Water

[Jimbob1974]

Now i have my composting needs sorted on another thread on this forum. Its time for me to ask advice on water butts. I see lots of types and the ideal one for me would be one that comes of the drain pipe that comes from the gutter, but my drain pipe is connected to the toilet and waste from the bath room. So does that mean i need to get a ladder and make sure i screw in the flow pipe above this? And do they come longer enough to do this so they will connect to the water butt?

Any advice would be good as i am sure my plants last year could have done with proper rain water that could have been stored rather than water from the kitchen tap.

[zazen999]

Have you got a shed that you can use?

[Jimbob1974]

nope its a mid terrace garden that is no bigger than 3 meters wide and 5 meters long. Was converted in to raised beds last year and only got half the growing season but still managed quiet a bit. This years its in full flow but dont want to go back and forth to the kitchen 6 or 7 times to fill the watering can to water it all.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I would have though that there should be separate systems for rain and foul water drainage. Colin(Potsntubsetc) will no doubt be able to clarify

[Jimbob1974]

nah being mid terrace the only down pipe i have is the one that comes from the gutter and then as it comes down it actually has the toilet waste pipe going in to it and the bath pipe etc going in to it as well. Then near the kitchen it has the water drop waste from the gas boiler.

[Two_Sheds]

Jim, can you put a photo on? I find it easier with visuals

[super trowel]

As aberdeenplotter said.
Unless you are not in britain, I am sure the rain water has to go down the side of the house.

But thinking about it, if you have a soil pipe going down the side of your house.
I can see the temptation to run the guttering in to it.
The only problem I can see with this is leaves and whatever else that gose in to your gutter,
Could go in to your soil pipe then grow and block.

I know this doesn't really help, apart from recommending removing the gutter from soil pipe.
And run in to water butt.
Then possibly an overflow in to drain.
But I am trying to save as much rain as I can, so my water butt collection keeps getting bigger.

I now have 5 barrels and planning on getting more

[Jimbob1974]

been out and studied the gutters and actually the gutter water drops down a step in to the next terrace houses gutter and along it to the end terrace and then down a pipe. So no good for me and the waste pipe goes down in front of that pipe so no mixing of rain water and waste water.

As no pipe comes of my gutters going to have to rethink how i can get rain water in to a butt....

Thinking of some how draining it off the bath water pipe where the shower water and bath water joins the waste pipe. Would that water be ok to use even though it has shampoo etc in it ?

[Kaiya]

Nice info on storing grey water here - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ght_63773.html

[lottie dolly]

the only way maybe,is it possible to get up on a long ladder,and find a place where you can cut into the guttering on your bit,and connect a fitting for another down comer, down your wall,a bit to one side of your soil pipe,i also wonder,if you could put for want of a better word a sieve over the new fitting at the top,hopefully will split the water both to your butts and still have some go the usuall way,hope you know what i mean,if not i could do a rough drawing and post it,

[Kleftiwallah]

I have a water butt being filled by a downpipe from the gutter. Inside the downpipe I've fitted a homemade 'cup and cone' valve. As the water in the butt rises it lifts a ball valve ball inside and as this rises it lifts a length or stainless steel rod and eventually at a preset hight pushes the cone up into the cup cutting off that butt and diverts the rainwater round the garden to the main water butt. A cunning plan and works a treat. Cheers, Tony.

[Jimbob1974]

many thanks for all the advice thinking of getting a hand pump and sucking the bath water etc out in to the but and let it sit for a while in the butt. Plus have buckets etc on patio to catch any rain water we might get. Plenty of great ideas and now brain in over load thinking of ways to capture the water

[veggiechicken]

Where do you live Jimbob? If you add your location at the top (where mine says Sunny South Wales) it would help us all. Are you actually in a drought area?

[Potstubsdustbins]

From what you say about the grey water (bath, sink etc) mixing with the top water (gutters) I would think you live in a Victorian/Edwardian house.

Is you guttering plastic? if so it is very easy to connect an extra outlet to it if you know what your about. I will take a picci of my shed set up which may give you some ideas.

Colin

[Potstubsdustbins]

I put this gutter and pipe-work up on my 8` x 12` shed on Friday an hours moderate rain today and the 100ltr butt is over flowing, this will give you some idea of how much water you can collect of your roof.

The white pipe is 3/4" solvent weld overflow pipe available from all plumbers merchants and is as cheap as chips. A 3mtr lenght of pipe is about £2-40p with elbows and connectors about 52p each.

If your gutter is plastic you just drill a hole in the bottom and fit the correct connector for either flat or half round gutter.

Sorry about the quality of the pic about time for a new camera me thinks.

Hope this helps Colin