Anyone got a nice water butt and care to post a pic of it in situ? I’m not too comfortable spraying the finest cooncil joose on my lawn but water butts tend to be a bit ugly. Well, unsightly.

Not seen any nice looking ones. I have a couple of 3300 liter slimline ones hidden behind the shed. Watching with interest.

For real?

I keep seeing “buttworld” and clicking on this thread.

Is disappoint. 🙁

Plastic drum to go next to your drain pipe it is always going to be utilitarian. Waste of time and resources watering a lawn too .Save watering for your veg.

I found a couple of Rioja barrels.

Save watering for your veg

Lawn only gets a sprinkle while seeding. The new veg patch is main motivation.

Mcm – don’t see those pics, but where did you ‘find’ them?

Why bother, a cubic meter of water costs about £1.20.

In which case Jimmy get the biggest you can find infact get two . consider if you can install them close to your veg patch.

Im repurposing the water tank from the loft

Mos makes a good point. Why use something for free when you can pay for it? It must be better if it js more expensive, this is stw.

The reason i made that rather glib comment, was that i was originally planning to do a full rainwater harvesting thing for my house, but the numbers just didn’t add up. If you could get a 300L water butt for £50 (not likeley) by my reckoning you would have to empty it 200 times to break even.

^ Easy, bulk containers hold 1000l and can be got for nothing. The metal frame could even be timber clad for extra STW points.

mos – Member
The reason i made that rather glib comment, was that i was originally planning to do a full rainwater harvesting thing for my house, but the numbers just didn’t add up. If you could get a 300L water butt for £50 (not likeley) by my reckoning you would have to empty it 200 times to break even.

harvesting rainwater isn’t always for financial savings. Using less piped water is good to do plus most plants benefit being watered with rain water over chlorinated tap water.

squirrelking has it. Search around for 1000l ibc’s. Think ours cost £20 from a bloke shifting it off an allotment.

What kayak said. You’re all talking financials. I like to think I’m doing my bit towards Scottish water’s £300m annual energy bill. I’m not saving anything myself because water is ‘free’ in Scotland. Right…?

I am with Kayak. There is no financial incentive really. I did it because I was able to fill them from the shed roof. Plants prefer rainwater to Chlorinated and I like to feel I am doing something to reduce the amount of mains water I use. Looking at ways to harness wind for an irrigation pump for the fruit trees and veg patch. Again just because I want to.

Environmental reasons. What’s the point in paying someone to collect water, purify it and pipe it to your house so you can put it on the garden, all of which uses energy, when the stuff falls from the sky for free?

People simply not considering the consequences of their actions beyond the financial is a big part of mankind’s problem.

Anyway – anyone want a large water butt stand? I’ve got one in the garage, currenly in the way.

People simply not considering the consequences of their actions beyond the financial is a big part of mankind’s problem.

This *10000, currently planning a system of linked butts (f’nar) to keep the garden watered.

terracotta disguise

As an aside, if you live in a hard water area and are sick of water marks after you’ve washed your car, when you’ve finished washing it, water it from a water butt, no more water marks..
Though your neighbours will look at you funny watering your car..
Edit, check with your water company as wel, ours were giving away free water butts not long ago complete with stand and fitting kit.

I always used to water the car because a hose pipe wouldn’t reach. Before that my dad would use a big bucket and saucepan to baste it. We’re not weird.

Think it’ll be a cheapy Aldi butt to start with then, see how things go.

Just how big are the 1000L IBC’s? As I am thinking about getting one but not sure how I would get it to my house.

Will it fit in an estate car?

Well 1000L is 1000 x 1000cm³ = 1000000 cm³ = 1m³

Estate car, no. Small pickup should do, or a van.

OK, so they are square. I was hoping they were slightly rectangular as that would make shifting one easier.

They are slightly rectangular, they conform to standard pallet sizing.

Found this on a website: Height: 1160mm Length: 1200mm Width: 1000mm Weight: 58kg Approx Includes Tank, Steel Pallet

Any IBC you get should be thoroughly flushed out if its history is unknown, go for food transport if you can (eg.molasses) as this will just require a quick clean before using in your garden. TBH I wouldn’t get one if I didn’t know its history as it could have been used for anything (we get hydrazine delivered in IBC’s, lovely stuff that).

I got them from a guy who sold them to pubs for tables. Sadly he’s no longer in business.

Might be calling a distillery to see what happens to theirs. I think you can get them from the cooperage up on Speyside.

Should there not be a mesh on there for safety? The other butt looks pretty ‘armless, though…

I take your points. Maybe I ought to take a less fiscal approach to the whole thing.

Theres a pale naked man in your shed..

I think there might be a place down Seafield way that has wooden barrels. Sure I’ve seen signs at the side of the road.

B&Q are selling a 210 litre butt, with lockable lid, stand and diverter kit for £27. Worth a punt at that price.

mos – Member
Why bother, a cubic meter of water costs about £1.20.

wow.

Just dug out the receipts for my two 3200 liter things. 300 each plus another 175 for the pump minus various bits of plumbing.
As said earlier, it is a moral driver not financial.

I get free blue plastic chemical drums from a place in Bristol that does aromatic oils. Downside is you need to clean them out and buy taps etc and they are ugly but you can always clad them or put a couple together in wooden box but it’s recycling and they are very tough. I think they are 200L or so. if you have the room then a clad IBC would be ideal. If you have a roof rack and it’s local then just strap it to your roof with some ratchet straps through the framework.

If you have a roof rack and it’s local then just strap it to your roof with some ratchet straps through the framework.

I’d check the max. weight limit of the car roof first.

with lockable lid, Really? 😯

I’ve got three water butts, one at the front off my carport one at the back, off the house and one at the end of the garden off a play house. I use them all the time, although best tip is to pull the lid off when using and dip the watering can, as that can save a lot of time against the tap speed rate.

I’d check the max. weight limit of the car roof first.

Empty IBC is about 55Kg, that’s what, four bikes worth? I’d be more concerned with how you get the f***er on and off without destroying the rest of the car…

with lockable lid, Really?

Yup, really. Supposedly to stop kids from dicking about and falling in. Or drowning kittens. Or something.