Joining water butts

2012paddy2012

Got a water butt in aldi today set it up grand I have room beside it for another,,
I have researched extensively on line ...there is a lot of confusing information as to where they should be joined.... Some say , the second should be joined an inch lower than the first to let the water run through ..to the second...others say it should be joined to the second at the bottom ....issues in both cases are 1. Leaves and debris getting In ...bottom connection ...,2 joining at the top can cause water to stagnates..am totally confused!!! Probably will join the second at at a slightly lower level than the first...


Any one actually do this....??? If so what's the best to do ...thks

Paddy

longhalloween

Id have your first water butt overflow into the second.

2012paddy2012

longhalloween wrote: »

Id have your first water butt overflow into the second.

Thks that what I think I will do. Makes sense. I just wonder is there any way of joining them that would allow each to fill at same level .....simultaneously

longhalloween

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

Thks that what I think I will do. Makes sense. I just wonder is there any way of joining them that would allow each to fill at same level .....simultaneously

Join them at the bottom and the water will find its own level.

fiacha

Top and Bottom. That way you only need a pump / tap on one of them. The water will find the same level in both.

redser7

You can daisy chain many butts at the same level using lengths of hose as syphons. Have seen it set up, works beautifully.

2012paddy2012

fiacha wrote: »

Top and Bottom. That way you only need a pump / tap on one of them. The water will find the same level in both.

thks do you mean join the one I have , connected near the top , to the second one at the bottom ?
thks

Stella Virgo

heres a few way of doing it..........
https://www.google.ie/search?q=connecting+rain+barrels+together&client=firefox-a&hs=5OW&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=szp5U6K3O4mw7AaV4IHQBw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1680&bih=868#facrc=_&imgdii=YjJ5Ot0Gf7-4sM%3A%3BZ1Gzri-GfwOFeM%3BYjJ5Ot0Gf7-4sM%3A&imgrc=YjJ5Ot0Gf7-4sM%253A%3B3Cazflg7FMUipM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-LWwtq4usXTI%252FUYhaVa3ja3I%252FAAAAAAAABEQ%252FxegY9CLF6ng%252Fs320%252FIMG_0866.JPG%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fkinnells.blogspot.com%252F2013%252F05%252Fthe-rain-barrel-system.html%3B240%3B320

Oldtree

two tanks in the attic adjacent to one another and joined together about 1 inch from the bottom, to allow settlement and self balancing, and an overflow pipe from the second tank.

Cabaal

Got two Aldi water butts last week and joined them, easy job and does the business,

Only issue I have is there needs to be an extra connector included ideally as when you join the second water butt there's no way of securing the pipe into the second water butt which means water leaks out.

Mine's not 100% level but everything drains in just fine, I joined them at the top and water just found its level

2012paddy2012

thks a mill that's exactly what im going to do....did you lower the second butt slightly...to allow water to run in freely

Oldtree

If the two butts are joined at the top only then you will need two taps, one for each butt, as the second butt is acting as an overflow only and the 2 butts are not a self balancing system. The 2 butts can then be at the same raised level. That level should be above the level you want the water to flow to.

redser7

Oldtree wrote: »

If the two butts are joined at the top only then you will need two taps, one for each butt, as the second butt is acting as an overflow only and the 2 butts are not a self balancing system. The 2 butts can then be at the same raised level. That level should be above the level you want the water to flow to.

pssst - just use hose and make a syphon through the holes in the top

2012paddy2012

Oldtree wrote: »

If the two butts are joined at the top only then you will need two taps, one for each butt, as the second butt is acting as an overflow only and the 2 butts are not a self balancing system. The 2 butts can then be at the same raised level. That level should be above the level you want the water to flow to.

Great thks - is there anyway of connected them so that both fill at same level

2012paddy2012

redser7 wrote: »

pssst - just use hose and make a syphon through the holes in the top

Would it not leak?

Supercell

Thats the same as I have here (at the top), works great. My old man said they should have been linked at the bottom but i have no idea why, connecting them :without a leak is really the main thing to consider.

redser7

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

Would it not leak?

Nope. Where would it leak from? The hose goes in through the holes in the lids. No matter how many barrels are in the chain they keep the same level and you only need one tap.

Oldtree

redser7 wrote: »

pssst - just use hose and make a syphon through the holes in the top

Would that do the job even with lower levels of water? How would the "suck" be maintained, or does it just do it?

redser7

You just need to do the 'suck' once per barrel when you add it to the chain. So start with one barrel with some water in it. The hose should be long enough to reach the bottom of each barrel. Have one end at the bottom of the barrel with the water in it. Make sure the other end outside the barrel is lower than the level of the water inside. Then start sucking until the water flows. Put your thumb over the end and put it down into the empty barrel you want to add to the chain. Let go the end and the water will flow until the levels equalise. They will drain exactly in tandem. As the tap is usually a couple inches at least above the bottom of the barrel the hoses will never suck air and break the syphon
I've seen photos where people had like 20 barrels in a chain. Rain water would be harvested off a polytunnel for example and drain into one barrel. It would then be shared through the syphons and fill the other 20 barrels. And a tap could run the water into a soaker hose inside the tunnel to water the crops inside. Works great if you have the space. A few IBCs might be neater and easier.

Rainwaterman

I couldnt find a slimline wall mounted water butt to suit the side of my house.So I went to the UK and got some wall mounted water butts over there for less than 90 euro each.They each hold 170 litres of water and are only 10 inches in depth out off the wall.I have 1 of them mounted on the side of the porch of my house and this collects the rain water from the porch roof.With the bit of rain the other day it filled the wall butt up in no time at all.I use this to water some of the flower beds in the front garden.And I agree with the people who say it is best to link water butts at the bottoms.Only 1 tap is needed this way if daisy chaining them together when linking them at the bottom.

2012paddy2012

Can these barrels be used as water butt-
Is there anyway of putting a cheap tap- connection on one of these barrels
Ta

redser7

Absolutely you can. You can buy the water butt taps separately. Simply drill out the hole and screw it on.

Supercell

On the top or bottom linking and water taps side of things I'd like to add my tuppence!

Two taps are useful - it means you can fill two watering cans at once - less trips back and forward if you have a decent amount of watering to do in a dry spell.
With top mounted linkage you should always have decent pressure in one of the tanks most of the time. A watering can takes a lot longer to fill from a half empty tank than a full one in my experience. Waiting for a can to fill is not the most exciting thing in the world unless you are like my 2 year old son and enjoy sticking your arm into the can to get the full filling experience!

2012paddy2012

redser7 wrote: »

Absolutely you can. You can buy the water butt taps separately. Simply drill out the hole and screw it on.

Link pls - tap !!

Supercell

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

Link pls - tap !!

Woodies definitely sell them, saw them before in the Sallynoggin and Carrickmines branches.

redser7

Yip, have seen them in woodies and also B&Q...

http://www.diy.com/nav/garden/garden-care-watering/watering-irrigation/water_butts/-specificproducttype-diverters___taps/Sankey-Black-Replacement-Water-Butt-Tap-9218467?skuId=9228166

2012paddy2012

I see blue barrels for sale for a tenner near where I live ...can i join anyway without having to go buying taps washers etc.....just to get them to come out of the one tap....which is there at mo on the one water butt I have set up ...but have the other two blue barrels full and empty thought the one tap if you follow!!!!

redser7

Yes you can. Read through this thread again, I described how to do it using syphons made of ordinary hose.

GreeBo

redser7 wrote: »

Yes you can. Read through this thread again, I described how to do it using syphons made of ordinary hose.

Not if the barrels are different heights, the biggest one needs to be at the end not the start.

2012paddy2012

Going to just go with another butt joined to initial butt. Is the biggest one issue going to effect this? Both will be the same height...

2012paddy2012

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

Going to just go with another butt joined to initial butt. Is the biggest one issue going to effect this? Both will be the same height...

Getting new butt to joint to one I have-
Have connection pipe - see pics-
What size drill bit is needed to drill hole inthe side of odivoriginal barrell - can you buy fitting and washer to fit securely from one barrell to second - if so what exactly do you ask for - prefer correct fitting rather tgan mastic tbks