Hi All,

Just wanted to get your thoughts on this one...

I am looking to install 3 water butts on a down pipe to capture as
much rain as possible. Question is, how best to connect them??

My initial thought was to...

1. Install a rain water diverter and feed the water into the first
butt
2. cut a hole a 3rd of the way up the first butt and connect this to
the bottom (ie where the tap usually goes) of butt 2. Ensuring the
pipe is horizontal. (i.e. butt 2 is higher than butt 1)
3.connect butt 3 to butt 2 again at the bottom (i.e. butt 2 and 3 are
at the same height)

In ASCII art if it makes it any clearer!!......

1 2 3

[ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ]------[ ]-----[ ]
[ ] ------ ------
-------

My thought process was that this should leave a good depth in butt 1
to fit a pump to pump the water to the garden.

Is this the best way to do it?

Thanks in advance for your help

Lee.

On 10/08/2010 in message
Lee
Nowell wrote:

In ASCII art if it makes it any clearer!!......

1 2 3

[ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ]------[ ]-----[ ]
[ ] ------ ------
-------

Very pretty :-)

How much water do you expect butts 2 & 3 to retain???

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
By the time you can make ends meet they move the ends

On 10 Aug, 15:36, Lee Nowell wrote:
Hi All,

Just wanted to get your thoughts on this one...

I am looking to install 3 water butts on a down pipe to capture as
much rain as possible. *Question is, how best to connect them??

My initial thought was to...

1. Install a rain water diverter and feed the water into the first
butt
2. cut a hole a 3rd of the way up the first butt and connect this to
the bottom (ie where the tap usually goes) of butt 2. *Ensuring the
pipe is horizontal. (i.e. butt 2 is higher than butt 1)
3.connect butt 3 to butt 2 again at the bottom (i.e. butt 2 and 3 are
at the same height)

In ASCII art *if it makes it any clearer!!......

* * * * *1 * * * * * 2 * * * * 3

* * * * * * * * * * [ * *] * * [ * *]
* * * *[ * * ] * * *[ * *] * * [ * *]
* * * *[ * * ]------[ * *]-----[ * *]
* * * *[ * * ] * * *------ * * ------
* * * *-------

My thought process was that this should leave a good depth in butt 1
to fit a pump to pump the water to the garden.

Is this the best way to do it?

Thanks in advance for your help

Lee.

You will store more water if they are level and joined as low as
possible.

Jonathan

Lee Nowell wrote:
Hi All,

Just wanted to get your thoughts on this one...

I am looking to install 3 water butts on a down pipe to capture as
much rain as possible. Question is, how best to connect them??

My initial thought was to...

1. Install a rain water diverter and feed the water into the first
butt
2. cut a hole a 3rd of the way up the first butt and connect this to
the bottom (ie where the tap usually goes) of butt 2. Ensuring the
pipe is horizontal. (i.e. butt 2 is higher than butt 1)
3.connect butt 3 to butt 2 again at the bottom (i.e. butt 2 and 3 are
at the same height)

In ASCII art if it makes it any clearer!!......

1 2 3

[ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ]------[ ]-----[ ]
[ ] ------ ------
-------

My thought process was that this should leave a good depth in butt 1
to fit a pump to pump the water to the garden.

Is this the best way to do it?

Thanks in advance for your help

Lee.

doing it that way will leave butt one only half filled, and the other two
only a thrird filled or less, I thought the object was to collect as much as
possible?

Why not just do it like I've drawn in this diagram:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=25ja9gn&s=4

Each butt fills to the top, then overflows into the next, simples.

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

"Lee Nowell" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Just wanted to get your thoughts on this one...

I am looking to install 3 water butts on a down pipe to capture as
much rain as possible. Question is, how best to connect them??

My initial thought was to...

1. Install a rain water diverter and feed the water into the first
butt
2. cut a hole a 3rd of the way up the first butt and connect this to
the bottom (ie where the tap usually goes) of butt 2. Ensuring the
pipe is horizontal. (i.e. butt 2 is higher than butt 1)
3.connect butt 3 to butt 2 again at the bottom (i.e. butt 2 and 3 are
at the same height)

In ASCII art if it makes it any clearer!!......

1 2 3

[ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ]------[ ]-----[ ]
[ ] ------ ------
-------

My thought process was that this should leave a good depth in butt 1
to fit a pump to pump the water to the garden.

Is this the best way to do it?

Thanks in advance for your help

Lee.


Assuming tank 1 is open to the air at the top, and does not have a float
valve to shut off the water on the input from tank 2, then tanks 2 and 3
will not get any fuller than the top of tank 1 (so 2/3 full before tank 1
overflows, in your diagram, if it is to scale!).

If you get an external pump, then you can just join all three tanks at the
bottom make sure they are all at the same height, and take the water from
any of them.

If you have to use a submersible pump, then if you can get a slightly taller
tank1, and situate it so the top of it is at the same level as 2 and 3, that
would be ideal.

Toby...

"Phil L" wrote in message
newsJd8o.37381$Pi3.4794@hurricane...
Lee Nowell wrote:
Hi All,

Just wanted to get your thoughts on this one...

I am looking to install 3 water butts on a down pipe to capture as
much rain as possible. Question is, how best to connect them??

My initial thought was to...

1. Install a rain water diverter and feed the water into the first
butt
2. cut a hole a 3rd of the way up the first butt and connect this to
the bottom (ie where the tap usually goes) of butt 2. Ensuring the
pipe is horizontal. (i.e. butt 2 is higher than butt 1)
3.connect butt 3 to butt 2 again at the bottom (i.e. butt 2 and 3 are
at the same height)

In ASCII art if it makes it any clearer!!......

1 2 3

[ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ]------[ ]-----[ ]
[ ] ------ ------
-------

My thought process was that this should leave a good depth in butt 1
to fit a pump to pump the water to the garden.

Is this the best way to do it?

Thanks in advance for your help

Lee.

doing it that way will leave butt one only half filled, and the other two
only a thrird filled or less, I thought the object was to collect as much
as possible?

The lower butt will fill to the top, the 2nd and 3rd will only remain 2/3
full

Why not just do it like I've drawn in this diagram:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=25ja9gn&s=4

Each butt fills to the top, then overflows into the next, simples.

If he has a pump in one of them, it will only be able to empty the one it is
in.

Toby...

Toby wrote:
"Phil L" wrote in message
newsJd8o.37381$Pi3.4794@hurricane...
Lee Nowell wrote:
Hi All,

Just wanted to get your thoughts on this one...

I am looking to install 3 water butts on a down pipe to capture as
much rain as possible. Question is, how best to connect them??

My initial thought was to...

1. Install a rain water diverter and feed the water into the first
butt
2. cut a hole a 3rd of the way up the first butt and connect this to
the bottom (ie where the tap usually goes) of butt 2. Ensuring the
pipe is horizontal. (i.e. butt 2 is higher than butt 1)
3.connect butt 3 to butt 2 again at the bottom (i.e. butt 2 and 3
are at the same height)

In ASCII art if it makes it any clearer!!......

1 2 3

[ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ]------[ ]-----[ ]
[ ] ------ ------
-------

My thought process was that this should leave a good depth in butt 1
to fit a pump to pump the water to the garden.

Is this the best way to do it?

Thanks in advance for your help

Lee.

doing it that way will leave butt one only half filled, and the
other two only a thrird filled or less, I thought the object was to
collect as much as possible?

The lower butt will fill to the top, the 2nd and 3rd will only remain
2/3 full

Why not just do it like I've drawn in this diagram:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=25ja9gn&s=4

Each butt fills to the top, then overflows into the next, simples.

If he has a pump in one of them, it will only be able to empty the
one it is in.


He'll have to use a watering can then :-p

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

In message
,
Jonathan writes
On 10 Aug, 15:36, Lee Nowell wrote:
Hi All,

Just wanted to get your thoughts on this one...

I am looking to install 3 water butts on a down pipe to capture as
much rain as possible. *Question is, how best to connect them??

My initial thought was to...

1. Install a rain water diverter and feed the water into the first
butt
2. cut a hole a 3rd of the way up the first butt and connect this to
the bottom (ie where the tap usually goes) of butt 2. *Ensuring the
pipe is horizontal. (i.e. butt 2 is higher than butt 1)
3.connect butt 3 to butt 2 again at the bottom (i.e. butt 2 and 3 are
at the same height)

In ASCII art *if it makes it any clearer!!......

* * * * *1 * * * * * 2 * * * * 3

* * * * * * * * * * [ * *] * * [ * *]
* * * *[ * * ] * * *[ * *] * * [ * *]
* * * *[ * * ]------[ * *]-----[ * *]
* * * *[ * * ] * * *------ * * ------
* * * *-------

My thought process was that this should leave a good depth in butt 1
to fit a pump to pump the water to the garden.

Is this the best way to do it?

Thanks in advance for your help

Lee.

You will store more water if they are level and joined as low as
possible.

Yeah, but presumably he wants to have a bit of a reservoir in no. 1 for
the pump. a taller butt there maybe.

I don't bother joining up buts together with proper pies anymore. I just
connect them with a siphon. Basically a bit of hose pipe dangled into
each butt, down to the bottom . Once primed, all the butt will hold
water at the same level. (just like connecting them at the bottom)

If you want to move the butts then just put the hosepipe back after
wards. The butts can be any distance apart, so easy way to move water
from once place to another in the garden.
--
Chris French

On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:53:08 +0100, Phil L wrote:
Why not just do it like I've drawn in this diagram:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=25ja9gn&s=4

Each butt fills to the top, then overflows into the next, simples.

That means you need a tap on each butt, and you need to keep drawing
water from each butt in turn to avoid water sitting around too long in
any given one, surely? Having them connected at the base would avoid both
those issues (but the OP just needs to have all three butts on the same
level)

cheers

Jules

On 10/08/2010 17:11, Jules Richardson wrote:
On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:53:08 +0100, Phil L wrote:
Why not just do it like I've drawn in this diagram:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=25ja9gn&s=4

Each butt fills to the top, then overflows into the next, simples.

That means you need a tap on each butt, and you need to keep drawing
water from each butt in turn to avoid water sitting around too long in
any given one, surely? Having them connected at the base would avoid both
those issues (but the OP just needs to have all three butts on the same
level)

Another traditional solution is to use a siphon tube between each one.
The advantage of this is that there's no joints to leak, you just run a
length of hose. The downside is you have to prime it (not too hard) and
your siphon hose has to be below the tap outlet so it doesn't run dry,
or you'll have to prime it again.

On 10 Aug, 17:11, Jules Richardson
wrote:
On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:53:08 +0100, Phil L wrote:
Why not just do it like I've drawn in this diagram:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=25ja9gn&s=4

Each butt fills to the top, then overflows into the next, simples.

That means you need a tap on each butt, and you need to keep drawing
water from each butt in turn to avoid water sitting around too long in
any given one, surely? Having them connected at the base would avoid both
those issues (but the OP just needs to have all three butts on the same
level)

cheers

Jules

Thanks all for your suggestions... As many have said, I guess the
best option is to join them all at the bottom. I was trying to get out
of the scenario of having to have all 3 go to the minimum level for
the submersible pump before being able to use it. I guess there isn't
an easy answer...... Thinking about it further, I think I will fit
valves on the connections so at least I can restrict to 1 or 2 butts
in dry weather...

On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:42:05 -0700 (PDT), Jonathan wrote:

You will store more water if they are level and joined as low as
possible.

Correct and in the interests of not letting the water stagnate there
might be some sense in taking the water from Butt 3 rather than Butt
1. Also make sure the butts are opaque and have well fitting opaque
lids otherwise they will grow some lovely algae. though I guess for
garden watering that isn't much of problem but may increase a
stagnation problem.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Lee Nowell" wrote in message
...
On 10 Aug, 17:11, Jules Richardson
wrote:
On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:53:08 +0100, Phil L wrote:
Why not just do it like I've drawn in this diagram:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=25ja9gn&s=4

Each butt fills to the top, then overflows into the next, simples.

That means you need a tap on each butt, and you need to keep drawing
water from each butt in turn to avoid water sitting around too long in
any given one, surely? Having them connected at the base would avoid both
those issues (but the OP just needs to have all three butts on the same
level)

cheers

Jules

Thanks all for your suggestions... As many have said, I guess the
best option is to join them all at the bottom. I was trying to get out
of the scenario of having to have all 3 go to the minimum level for
the submersible pump before being able to use it. I guess there isn't
an easy answer...... Thinking about it further, I think I will fit
valves on the connections so at least I can restrict to 1 or 2 butts
in dry weather...

In my collection I have two very tall 1500l butts joined together at the
bottom, with the pump in one of them, they then overflow to two 1000l IBC
tanks, all on the same level, but the IBC's are about 1/2 the height. The
IBC's overflow into the drain.

I have joined the IBC's to the btootm of the tall ones, but put a one way
swinging check valve so water can only flow out of them, back into the tall
ones, so the tall ones will always fill first, then overflow into the
shorter ones.
Once the water level is down to the height of the water in the IBC's the
water will flow back from them and will be pumped out.

You could always arrange the pump so it trickles some water over the top of
the pump when it is running too - I was going to try and fit some kind of
bucket over the pump, full of water, so it always remains full of water, but
I haven' got a round tuit yet.

I expect if I have a bucket up-side-down, with a small pipe connected to the
bottom, with a one way valve on it so any air in the bucket will exit this
valve, but won't then get drawn back in when the water level rises, will
work...
The rim of the bucket would need to be high enough to allow the cable and
output pipe to exit, so about 30mm off the bottom of the tank would probably
be enough, then have a float switch that shuts the pump off at 35mm depth
should keep it all submersed.

Or just get an external pump!

Toby...

"Lee Nowell" wrote in message
...
On 10 Aug, 17:11, Jules Richardson
wrote:
On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:53:08 +0100, Phil L wrote:
Why not just do it like I've drawn in this diagram:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=25ja9gn&s=4

Each butt fills to the top, then overflows into the next, simples.

That means you need a tap on each butt, and you need to keep drawing
water from each butt in turn to avoid water sitting around too long in
any given one, surely? Having them connected at the base would avoid both
those issues (but the OP just needs to have all three butts on the same
level)

cheers

Jules

Thanks all for your suggestions... As many have said, I guess the
best option is to join them all at the bottom. I was trying to get out
of the scenario of having to have all 3 go to the minimum level for
the submersible pump before being able to use it. I guess there isn't
an easy answer...... Thinking about it further, I think I will fit
valves on the connections so at least I can restrict to 1 or 2 butts
in dry weather...
Bung a washing machine pump below the pipe you join the butts with.

"Lee Nowell" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Just wanted to get your thoughts on this one...

I am looking to install 3 water butts on a down pipe to capture as
much rain as possible. Question is, how best to connect them??

My initial thought was to...

1. Install a rain water diverter and feed the water into the first
butt
2. cut a hole a 3rd of the way up the first butt and connect this to
the bottom (ie where the tap usually goes) of butt 2. Ensuring the
pipe is horizontal. (i.e. butt 2 is higher than butt 1)
3.connect butt 3 to butt 2 again at the bottom (i.e. butt 2 and 3 are
at the same height)

In ASCII art if it makes it any clearer!!......

1 2 3

[ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ]------[ ]-----[ ]
[ ] ------ ------
-------

My thought process was that this should leave a good depth in butt 1
to fit a pump to pump the water to the garden.

Is this the best way to do it?

Thanks in advance for your help


I think I see what you are trying to do - sacrifice 1/3 of the two butts to
have a single butt that fills up 1/3 full before anything else fills.

I'm not sure if this has already been mentioned, but :
have all 3 butts at the same level
link butts 2&3 at the bottom
link butt 1 at the top to butt 2
then all you need is a pipe at the bottom between butts 2 & 1 with a one way
valve (from 2 to 1)

As long as the valve works O.K. then butt 1 will fill up to the top before
any water goes into butt 2 - this gives you your initial water supply.
After that, if the level in butt 1 falls below that in butts 2&3 then water
flows into butt 1 through the bottom pipe and one way valve.
This also allows you to empty all 3 butts from butt 1.

HTH

Dave R

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

On 10/08/2010 17:20, Lee Nowell wrote:
y have said, I guess the
best option is to join them all at the bottom. I was trying to get out
of the scenario of having to have all 3 go to the minimum level for
the submersible pump before being able to use it. I guess there isn't

Perhaps you could do what you want if butt one (the one with the pump)
was deeper than the other two so that the tops of all three would be
level whilst still allowing the bottom of the butt with the pump to be
lower, like this:


1 2 3

[ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ]------[ ]-----[ ]
[ pump ] ------ ------
-------

I don't know how easy it would be to find butts of the required depths
though.