Newhouse Farm

Chillyhm · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 8:02 pm Post subject: water butts

A couple of questions....

I already haev 2 but 1 the neighbour thinks it's funny to knock the drainpipe apart so I must get a good way to tape it up and the 2nd seems to not keep water in it. We haven't found where it is leaking from but is there any way we can and if we find it is there any way we can save the butt - it is a BIG one 190litres!

Also I'm thinking about getting at least 2 more. BUT then read somewhere online of the huge carbon emissions from transporting the butts as most don't stack. Don't like the sound of that. Am going to ask the council if I can have a couple of unused wheelie bins but is there a good water butt to buy?
The cheepest the council do is £35 which is a bit much for us right now. I can get a 220 litre one for argos for the same £

Also looking into a pump for emptying the bath water - are these any good? We don't use chemical stuff but my daughter has a bath every night and I hate to waste the water.

I guess (as usual) I need pointing in the right direction
Chantelle
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Chantelle, disabled mum of Jacinth (who had a cloth clad bum - even night training now!!)

KevB · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 10:28 pm Post subject:

That's one stinker of a neighbour! What sort of pipe and union is it?

The easiest way to find a leak that I've found is to empty the butt, allow it to dry and then upend it over your head! You'll see light where the crack/pinhole is. Whether it is repairable is another matter. I've tried to repair a couple of cracked ones with little success, using silicone sealant. I think a pinhole would repair OK, but both of mine were cracked around badly fitted taps. Others may well have found a more succesful method.

I have found a great way to reuse damaged butts though. I saw them in half and use the top as a bamboo "restrainer" sunk in the geound around a bamboo plant. The bottom serves as a massive planter for things like patio trees (maples), movable fruit trees (peaches, vines) or a herb container near the kitchen.
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Gardening is the only unquestionably useful job. -- George Bernard Shaw

jives11 · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 7:34 am Post subject:

I have found that water butts tend to leak around the tap. The plastic taps they fit have a plastic nut which screws on on the inside, and a 2 part rubber washer makes the whole thing water tight. I have seen that often the thread on the tap goes and you can never get the thing water tight. My local hardware shop sells just the taps, might be worth changing that, assuming the leak is around the tap ? Maybe even a brass tap would allow you to tighten it. It's hard as , of course, you need to secure the nutt on the inside which is right at the bottom of the butt, so it's a 2 person job.

I have a couple of compost bins which are leaking water buts with the bottom's cut out

Mike&Penny · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 11:05 am Post subject: around the tap

If it's just leaking around the tap or other through fittting you can almost certainly make a repair. Puncture holes are fairly easy to plug also. As indicated earlier, it's cracks of any length that would be difficult. Specially if the crack is on some curved surface.
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There is no possibility of social justice on a dead planet except the equality of the grave.

jives11 · Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:15 am Post subject:

well I spoke too soon, I noticed that one butt is half empty and clearly leaking through a crack in the underneath. I think this one took a hefty wack when I felled the dead tree that was next to it. Time to cut around the base following the line of the raised section, and convert it into another compost bin
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http://mr-ives.blogspot.com/

Chillyhm · Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 6:52 pm Post subject:

we still haven't got around to looking at it as Tim relaxed on his day off this week! Don't blame him. There didn't seem to be damp around the tap teh water just seems to vanish! It is so weird.
Must remember to get it done!
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Chantelle, disabled mum of Jacinth (who had a cloth clad bum - even night training now!!)

Chaz · Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 8:21 pm Post subject:

I too had leaks around the plastic tap so I replaced the washers with ones cut from an old inner tube, stopped the leak, turned the butt completely around, drilled a hole slightly smaller than half an inch and with another washer cut from inner tube screwed in an outdoor brass tap, no leaks yet after four years. I have had butts cracking and put it down to the butts freezing in winter or perhaps not made of UV stabilized plastic, only the cheaper, thinner plastic ones cracked though.

Chaz

SolomonG · Established Chestnut Joined: 08 Apr 2007 Posts: 245

Sprinkle talcum powder on the water butt when it's dry, and when the water starts to leak, you'll see the runs in the talc.

With regards to wheelie bins, they aren't always strong enough to handle the weight of all the water, and can burst. Also, when they're full, they're immovable. 200 bags of sugar is a lot of weight to shift.

Marion · Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 11:56 am Post subject:

Why don't you just call the police? This is criminal what your neighbours are doing!