reply from their work-experience person. The twit managed to see my enquiry but invent his own meaning for it.
I asked: "My rainwater barrel is sited some three metres away from the drain pipe that will supply it. What diameter is the output of your Rainwater Diverter assembly so that I can purchase the appropriate fittings? "
and the Screwfix bod replied:
"This item comes supplied with fittings, from the butt to the down pipe. So you should not need to buy any extras. "
I then replied and asked them to read my words again but I got the usual reply in these circumstances ("usual" as defined as within the UK) which was no reply at all. Sigh.
I bought the diverter anyway, and fitted it last weekend. Brilliant piece of design in my opinion (with my experience of this being measured in Days).
For anyone that is interested, the outlet from the diverter and the diameter of the tank-connector (part of the kit) is 20mm.
Overflow pipes and fitting for cisterns are normally 21.5mm diameter, but plastic electrical conduit pipe is 20mm.
The kit came with about 60cm length of flexible tubing (to connect the outlet of the diverter to the tank connector on the barrel). I cut this in half so that I could use one bit to connect to my 20mm conduit and the other bit to connect the conduit to the barrel.
A wee smear of washing-up-liquid on the conduit, coupled with a soaking of the flexible tubing in a container of boiling water meant that the tubing slipped on to the conduit quite adequately but when it cooled it feels as if it is a good joint.
My only goof was to get the levels wrong. The instructions with the kit tell you to connect the tank connector some 100mm from the top of the barrel. Bugger-that says I, I don't want to have 4 inches of air in a perfectly good barrel so I connected the fitting some 25mm from the top (sigh).
Even with having a laser level to hand, I guessed at where on the rainwater pipe the diverter should go and it was only when the barrel was full that I realised my mistake as water cascaded out the hole in the top of the barrel.
The particular barrel I am using has two circular holes in the top, each with a thread and there is a stopper in one. Rather than jiggle the levels I have acquired a second stopper so now the barrel is totally sealed (except for the inlet and the outlet). When you run off water you hear a sucking noise as the air rushing in to the barrel comes via the downpipe. This is a trivial price to pay - if it gets annoying I will fit a small 15mm tank connector in the roof of the barrel and add a few inches of copper pipe above that to vent outside air into the barrel.
I bought a 22mm quarter-turn ball valve for the output of this barrel
- neat and cheap bit of kit.
Just my experience folks; if anyone requests a digital photo of this "installation" then drop me a reply and I'll put one on my web site. Shameless plug for some other amateur photos (nothing rude, mind):
P.S. Now all I need do is wait around for a Dry day where I can use the stored water - so much for "summer" ! ;-)