butted at last

Thats you set up for nice healthy plants then Fran

indeed, Lincs, that's my "starter for ten"! I've got another butt that I was given, but no stand or connections, so I didn't know what kind of stand to get for it - I'd hoped to try it on one of these, and, if it fiftedn, I'd get just a stand - I assume connectors are fairly standard. The handyman said that this base was made for this butt, so I still don't know if the spare butt would fit properly, or stably, at least.

There's two sheds that could be guttered, or it could go as an overlfow butt. at the moment, it's just standing with the lid off, in the hope that it'll catch something, at least.

But till I get a bit more settled, and work out a plan of action, I don't want to do too much now in case it has to be undone later.

Good idea, theres nothing worse than a full waterbutt when one wants to move it somewhere else, I have one that takes the overflow, stands slightly lower than t'other to catch the water from the house but thats only ok if you have the space to do that of course ....both those are stood on bricks and slabs...

you will be so glad you got these Fran,I have two with run off from the shed,so they don't fill as quickly as off a house roof,but plenty for me anyway..We have one of ours stood on Breeze blocks,which are just as good as looking for a base to fit..just remember to have them high enough to get a watering can or bucket underneath ..any surplus, I run some off,to throw around shrubs etc,that don't get much rain when the foliage stops it getting to the roots,and my OH uses some to wash the car,or we brush the paved areas with it..always a use for it somewhere:o)..It seems odd that you are only getting a trickle from the taps though..mine both fill quite quickly..maybe they need checking?

Yes thanks for saying that Sandra, I meant to ask about the taps as mine are ok as well...

I found out the hard way,Sue.The handles got in the way
till it was raised another block. and as some watering cans have quite a small opening,if I stood them on the floor,it was often more miss than hit ! Another lesson learned..look for ones with a bigger opening :o)

Thanks everyone!

I was checking various models for ages, agonising over which to go for - they all had some negative reviews - ones for this model said tha the tap leaked until he fitted it upside down [?] - mine leaked a bit at first, but the handyman managed to give in an ext ra turn to stop that. Maybe there's some sort of cover over the vent (like foild on a suace bottle) that should have been punctured cirst? cantt quite see that, though. he tested the first one, at the back, but i don't know if he tested the front one as well. it might be the same, or not. It'll be a bit prolematical to take the tap off now the butts are full!

there's maybe room for a second one of each beside the first - if I took the bench from the front niche there'd be room for a battery of them!

when I moved in i saw that there was a dustbin behind one shed, had no idea what it was doing there, but it was full of water. i've used about three-qyarters of that to water in the bulbs i've planted, so what it's for seems pretty obvious now! i have several watering cans, one with a large oepneing, so i just dipped it under till it filled. even now the previuos tenant is helping me ...

I've found plenty of old bicks lying around, so could get the spares chocked up - my concern is to do it stably, no wobble or tilt.

Glad the Dustbin was useful,Fran..it will come in very handy for watering..I'm sure your bricks will be fine,if you stack each layer a different way..always a use for left over things,one way or another..
I have no idea if there would be a covering over the vent,Fran..but like you say,too late to check till it's empty again..maybe you could use that one up first...any chance you could ask the guy who fitted it?

I have a collection of bins here as well, an old wheelie bin down near my bottom shed, two dustbins standing near top g'house, big shed other side of garden has a tub that I got about 20yrs ago from the place I used to work at, it originally had sausage skins in it, lol, that was a freebie....

thanks, Bloomer, I should be able to to find enough to add the one bin I've already got. I want to get the sheds guttered, and a butt under each - the dustbin for one, and maybe the spare butt for the other.

I'll have the handyman back soon for more jobs, will leave myself a note to ask him - and will check the other tap, he might have but I didn't see him do it!

you sound well fited out, Lincs! I found a link about using broken wheelie bins - he contacted his council, who were so glad to get rid of them without having to pay a disposal fee taht they delivered them to his address! most of the damage was to the wheels, which didn't affect the body of the bin. lol but don't think they should be used at the front of hte house, in case the binmen can't tell which is which!

lol latest fantasy - dig up the front lawn and sink a huge tank, then cover with soil and plant. would need a pump to get it out, but it wouldn't half hold a lot!!

I 've still to get mine Fran and have been online as they were much cheaper there ! Its amazing how quick they fill up !

these were from Argos, can't remember the rpice offhand, but under £20 for the whole kit, stand and connections as well.

now I can try washing in real fresh water - well, as fresh as it can be after comeing down through a dirty atmosphere and sliding down a probablyd irty roof

It was me who said you'd need lots if you wanted to catch all the rain. Have you got somewhere for the overflow water to go?

It must be a lot drier where you are if you've had to water your bulbs in - here the problem is rather is the ground too soggy for planting. Its so nice to be able to share all your excitement with your new garden.

awk, sorry, Stera!! I knew it was someone whose opinion I valued.

the handyman said that the overflow goes back into the downpipe; he said that the butts are filled by the water that runds down the inside of the pipe, any gushing water will jsut go past, and when the butts are full a valve stops any more from entering. of course I took his word for all this!

I planted the bulbs when we had maybe a week of dry weather, and the soil at least on top was quite dry. I don't know how long since was dug to any depth, but underneaqth it was very heavy and clingy. (i went down about a trowel's length)

tap prob solved!!

thought I'd try it again today: the tap is a T, be'd onlyopened it till the T was in line wiht the support, ie halfway. I opened it fully and wter gushed out, nor probs.

You have lift off,Fran..that's great..glad it was a simple solution for you :o) x

I can't imagine why he only opened the tap half way and then remarked on how slow it was coming out, unless he thought that was fully open.

lol busting for a chance to use it now, but the reason it's still full means that the g arden won't need watering for a while ... not by me, anyway.

would rainwater have any other uses? wasahing, final rinse when washing hair, mixing cement?? i mean, any advantage over tap water?

afterthought: and it shows the perils of accepting what one's told wihtout first checking for oneself!!! motto for life, lol

Unless it has a filter where the pipe goes into the butt,I think I would be inclined not to use it for personal use,Fran..it will be bringing stuff off the roof ,and gutters with the rainwater...We don't have many trees here,so leaves blocking the gutters,doesn't affect ours.,or interrupt the flow...When we bought our first one,you could buy a separate filter,but we were unable to find one for the 2nd one,they were only included in a packaged kit,which we didn't need..we still look,but so far no luck..
I found one of those old fashioned small tea strainers,
languishing in a kitchen drawer,so OH fitted that instead...it's worked well,so periodically we are able to remove them and clear the gunge out..Making cement,and outdoor uses will be fine..and washing tubs out .:o).

thanks, Bloomer. I had totally forgotten (or not thoght at all) about strainers and filters. I've no idea what might be lodged up in the guttering - even if leaves etc are stained out, the water might hae pased through other stuff and still be able to get nto the butt, so I'll definitely skip the personal touch!

I've got sevral plastic and metal tea strainers, where would they be fitted? I assume around the point where the pipe diverts to the butt, but how would one access it to clean it out?

I've seen ads for "strainers" that would sit on top of the darin, in the gutter, and others that go all along the guttering - sort of like large washing-uo scourers, with lots of holes to let the water through but blocking anything else.