Water Collection Project

[Brom]

Our water comes from a well, saves a bit of money on water charges and hosepipe bans don't affect us...not that we've ever had one here.
This summer has been somewhat drier than usual and the well has been a little low so we have had to conserve water, her indoors has to have plenty to wash her hair and have a bath every five minutes you understand. All this has lead to problems watering the veggies. Sooo...we decided to install a water collection system for the garden. A barrel isn't really big enough so looked on t'interweb for something bigger, the prices are scary, very scary so looked elsewhere.
A friend had an old bunded oil tank lying around, he was going to get rid of it but the council round here charge £500 to remove them...don't ask. We binned the inner tank 'cause of the oil contamination and used the outer shell. A few modification to a down pipe on one of the outbuildings and we now have a 1500ltr water butt, total cost including new guttering, less than £50. All we need now is some rain and we are in business for next summer, which will now no doubt be the wettest on record.
Have include a pic of the finished product.

[alldigging]

Wow! That's fab. I love a bargain and that has to be one!

We set up 3 IBCs to fill off our garage roof for the allotment. Should probably have more though. Would be nice to set up a temporary 'catch summer rain from the house roof' option too so we make the most of the summer showers.

[veggiechicken]

Well done, Brom - excellent bit of recycling

[Bren In Pots]

Does look good

[Bill HH]

I am jealous.
I wonder if it would be feasable to make a large tank out of scafolding planks and line it with butly rubber.

[WendyC]

I am jealous.
I wonder if it would be feasable to make a large tank out of scafolding planks and line it with butly rubber.

Or pond liner - lots of them have a 25 year guarantee so should last a fair while.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Bill if you build your tank and then line it with sheet polystyrene before adding the liner it will last for years.

Potty

[Bill HH]

Bill if you build your tank and then line it with sheet polystyrene before adding the liner it will last for years.

Potty

Thats a good idea, I had thought old carpet to stop splinters damaging the liner but polystyrene woud be even better. Getting the water out might be difficult i can hardy put a tap into a rubber liner, it would have to be a syphon pipe with a tap on the end. Hey i could put in a toilet syphon and flush a watering can every time

[redser]

I wonder would secondhand IBCs be a cheaper and easier option?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Bill, 15mm compression tank connector, 2, 1/2" poly washers, short end of 15mm copper pipe, 15mm x 1/2BSP female straight connector and double check valve hose union bib cock. 'garden tap' for short.

Wrap male thread of tap with PTFE tape and screw into 15mm x 1/2" female connector.
Make hole in wood batten and polystyrene, measure length of pipe and cut to size.
Heat the off cut of pipe and use this to make hole in liner, this will prevent splitting.
Pass tank connector through line with a poly washer either side of the liner, leaving the back nut loose.
Make pipe into tank connector and then carefully tighten back nut to make joint to seal liner.

Doing it this way will mean that all the joints that need effort to tighten them will have been done before the delicate joint on the liner.

It you make the hole in the wood the right size this will hold and support the bib cock and prevent strain on the liner during use.

Simples

Potty

[Bill HH]

I wonder would secondhand IBCs be a cheaper and easier option?

Yes I have just been looking at them on e-bay, by the time I have made a tank and paid for a liner I could have bought two of these.

[Bill HH]

Bill, 15mm compression tank connector, 2, 1/2" poly washers, short end of 15mm copper pipe, 15mm x 1/2BSP female straight connector and double check valve hose union bib cock. 'garden tap' for short.

Wrap male thread of tap with PTFE tape and screw into 15mm x 1/2" female connector.
Make hole in wood batten and polystyrene, measure length of pipe and cut to size.
Heat the off cut of pipe and use this to make hole in liner, this will prevent splitting.
Pass tank connector through line with a poly washer either side of the liner, leaving the back nut loose.
Make pipe into tank connector and then carefully tighten back nut to make joint to seal liner.

Doing it this way will mean that all the joints that need effort to tighten them will have been done before the delicate joint on the liner.

It you make the hole in the wood the right size this will hold and support the bib cock and prevent strain on the liner during use.

Simples

Potty

I am loathe to pierce a liner, but you are of course quite right, this would do the job admirably. If I screwed the tap to a wall and pipe it from the tank that would avoid the tap use loosening the tank connection.

[Two_Sheds]

I always thought those things WERE water butts (having never used oil heating)