Wheelie bin as water butts.

An old thread that may make you think! https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...utt_63683.html

Yes no problem at all. The only thing I would add to this to get the location right. If you are worried about plastic leeching it's probably a good idea to limit the amount of exposure it gets to the sun and wind, and to preserve the life of the plastic. I currently use a bin and in future was thinking about an IBC tank, but again it's plastic and there are trade offs where plastic is concerned. Some people have suggested covering the bins versus not covering them but I can't really see what difference it makes at the moment, but then I haven't been collecting and storing water long enough to have a favourite way. Try to site it on the north or east side of a structure so that it sits in shadow for as much of the day as possible.

Alternatively, perhaps an inappropriate suggestions for many, but you could build a pond and line it with some sort of eco-friendlyfabric, geotextile for example. So long as the pond is below the water table it will fill on it's own, but of course it will dry out slowly in the summer if you are taking more water from it than can refill. Just floating ideas really.

If you can't float ideas in your own pond, then what's the world coming to ?


Not exactly on topic, but I have two 1000L IBC's which I planned to fix up to hold rainwater from my poly tunnel - but due to being lazy and having had a dose of the flu bug for about the last 4 months off and on, they are still not connected to anything - ho-hum.

If these butts are to fit below your staging how will they be filled with water?
I have several linked butts/bins but they're all linked at the top because sediment collects at the bottom of the butt and may clog the connector.

You can link butts easily enough by just using a length of ordinary garden hose pipe doubled over in an upside down U shape, on the siphon principle as long - as the water level doesn't drop too low so that an end can suck in air its pretty well bullet proof. The water levels in the two butts connected this way will always be the same, which ever one water is fed into or taken from - you do need to weigh the end of the pipe down because it would float or get knocked around to easily if it wasn't heavy enough, lots of ways of doing this a house brick wrapped around with some copper wire say and a few turns of that wire then round the hose would do it. If sediment at the bottom of one container is an issue, then just put a stone on the bottom first that the hose weight can rest on

Sounds more complicated to do when describe in words but as long as the hose has no holes in it, then it takes only about 5 minutes to set up - the butts can be as far apart as you want but obviously need to be on roughly the same horizontal level and because the hose is going through the open top of the butt no drill, plumbing connection or whatever needed - I use it all the time often with one butt outside to collect the rainwater and something like a trugg inside a G.H for dip filling watering cans.

Can be a bit tricky to get the siphon working first time - another hose to provide plenty of water and run off the mains until the siphon works is easiest and least frustrating, if you are not too familiar with what you are trying to do.,

I've siphoned water from one water butt to another as a temporary move but all the permanent water butts are connected to downpipes on garages and GHs so are permanently "plumbed" in.
Simon needs all the info he can get before drilling holes in bins!

I can't Imagine a situation where I would ever need to drill a hole in a water butt, as long as I have a long enough piece of hose that is - I use the same system instead of a tap on the basis of one inverted U and one the right way up in the same hose length and I hang the end which will be the "tap outlet " on a nail or something and just drop it down when I want water - no parts to corrode or stick, works a treat and cheap as chips - what's not to like ?

I don't know if this will help (sediment issue)

Hello guys,

I have previously dabbled in aquaponic systems when we lived in a flat and this might be of interest...
If you are likely to collect sufficient solid debris from leaves from surrounding trees ect ect.

I had a system which solved that issue for fish waste.

Plants > Aquarium > Swirl filter (water cooler barrel) > Filter with Pump > Plants Etc Etc

I had a Wilko tap on the bottom of the swirl so periodically I could remove the waste.

I have a leaky gutter on a large lean to so have just positioned a wheelie bin underneath the drip, it soon fills up. I bought a job lot of plastic taps and fitted two either side of the bin with a further two water butts either side and once they are filled it empties into an old inflatable hot tub which the heater packed up on.

With a bilge pump that's in an IBC on the outside of my tunnel. The taps will be joined 15cm from the bottom to allow sediment to collect below. They are goin to be joined at the bottom as they both will feed an irragation system. Need them to drain at the same rate.

What a good idea. Like a cyclone vacuum cleaner.

Another stupid question

Since it's my own thread I'm going to take the liberty of asking another stupid question. I have a garden tap identical to this for this wheelie bin Waterbutt:

https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-garden-tap/p/0343287

It's I think 1/2 inch BSP on the bit that is going to go through the hole? If so do I drill a 1/2inch hole...? Yes I'm a muppet but not actually sure

If I was doing that job I'd find a bit of metal pipe slightly larger bore than the thread part of your tap - hold it with a pair of pliers or pipe wrench - get it hot with my blow torch and use that to make a hole in the plastic - be quicker and much less likely to go wrong - drills can slip at inconvenient times if you are not drilling a flat surface.

But if you want to check the drill size required then put a little paint on the end of the tap fitting - imprint that on some paper and measure it that way - then add a little bit so you don't' end up with too small a hole. Don't forget you are going to need some decent washers - best take it in and ask at somewhere that sells plumbing fittings, if you don't have any suitable.