Water butt tap with thread for Gardena water timer

[Andy D]

We've got a drip feed irrigation kit and we'd like to link it up to a water butt...

Has anyone seen a water butt tap that has a screw thread on the end so that we can attach the timer from the kit to it - the timer has a fitting like this one: Gardena Norden AB

TVM

Andy

[Capsid]

I've been looking for one for ages as well as I have the same timer. I haven't found one.

[Alison]

I've put a fitting onto the water butt tap with one of those half rings on it so that it grips OK that then has a male hose pipe connection which I connect via a female coupling to a small length of hose which can then be connected to the timer. Will try to take a photo later if this doesn't make any sense but it's dead cheap and easy and has worked fine for about the last 10 years or more.

Forgot to say, you need to remove the screw fitting from the timer and put in a different screw one with a male fitting - again, can be bought in Wilko's / B&Q etc.

[cortina1498]

try a plumbers merchant for a tank connector, they fit through the hole in the tank using rubber washers and a nut on the inside and have a male external thread to connect to your timer - cheers

[Andy D]

Thanks for the ideas - I might try a tap like this one: Garden or Outside Brass Tap easy fit water pipe socket on eBay, also Pumps Valves, Ponds Water Features, Garden Plants, Home Garden (end time 31-May-08 15:34:43 BST)

[Andy D]

Worked out how do do it...

Got a outside tap that screws into wall elbow (has a 1/2" thread on it) and a multifit (has an 3/4" thread on the outside, a 1/2" female thread on the inside of one half and a 5/8" female thread on the other)

Screwed that tap into the bush and then fed the bush through the butt and stuck a 3/4" tap nut on the other side with some washers.

All the bits came from B&Q but can't find them online - the bush looks like this but in brass - Arley Plastic Bush 1/2F x 5/8F x 3/4M [5010924718986] - £1.57

[kev.julie2]

Hi Mark /Andy / All!,

I know this may be too late and if someone can tell me how to put pictures on here I will, but I have been trawling the web for a solution much like yours.

I got sorted with a lovely solution at the plumbers merchants in the end, but then found out that these timers will not work on the pressure of a gravity feed system - they need mains pressure.

After more intensive searching, I realised a lot of people were in the same boat - using timers, pumps, float switches, pressure switches etc etc they were all in a terrible mess with it all and god help them during a power cut or after, when they are resetting their timers etc.

I eventually found a website - Mastermind Products - Home. They do a water timer that works with water butts. I ordered the dial version and ended up with a digital one. I am so delighted with it because I also got the rain sensor too. Perfect for conserving that precious water in the butt!

The butt connection solution I used is as follows. Modify it to your own requirements!

A tank connector with integral wheel type isolator is screwed into the water butt female thread.
On it's other end is a speed fit 22mm pipe connector. I pushed into it, a short piece (approx 100mm) of 22mm copper pipe.
Off that stub, I pushed on another speed fit "T" piece, with 22, 22 & 15mm connections. I used the central connection on the T piece so I had the 15mm at the top and a 22mm at the bottom.
Off the bottom, I connected another tank connector using another stub of copper pipe, and there is your male 3/4 B.S.P. thread that your looking for, for your timer connection.

All for under a tenner, and they even threw in the copper offcuts they had lying around. (They cut them off the ends of any pipes that come damaged on delivery, and sell the middle bits)

Off the opposite (output) end of the timer, if it didn't come with one, you just need a hosepipe quick fit connection, and your well on your way.....

You may be wondering about the 15mm connection on the "T" piece?

Well I inserted a short length of 15mm copper pipe again to make a stubb, and bought some clear plastic pipe from B&Q, placed it over (a little fairy liquid and boiling water helps a lot), and ran it up the side of the water butt and curled it over at the top.
Hey presto.... an instant sight glass.

I am "well chuffed" with my set-up, its now a set and forget system, all I need to do is keep an eye on my sight glass from my conservatory and top up from the hosepipe if required.

Hope this is of some use to someone somewhere!


Kev