Water butts are great way to reduce your water consumption in the garden. Your plants will also thrive more as they would much prefer rainwater to tap water from the hose. Water butts are also designed to attach a hose.
1. Locating a water butt
Firstly you need to find an accessible down pipe on your house or green house that you can use. Make sure you can get to it easily and it is not too far away from space to put a water butt. Don’t get put off if there is a fence in the way – you can drill a neat hole through the fence and it will still work.
2. Decide on a water butt
Next you need to decide on your water butt. You will need to take into account how much space you have, how much water you need, and your budget.
You can choose all sorts of designs and combinations. From a standard green drum to ones that look like oak barrels. Some of these can get quite pricey, so try not to get too carried away.
Small on Space and/or Budget?
If you are small on space you can get 100 litre slimline water butts with a small footprint. These are also an affordable option for those on a small budget as they cost around £20-£30 and you can attach more another time.
3. Installing a water butt
- Firstly mark the height of the water butt on its stand, if it has one, on the down pipe you wish to use.
- Next measure 3cm below this line.
- Cut the downpipe on your new line with a hacksaw or other suitable cutting device.
- Attach the rainwater diverter by putting where you cut the down pipe.
- Drill a hole 8cm from the top of the water butt where you want the pipe to go. Make sure you are using the right sized drill bit.
- Attach the pipe connector that comes with the water butt by screwing it together through the hole.
- Then push the pipe into the water butt connector and the rainwater diverter. If you have a fence in the middle drill a hole in the fence for the pipe to go through.
- Make sure you have attached the tap on the bottom – this normally screws in with a washer – make sure you have the washer otherwise it will leak.
- Put the lid on top
- Wait for it to rain 🙂
4. Double up
Don’t forget you can always add more water butts at a later date to increase your capacity with water butt linking kits. The linking kits cost between £7-£15.