The rainwater diversion project

Thanks for all the input to my project to divert rainwater from the roof of the workshop into the "small" pond (it's ~11m in diameter. I have a "big" pond about 4 or 5 times the size, too) to try and prevent it drying up in the summer without cutting down the weeping willow growing next to it. The workshop is about 40ft by 20ft and has a gable roof which gives somewhat over (probably in the ratio 4:5, depending on the pitch of the roof, so 1000sg ft, perhaps?) 800 sq ft of collector but it doesn't really matter for this.

So ... I bought 30m of ribbed (ooh, err) 38mm pipe on eBay and ran it under the grass from the workshop to the pond. Just finished putting the turf back this morning. This was a compromise between size of pipe and amount of digging required since I was doing it by hand.

I also bought a 200l ex-food-use plastic drum to use as a buffer and a

38mm tank fitting and backnut, also from eBay.

Just for a laugh, since there was rain forecast, I cut through one of the (two) downspouts the day before yesterday and gaffer taped the free end of the 38mm pipe into it. Lo and behold, I have rainwater running into the pond! (No reason it shouldn't, but it was nice to see!!) No sign of any increase in water level yet. :o(

I also just ordered the relevant bits of guttering from Screwfix to connect the downspouts to the barrel. Need something to stand the drum on, so I was going to drop into the BM tomorrow & get some blocks.

So ... Can anyone suggest a means of connecting a 68mm pipe to the drum to act as overflow back into the original drain in case the drum "backs up"? I found a 68mm tank fitting online, but it's £19 + VAT + P&P! Failing that, I shall bodge it with a 90 deg bend, silicone and cable ties...

If this works, I'm also going to raise the level of the drain from the pond (by putting a 90deg bend and a bit of pipe on the end of it - it looks like standard 4" drain pipe) to get the water level a bit closer to ground level.

Oh, and total expenditure so far? Just over £100, the vast majority of which was the 38mm pipe.

Reply to
Huge
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I didn't understand this bit? Raise the level of the drain?

Reply to
Capitol

I presume that this is an outlet from the pond, the height of which sets the maximum level of the water.

Reply to
Nightjar

"raise the level of the drain from the pond"

Reply to
Huge

I find Everbuild Stixall better than silicone for outside jobs, they also do one with fibres for bridging gaps on roof repairs, about £5 a cartridge at toolstation.

AJH

Reply to
news

Thank you.

Reply to
Huge

En el artículo , Huge escribió:

make sure the surface on which the barrel sits is level and flat, or the plastic splits eventually under the weight of water (btdtgtts)

A spreader plate of some kind will help.

Does it need to be that big? The accessories that come with water butts are cheap and intended for the purpose. they're about an inch in diameter. Have a poke around the water butt accessories section of your DIY store/garden centre - also cheaper than 'proper' plumbing accessories.

Reply to
Mike Tomlinson

I think he means allow more water in the pond before it overflows through his drain. You see this sort of thing in posh gardens, grin. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

Yes, that already occurred to me. Probably put a paving slab on top of the tower of blocks.

Yes, eventually, since it needs to go back into the existing 68mm downspout.

Reply to
Huge

A little confused about your rainwater diversion.

The ones which fit standard down pipes are designed to divert the majority of the water into the water butt until it is full, then let the water flow downwards through the main down pipe.

IIRC they do this by having an outer rim half way up the diverter to catch the water and redirect it. Once the transfer pipe is full (water butt full) then the rain overflows the outer rim and flows down a central hole.

Perhaps not a good explanation but go to a garden centre and fish one out of the box. :-)

Cheers

Dave R

Reply to
David

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That's a rainwater diverter. Not using those for this project because they only feed through a 1" pipe, which isn't sufficient - I want all the water, not just what will fit down a 1" pipe. They also clog up with moss and when there's a cloud-burst, their lids pop off and the water goes all over the place, not down the downspout; I had to cable-tie the lid onto the one I used last. I am going to use them for the wife's water butts.

I'm diverting the entire downspout into a water butt, which acts as a buffer for cloud-bursts, and drains from the *bottom* into the pond. I don't want to store water in this case, I want it all in the pond.

Reply to
Huge

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