[nwalch]

I've got some of those blue barrels which I'm going to use to store water and want to add a tap. Can I use any type of water barrel tap or will I have a problem with the barrel not having a flat bit (most of the commercially available water barrels seem to have a flat bit where the tap goes).

I also wondered if there is a way of fitting the tap without having to screw something on the inside of the barrel to secure the it (which means cutting the top off or growing long thin arms). A kind of self tapping tap (no pun intended :-)

[sunshineband]

Wicks have some that might be suitable - they sort of screw into an internal washer if you see what I mean. They only cost about £1.50 each as well - plastic of course 

I'm buying some for our blue barrel water butts 

[Trillium]

I added regular house waterline fittings to my barrels. The barrel curve is almost negligible, nothing that a dab of caulk won't fix if it bothers you. I made sure most of my barrel tops came off so that I can screw on the inside 'washer' bit. I've seen videos where people use a long handled grabber unit to hold the inside 'washer' still while someone screws the front bit on.

[Rubellite]

Send a small child in, you know like the Victorians did, up chimneys!!!

[noshed]

Just make sure you drill the right size hole. It's a bit annoying when your wonderful creation seeps a bit.

[arugula]

We bought plastic taps from eBay for just this very purpose. It was a while ago, but I think if you searched on the type needed for water butts, you wouldn't go far wrong.

[8doubles]

I recommend using brass outdoor taps if possible, unless you make sure the water butts are emptied in frosty weather. The plastic taps blow apart at the first hard frost and you will have to climb in (or send the wife in) to a slimy barrel to fit a new one.
 If you use a large washer in and outside the blue barrel the tap will be much more secure.

[goodegg]

when i fitted a new tap to my blue barrel i made a sort of spanner with a long piece of flat wood about an inch wider than nut for tap and cut a square out a bit smaller than nut worked  very well

[black diamond]

I use the screw top to fit the tap in.and turn them on there sides

[nwalch]

Wow I'm impressed. Any chance of a few more photos of your set up. I don't have a shed so I need something to collect the water and your system looks ideal. I was going to build a tall one with the barrels upright underneath but I think your lower level system is much better and won't stand out as much.

[sunshineband]

The blue barrels I have are the kind with removable lids, so I have them upright as if a lid came off it woud be disastrous.

Great idea for the sealed units like these though 

[black diamond]

The barrels in picture are filled from the house roof from two collectors in the down pipes which are conected to hosepipe,which fill an old plastic dustbin and overflows into the barrels.The idea of the barrel is stop any rubbish from the roof clogging the pipes.


I also have some barrels conected to the shed and greenhouse

[nwalch]

Thanks for the photos. On the 4 barrel set up in the original photo is that a roof you have on top (it looks like you are storing plants on it). As mine will be at the allotment and I dont have a shed I plan to use the roof to collect water and feed it into the barrels.

It looks like the first barrel is fed with the top hole in the barrel. Once this is full how do you get the other barrels full. Is there an overflow that goes from each barrel.

[black diamond]

Black pipe is the fill pipe,all the taps in each barrel are linked together with hose pipe and left in the open position.pipe that is hanging down is the one that I fill watering can with which draws water from all barrels so they are always at the same level as they empty.On the top of the barrels there are 10 lengths of my old square guttering which I joined together and stand my box hedges in as I was running out of space

hope this helps nwalch