The position also needs to be near enough the water source, normally a guttering downpipe against a wall, to connect up the water diverter from the downpipe to the water butt. Follow the instructions which come with the water diverter to connect it up. APPEARANCE Now attach the downpipe to the drain outlet – you may need to include offset bends in the downpipe installation to direct water away from the shed and into a water butt.

I installed guttering on both sides of this garden shed, connecting both gutters to a single down pipe. This required a good number of fittings, which is helpful to show the range of accessories required to do the job. Grow Bag with two tomato plants– approximately 3 litres / 5.5 pints per day in warm weather. Assume in the region of 200 litres during the growing period. A connecting hose runs from the diverter to the water butt, and it is possible to daisy chain water butts together using more hose for extra water storage. For the diverter to work properly, it is important to fit it at the correct height. This is lower than the top of the water butt, but higher than the inlet into the butt itself, to ensure that there is downward fall from the diverter to the butt. As standard 75mm mini guttering is used, extending the length is straightforward (we sell spare parts) or for really long sheds you could even utilise two Rainsaver gutter kits to fill two butts at the same time.

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If costs are important then it is often the case that buying online is not only more convenient, it is often cheaper. A trip to a DIY store may well work out more expensive compared to the delivery charges of a reputable online supplier, see here for example. If it is covered then the problem must be the water going into the water butt. If lots of leaves are going into the butt with the water, they will begin to decompose and make the water smell. What you need to do is place some from of mesh at the top of the downpipe from the shed roof to stop the leaves getting into the water butt. Step 6: Taking into account the amount of piping needed to reach your butt, mark off the correct length with a pencil, remove the pipe and trim to size. I connected two downpipes together to harvest water from both sides of the shed into water butts. To do this, I needed a down pipe branch connector, plus some more off-set bends to turn the corner. Ensure your guttering has been cut to the correct lengths, and if working with PVC guttering, apply lubricant to the cut ends of the guttering – this will allow the installation and joining of guttering sections much easier.

At the lower end of the gutter use a gutter stop end outlet. A down pipe can be connected to this by simply pushing it on. For me it’s worth it because the allotment is my main hobby. The generator is also an insurance policy for power cuts at home. In spring a few years ago, when the ground was damp, I applied a layer of cardboard to the ground, sometimes cut around existing fruit crops. I then covered the cardboard with wood chip – a layer of about 8cm. The wood chip is sourced for free from a local tree surgeon. But for smaller areas, bark chip etc can be bought from the local diy store. Any shrub pruning material is also ideal.

If you leave a typical water butt out in the open over autumn and winter it will collect very little water by the time June arrives. In our experience the average water butt will collect maybe 45cm / 18in of water. The open area at the top is simply too small to be an effective trap for rain water.

QUESTION: How long can water stay in a butt? Does it not get stagnant and smelly in time? I’m thinking of the times when there is plenty of rainfall, so no watering will need to be done. I definitely need to install several butts as we have a private water supply and watering in our new large polytunnel and outdoor vegetable area puts a huge drain on water needed for the 2 houses and 8 occupants in times of drought! To do this I used two types of offset bends, one slightly over 90 degrees to help create a fall, and another at 90 degrees to turn a corner. When estimating the size of water butt best for your situation don’t forget that you can start with one water butt and add another one later. You simply need a connector kit which can be found here. The hose which connects the two water butts can be as long or as short as you want. Having laid the mulch down initially, I top it up a little every year. I estimate that it removes the need for watering by about 80%. I not only use it on the allotment but also in my small garden with the same results.Installing a connector kit or a water diverter can involve drilling a hole into the water butt if there isn’t one already present or they are different sizes. This is not a problem for the average diy person however it can be avoided altogether if you start off with a water butt from a major supplier and then buy one of the same brand later. Fitting guttering to a shed is a proactive measure to protect your shed, its surroundings and the items stored inside from potential water damage, erosion and moisture-related issues.