water butt plumbing

[Cuprager]

I am looking to fit a waterbutt with some sort of pipework so that i can plumb a tap that is fed from the butt into my outbuilding. The butt will be about 24" off the ground. Can I just use a 15mm compression to 3/4" (or whatever BSP) threaded connector that matches the butt-taps thread? OR would something like a tank connector be required and an extra hole in the butt drilled?

Will the pressure be acceptable for filling watering cans etc from a

200l butt with all of the pipework and tap below the bottom of the butt itself?

Can anyone see any huge pitfalls in my plan that I cant??

TIA

Gerry

[Cuprager]

If I can add that I would want to remove the tap altogether and not have a hose clipped to its spigot as kids WILL muck about with it.

[Cuprager]

Anyone???

[Christian McArdle]

If you can find a thread match then I don't see why not. I'd seal the threads with Fernox LS-X.

That would be an alternative.

I'm sure that would be fine, provided that if there is any length of pipework, use 22mm. I'd use PEX in preference to copper to allieviate the consequences of freezing, but wouldn't leave it in the sun for UV reasons.

Christian.

[Cuprager]

Thanks,

I have a handy length of PEX laying around so I will use that!

[Christian McArdle]

Best still, if you have an old single impellor shower pump lying about, then you could stick that in line and run a hose off it!

Christian.

[Mike Tomlinson]

In article , Christian McArdle writes

Would an old central heating pump work?

[Christian McArdle]

It wouldn't do any harm. It would need to be manually switched and I doubt it will provide good pressure. However, I suspect it would be enough to enable a hose to be useful, but without resembling a pressure washer.

Christian.

[Cuprager]

All great ideas but all would require electrickery which i dont have in the shed so I will have to trickle along for now!

Gerry

[Christian McArdle]

This is uk.d-i-y, so get on with it.

You'll need a reel of 6mm SWA, a "garage" consumer unit, some sockets and a fluoresecent tube unit. Chop chop. ;-)

Christian.

[Cuprager]

LOL, I love your enthusiasm but I live in a flat thats one up and there is at least a 50m cable run to get to my outhouse! I would *LOVE* to get leccy but I think it would cost too much because of this. I am, however considering a generator... i have asked on here about that one a couple of times but I still havent made my mind up fully!

Cheers mate...

Gerry

[Christian McArdle]

Still probably cheaper than a generator, if the ground floor and freeholder don't mind the cable going down the wall and you have access to lay the cable between the house and shed. 6mm will be good for 20A over this sort of distance, and allowing for a volt or two for the terminal installation. Fantastic for plugging in your lawnmower.

Even 100m of 6mm SWA is 127+VAT quid from TLC. 50m is only 74+VAT. SWA can be mounted to a wall if you don't want to dig. With the glands, a consumer unit, light fitting, sockets and sundries, you are talking under 200 quid if you only need 50m of SWA. Plus Part P tax to the council, if you bother.

Christian.

[Cuprager]

*Cogs start turning*

Thanks again!

Gerry

[Roly]

I did almost exactly this and was very disappointed.

I've got two 200 litre butts and fed them into a 6 foot length of 1/2" copper pipe ( with a drain c*ck to empty it in the winter ). The butts are raised up by 2 feet and the tap is about 15" lower, tyhan the bottom of the butts, there's room beneath the tap for a watering can as the ground slopes downhill.

Unfortunately the flow rate is far too slow. for my liking, it takes about 2 mins to fill a watering can. I get round it by using one of those large 'Gorilla' buckets, starting to fill that up well in advance and then dunking the watering cans into the bucket to fill them and leaving the tap running to partially replenish the bucket.

It's not a great solution, but it's the best I can devise ( no electricity available anywhere near where the water but is located ).

[David Hansen]

On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 22:47:19 GMT someone who may be [e-mail] (Roly) wrote this:-

Gardens are meant to be relaxing. While waiting for the watering can to fill how about enjoying the flora and fauna.

[Cuprager]

Thats not great news Roly! Is the slow flow rate to be expected when using a water butt in its normal operational mode with just the tap or do you think that adding in the plumbing has caused the drop in flow? I am guessing that it may make a difference if 22mm pipe was used instead of 15mm?

Sorry, just re-read your post - you say that you did use 1/2" pipe... Hmm, I wonder what has went wrong... someone skilled in fluid mechanics will pop along shortly to explain I hope! Please!

[Edgar Iredale]

8>

There is a relatively cheap way to avoid having to stand around waiting. There's also a very quick way to fill the can from a butt. Think about it while waiting. Fluid mechanics? No. Just nous.

E.

[Ian Cornish]

I can think of two ways...

1) Buy another watering can and fill it whilst you are emptying the other. 2) Open Lid. Dunk Can.

[Roly]

Dunking the watering can is certainly quicker, but the butts were placed in an elevated position and not one that's particularly accessible. That's why filling a large bucket is my current solution, once it's full, I dunk the can in that and can get about four can-fuls in quick succession before it's empty and then I leave it to fill for another few minutes.

I keep the lids on the water butts to stop mozzies and muck getting in.

I was absolutely sure that the flow rate would prove to be OK with a short length of 1/2" copper pipe. I wish I'd tried a few experiments first. I've wondered about using thicker copper pipe, but I suspect that it wouldn't make a big enough difference.

[Matt]

200 litre water butt raised a couple of feet from the ground, drill hole somewhere near the bottom, 22mm lever ball valve (compression type) , 22mm tank connector (compression type) fitted with some instant gasket or silicone, bit of copper pipe between the two, bit of plastic pipe in natural curve from ball valve enabling watering can to be filled in about 8 seconds. Total time from start of job to finished about 15 mins including plugging in the extension lead and finding the hole saw.

If more than one water butt needed then connect them together near the bottom with a couple of tank connectors and a bit of plastic pipe.

IT'S NOT DIFFICULT ITS ONLY A BLEEDING WATER BUTT AND A BIT OF HOSE!!!!

JUST HOW MANY POSTS ARE WE GOING TO END UP WITH IN THIS UTTERLY POINTLESS THREAD?

:)