Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Chatting => Design and Construction => Topic started by: angelavdavis on April 26, 2013, 22:27
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I purchased one of these in Feb 2007 (http://www.simplywaterbutts.co.uk/Larger-Water-Tanks.html) from a company bought out by Crocus, and would you believe it, it is splitting underneath - 1 year past the manufacturers guarantee, grrr!
I feel the need to recycle it in some way - any ideas?
I am so gutted that it is splitting, I can't think what else to do with it - I am only really initially worrying about emptying it before it gushes out and floods the patio and garden!
Thanks all!
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Lovely butt Angela! :lol: :lol:
Seems a shame to waste it. How big is the split? When I had a split in my water butt, which admittedly is smaller than yours, I had some epoxy like stuff called milliput that I use for repairs to my lilliput lane cottages.
I spread it over the crack, and tried to push as much as I could through the split and that must have been around 2007 and its still watertight.
I know there are other things on the market for repairing things like water pipes etc.
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Have you tried say a puncher kit for boats?
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Thanks for taking the time to reply everyone. Sorry I haven't been online - I have been making the most of the sunshine on the plot!
So, I have taken pictures of one of the splits. I have no idea if there are any more splits underneath and won't know until I drain the tank down. I luckily have a water pump, so I have started this activity now.
(http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/allotmentglutton/d8375632-e1b7-4018-a62f-ee7d104b4394_zps6ef7eb35.jpg) (http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/allotmentglutton/media/d8375632-e1b7-4018-a62f-ee7d104b4394_zps6ef7eb35.jpg.html)
I might well try to repair it - and then put it on a more substantial stand with a flatter top made of cement blocks, as the current bodged together stand is clearly causing too much pressure on these areas (the stand for this particular water butt was over £100!).
Perhaps some resin based filler as you guys have suggested might do the trick. I might take a wander to the marine supplies shop tomorrow...
I certainly can't afford to replace it, that's for sure!
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I managed to patch up one damaged water butt with epoxy and skytex patches, but another one that had significant damage was beyond repair and now earns its keep as a pegged down rhubarb forcing tub with a black plastic sack to avoid light getting in through the rather extensive apertures etc and a robust anti-gale tethering arrangement. Works brilliantly.
(Actually the damage was caused through using them as containers when transporting a load of donated hoss muck in the car. Too heavy to lift in and out full so filled in situ then tilted and to partially empty out until light enough to lift out on arrival home, using nice shiny and sharp steel spade with which to shovel the shtuff. Spade + plastic water butts = aertex plastic water butts. Duh...)
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I wonder if fibreglass would adhere to that plastic........
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Try a soldering iron, the bigger the tip the better. It looks like Polypropylene and the material looks thick enough to take the heat. Work in small circles, blend over the cracks and beware of the fumes. You’ll need to support the base better when it’s done.
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Angela, you could try the white mastic you get for caulking plastic windows, baths etc! You'll need a gun to apply it as well, but they're pretty cheap! Make sure the butt is totally dry as well!
They used to do a smaller version of the stuff, with enough for just one bath, so that may be your answer, as you don't need a gun, just a strong thumb, as it's in a style of syringe!
B and Q have all this, and it'll cost about a tenner I think!
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Fibre glass matting with the resin on top is the way to go. Mastic, soldering iron's etc are stop gap's. Fibre glass used correctly will be stronger than the tank itself.
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If fixing it doesn't work, you could recycle as a compost bin - I have several broken waterbuts & rubbish bins that I use for my compost - remove the base then use as a normal compost bin - people keep telling me this won't work, but I still get several binfulls of good compost every year, so I'm not sure what exactly is not working...
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Well, I have drained down the beast and have picked up some marine filler suitable for re-enforced plastic. I will tackle when I return from holiday next weekend and post an update then. Thanks all!
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You do realise that having an unusable waterbutt is guaranteed to ensure lots of rain in your area this week :lol:
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Nice one Agatha! ;0)
We're just north of Hastings, and it rained for an hour before lunch!
Mind you, we were trying to do some external painting so, paaaaaaah....
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I filled the car with 3.5m floorboards, got stuck in traffic on the way to the plot and the heavens opened. I'd mind less if my car wasn't an MX-5.... ::)
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You are so right Agatha! Surbie, you are as bad as me - I filled my Peugeot 308CC with second hand drainpipes and guttering I got via freecycle - Mark went ballistic! I did tell him that it was probably better to get me a pickup lorry, rather than a convertible car, but there is no telling some people!
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I certainly can't afford to replace it, that's for sure!
Perhaps you can...
I just bought some big wheelie bins from here: http://www.britishbins.co.uk/off-stock-seconds-lidless/
660 ltr capacity bins are only £78 including delivery, and seem sturdy to me. They do have a drain hole in the bottom, but come with a plug. I'm planning on burying mine, which I'm hoping should prevent both splitting and the plug being forced out. The plug does stick out a bit, and you will have to remove the wheels (easily done with a 10 mm spanner), but that will mean that you have to at least recess the surface you are putting it on to prevent the bin rocking on the plug and damaging it - burying it (at least partially) seems to me to be the best solution.
It may be that the UV in sunlight has weakened the plastic, resulting in the split. Burying it should prevent this too.
I should also add that there are a total of 10 x 8.5 mm diameter holes towards the top of the bin that will need to be sealed, so I've ordered some M8 bolts, nuts, and rubber washers to make them water tight. It cost me just over £10 including postage for enough bolts/nuts/washers from ebay to seal 2 bins with some left over. You will also need a T30 "star" type security key to remove the bolts that are already occupying the holes.
On top of that I would suggest 4-6 bags (I'd estimate) of sand to put in the bottom of the hole you dig if you want to bury it, and around the sides to support the bin, as well as allow for the plug at the bottom of the bin. I've measured the walls of the bin at 5.5 mm thick, so not sure how necessary the sand is, but it seems like a good precaution to take.
Oops - I just noticed that 6 of the 10 holes that need sealing are just under 7mm diameter, so require M6 size nuts/bolts/washers. Don't know how I missed that! You could probably get away with M6 for sealing all the holes rather than having to buy both M6 and M8.