Connecting more than one water butt together

[Bill HH]

Great minds think alike Bill HH - I too have the same linked arrangement with 2 x 1000lts IBCs. They are about 4 metres apart with a 40cms drop between them (natural slope of garden), linked by a garden hose through their spigots.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]46138[/ATTACH]	Feeder IBC: Receives water from shed guttering, which then flows into Lower IBC via single hose outlet.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]46139[/ATTACH]	Lower IBC: When this tank is full, the Feeder IBC then fills and in doing so adds to the pressure of the outflow of the water to the garden.

With this week's summer storms the 'feeder' tank will soon be full again! The downpipe outlet from guttering into the top tank is fitted with a pair of 'pop socks' which acts as a filter. Easily washed out and are lasting well - not that I wear them at this time of year!!! Even though each tank is covered in black polythene, I add a teaspoon of J***s Fluid to keep the water bug free.

Great minds indeed, we are even hose buddies (same sort) lol.

Wish I had room for IBC's but then again I have a huge roof supplying my first butt, just a shower and they are full. I just fill my watering cans from mine at the mo, haven't got round to automation.

[broadway]

Thanks Chippy, Bill, Printemps

Looks so simply when someone explains something

[Martin H]

Great minds think alike Bill HH - I too have the same linked arrangement with 2 x 1000lts IBCs. They are about 4 metres apart with a 40cms drop between them (natural slope of garden), linked by a garden hose through their spigots.

Doesn't the water find its own level so that the top 40 cms of the upper one never fills up?

[Printemps]

Doesn't the water find its own level so that the top 40 cms of the upper one never fills up?

No, that would only happen if the lower tank was the one being directly filled from the guttering/downpipe.

The downpipe delivers the water into the top opening of the higher placed tank, so if the tanks are both empty, but with the hoses/tap set up as already described, the water flows straight out of it via the hose into the lower one.

The lower tank will always fill up first as the hose is always 'open' between the two. I suppose there is a point when the contents are in equilibrium, but as both tanks are now covered in black polythene, I haven't been able to observe when it occurs. The lower tank is currently full but not overflowing and having dipped the top tank the day before yesterday, it's about one third full. As the water in the hose between them is full too, the higher tank is behaving like a single, stand alone one and will be the one that overflows should these storms continue for very much longer!

The photo shows the general positions of the tanks. It was taken last summer when I was in the middle of cleaning them out and covering them in black polythene.

Whatever the physics, both get full and only the higher one ever overflows!

[Bill HH]

I must be missing a trick here, I am with Martin, surely the lower tank would fill and overflow before the higher tank is full.

[Printemps]

I can't offer any other explanation as to why it doesn't overflow, but it doesn't - 'onest guv! I never modified its top screw cap, unlike the higher tank which needed its 'breather' core removed from the screw cap to accept the downpipe.

[Bigmallly]

Has the upper tank ever been full?

[Printemps]

Has the upper tank ever been full?

Absolutely - then I have to swivel the downpipe to discharge its excess water over the wall into the adjoining field - to stop the IBC from overflowing!

[IndigoElectron]

Thanks everyone, and apologies for the very slow reply. Lots of good ideas here, but Chippy and Bill (and Potty, I think you said something similar), I think you may have what I am looking for! Looking at your picture Bill, I think I can just use a piece of hose to connect the two taps together. I don't need to attach a hosepipe to water the garden because I use a watering can, and since I will only have two butts, I won't even need the three way connector.

So I can use a piece of hose to join the two taps, leave them open all the time, and just take the hose off when I want to get some water. As long as the taps are at the same height and the taps are open, water will flow from the first butt (the one attached to the drainpipe) into the second butt until that is full. Then the first butt will fill up, and any extra rain will go down the drainpipe into the drain.

Is that really all there is to it? No drilling or messing about with connector kits? It sounds too good to be true!

[Bigmallly]

So I can use a piece of hose to join the two taps, leave them open all the time, and just take the hose off when I want to get some water. As long as the taps are at the same height and the taps are open, water will flow from the first butt (the one attached to the drainpipe) into the second butt until that is full. Then the first butt will fill up

I'm lead to believe that both butts will fill up at the same time so both will have the same amount of water in them.............I may be wrong but that's my thinking.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Just remember to turn off both taps before removing the hose to draw water.

[Bill HH]

Yes that's all there is to it, but be aware those taps are delicate and would not take kindly to a hose being pulled on and off for long, best to take a pipe via a T piece with a separate tap for watering can filling.


Also when pushing a plastic pipe onto the Butt tap dip it in very hot water to soften it first.

[IndigoElectron]

Thanks all. Bill, what is a T piece and what sort of tap would I use for the end? Do you have a link I can look at please?

[Bill HH]

Thanks all. Bill, what is a T piece and what sort of tap would I use for the end? Do you have a link I can look at please?

A T piece is just a T shaped 3 way connector or you can use a Y piece as I did.

3 Way 1/2" Y Male Garden Hose Connector: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

[Bill HH]

A tap can be any on off switch I originaly used a garden hose spray gun but it was meant for mains and the output was too slow so I used this one.

Plastic Inline Tap: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

Less than £2