[mobilekat]

We have recently moved and I want to try to minimise water usage, as now on a dreaded water meter.

We have a great big roof, so I want to get plenty of water butts, and was thinking of linking 4 200 litre ones, but the 'butt linking kits' I have seen are only described as for 2 butts, and I don't want to waste money on them if they are no use.
Also really daft question, if you have 4 linked butts do you have to tap each one, or is there a way of linking them so you only be need easy access to the first one, but can access all the water- I was thinking of a low down hose linking them??

Many thanks

[Lardman]

You can link as many as you like. 

Depending on how you link them depends on how they fill, either all at the same time at the same level or sequentially or even a mixture of both. It may be cheaper to look at an IBC than 4 "cheap" water butts.

[sunshineband]

If you are linking the butts together, a pipe joining them at the upper water level makes this quite easy, as one then overflows into the other.

If they are linked at the bottom, there may be insufficient water pressure from above to raise the level of water to fill the butts.

[Lardman]

If they are linked at the bottom, there may be insufficient water pressure from above to raise the level of water to fill the butts.

Not to disagree with you Sunny - but all the linked butts will fill to the same level at the same rate linked at the bottom. You'll only have problems if the incoming water exceeds the flow rate of the joining pipes when you'll get a building up in the primary tank. It's also the only way to treat all the butts as one 

[3 allotments]

Have you checked on ebay for the 1000ltr  ton  tank ibc water tank

[JayG]

Not to disagree with you Sunny - but all the linked butts will fill to the same level at the same rate linked at the bottom. You'll only have problems if the incoming water exceeds the flow rate of the joining pipes when you'll get a building up in the primary tank. It's also the only way to treat all the butts as one 

Agree - linking butts stood on flat ground together near the bottom means they will all have the same level of water in however much the one actually connected to the downpipe receives, although of course they could potentially overflow (that couldn't be avoided without adding yet another butt............)

With that arrangement it wouldn't make any difference which butt has the tap on, and there would be no point having any links at the top (they would have no function.)

Whether a single much larger container would work better in your situation I can't say - it's probably a matter of appearance, cost, and possibly lifespan (the container, not yours!    )

Personally I'd go for a larger container - relying on gravity alone the flow of water gets very slow when the level drops below a few feet, which of course will happen much sooner with smaller containers linked together.

[Dantheman]

Hi sorry if I'm not allowed to link site,
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251335326863?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271423514420

hope these help.

[mobilekat]

Thanks everyone
The butts are going in the garden, and whilst the price and size of the 1000L tanks is tempting I don't think that it will fit in the gap ( am away with work at the moment, so cannot check) I think linking multiple butts is going to be what I need to do, and by linking them at the bottom I only need easy access to one. If they are filling too slowly I may then link them at the top too, but hopefully won't need to do this

If I can get the idea past the OH we may have a multiple pairs of butts on different down pipes, as after a quick check I think we have  about 6- oddly shaped roof and a garage. To me this is too much water to waste!

Many thanks!

[3 allotments]

Hi they are  usually around a square metre

[bravemurphy]

Linking them at the bottom will reduce the possibility of the water getting stagnant, is very easy just a grommet and some hose pipe (make sure they are empty before you drill the hole for the grommet  )

[JayG]

I think linking multiple butts is going to be what I need to do, and by linking them at the bottom I only need easy access to one. If they are filling too slowly I may then link them at the top too, but hopefully won't need to do this.

You won't - it wouldn't make any difference at all to how quickly they filled. Your choice is between having them fill up in sequence (top-linking, tap on each butt), or filling equally (bottom-linking, only 1 tap needed.)
You can't do both (well, you can, but you would be wasting both time and money!  )

[grendel]

I have 3 of the 125 litre butts linked at the top, these overflow into an old wheelie bin, and the other year just off the conservatory roof (8 foot by 12 foot) they filled in just a matter of days, each of mine have taps and the whole row is raised about 18" to allow room to get a watering can or bucket under the tap.
Grendel

[noshed]

I've found the easiest and cheapest way is to get old wheeley bins free off the council (usually just with broken wheels) the link them together with a siphon ie cheap hose pipe linking them through the top. Just fill a length of hose with water and put both ends into the water in each bin. Bear in mind that water finds its own level so it doesn't matter if the bins are at slightly different heights.
Just add more bins when you get them. You don't need to muck about with taps, just dunk your can in the top.
I've got six all linked together round my plot at the moment. Saves a lot of walking.

[ConfusedGardener]

Your choice is between having them fill up in sequence (top-linking, tap on each butt), or filling equally (bottom-linking, only 1 tap needed.)
You can't do both (well, you can, but you would be wasting both time and money!  )

I don't see why you couldn't have the first one or two butts linked only at the top, and then the rest all linked at the bottom, which should give you the best of both worlds. It would still be one link between two butts, so no more/less time/money.

 

[grinling]

May I suggest that if you have a large garden, you could fill a plastic dustbin with water from the butt thus save carrying heavy watering can around. I do this for my polytunnel.