Ok so, just a little note to let you know that the Butt seems to be doing the job very well. There appears to be no leak from the tap!! There is a good amount of pressure on the seal at this stage given the amount of rain we had on Sunday. (The water is about 6 inches away from the top). I am really amazed at how quick the water fills in the Butt and am kicking myself that I didn't set up the Butt properly before now.
But sure, it's all in place now and is doing the job!!!!
Monday 13 June 2011
Thursday 9 June 2011
Butt there will be water (Update on the Update)
Hey,
So it was another trip to a hardware store (Woodies) to get some Plumbers Tape, a different fitting for the inside of the Butt and some rubber washers. With a bit of jiggery-pokery and some awkward tightening of the fittings, appears to be sitting a lot better on the Butt. I put some Silicone Sealant around the inside and outside of the Butt and have it drying in the Shed until this time tomorrow to allow it to fully dry. I think, with the first attempt, I didn't leave the sealant to dry fully before connecting it all up to the down-pipe.
On another note, took these photos about 30 minutes ago (around 3pm) of an Urban Fox and a Ferrel Cat in a neighbours garden. The one with the Fox looking right at the camera was taken just as it was running off into the bushes. It was funny that the two animals just curled up near each other without a care in the world (until I came along!!).
So it was another trip to a hardware store (Woodies) to get some Plumbers Tape, a different fitting for the inside of the Butt and some rubber washers. With a bit of jiggery-pokery and some awkward tightening of the fittings, appears to be sitting a lot better on the Butt. I put some Silicone Sealant around the inside and outside of the Butt and have it drying in the Shed until this time tomorrow to allow it to fully dry. I think, with the first attempt, I didn't leave the sealant to dry fully before connecting it all up to the down-pipe.
On another note, took these photos about 30 minutes ago (around 3pm) of an Urban Fox and a Ferrel Cat in a neighbours garden. The one with the Fox looking right at the camera was taken just as it was running off into the bushes. It was funny that the two animals just curled up near each other without a care in the world (until I came along!!).
Monday 6 June 2011
Butt there will be water!!
Hey all,
Been a very productive day today in the Garden. A few years back I hopped across my neighbours garden (with permission as always) and asked her if it would be Ok to take the big green water container that had lain idle since the death of her Gardener Husband. She was more that happy for me to take this and for the last number of years it has taken up residence just at the edge of the extension as seen in this photograph (the green thing in the upper left of the photo). There it happily remained and collected a good bit of rainwater due to the little crack in the drain-pipe. Cut forward a few years to us getting a new (slightly) sloped rough and some new guttering. Result: rain water no longer dripped into the water-butt.
Given the fact that we have had relatively little rain so far this Spring/Summer we've use pretty much all of the water from the Butt. As the Butt was uncovered we had all kinds of everything (thanks Dana!!) in the water and to be honest it was a bit manky. So it being a Bank Holiday in Ireland where better to travel to than B&Q in Liffey Valley to get myself a rainwater diverter. After much trial and tribulation in B&Q and thinking that all was lost, we came across the Rainwater Diverter hidden away (this was after one of the Staff members had told me that they had discontinued selling them). Also, while there we happened to come across my Dad, his Wife and her Mother. Was a bit of a god-send really as I wasn't 100% sure what way to do things. Was having trouble trying to figure out which parts I needed to fit a tap onto the Butt so we could just put a watering can under the Butt to get the free water. So, after looking, and wondering, at all the plumbing parts and accessories we managed to figure out what was needed.
There were a number steps that needed to happen in order for the Butt to be set up in the correct way for us.
1. Empty the Butt: There was a little water left in the bottom so just dumped that out and cleaned the inside with a yard brush.
2. Connecting the Diverter: 'Measure Twice Cut Once'. Hole in the top of the Butt just needed to be widened a little and cut the down-pipe to pop on the diverter. After a short test we found it worked!!
3. Connecting the tap: Simple enough!! Drill another hole in the bottom of the Butt high enough that the watering can can fit underneath it. a little bit of plumbing and some trusty sealant and there you have it!!
You wouldn't even know it was home-made!!!!!! Hehehe, anyway....now we have FREE water for the garden. All we need now is for the heavens to open and it'll all start fill up!! Probably took about 30 minutes from starte to finish and so wish I'd have done this long ago. But(t) sure there it is in all it's magnificant glory!! Total cost was about €35 for the fittings which I think will be a good long-term investment anyway!!
UPDATE: Well the Butt leaked!!. It happened to fill about 1/3 with free rainwater over the last few days and seems that the pressure was too much. I have drained all the water from the Butt and will hope to put some Gutter Sealant around both the inside and outside of the Butt. Think I used either the wrong Sealant or I didn't allow the sealant to set fully before connecting it all up. Will let you know how I get on over the next few days!!
Been a very productive day today in the Garden. A few years back I hopped across my neighbours garden (with permission as always) and asked her if it would be Ok to take the big green water container that had lain idle since the death of her Gardener Husband. She was more that happy for me to take this and for the last number of years it has taken up residence just at the edge of the extension as seen in this photograph (the green thing in the upper left of the photo). There it happily remained and collected a good bit of rainwater due to the little crack in the drain-pipe. Cut forward a few years to us getting a new (slightly) sloped rough and some new guttering. Result: rain water no longer dripped into the water-butt.Given the fact that we have had relatively little rain so far this Spring/Summer we've use pretty much all of the water from the Butt. As the Butt was uncovered we had all kinds of everything (thanks Dana!!) in the water and to be honest it was a bit manky. So it being a Bank Holiday in Ireland where better to travel to than B&Q in Liffey Valley to get myself a rainwater diverter. After much trial and tribulation in B&Q and thinking that all was lost, we came across the Rainwater Diverter hidden away (this was after one of the Staff members had told me that they had discontinued selling them). Also, while there we happened to come across my Dad, his Wife and her Mother. Was a bit of a god-send really as I wasn't 100% sure what way to do things. Was having trouble trying to figure out which parts I needed to fit a tap onto the Butt so we could just put a watering can under the Butt to get the free water. So, after looking, and wondering, at all the plumbing parts and accessories we managed to figure out what was needed.
There were a number steps that needed to happen in order for the Butt to be set up in the correct way for us.1. Empty the Butt: There was a little water left in the bottom so just dumped that out and cleaned the inside with a yard brush.
2. Connecting the Diverter: 'Measure Twice Cut Once'. Hole in the top of the Butt just needed to be widened a little and cut the down-pipe to pop on the diverter. After a short test we found it worked!!
3. Connecting the tap: Simple enough!! Drill another hole in the bottom of the Butt high enough that the watering can can fit underneath it. a little bit of plumbing and some trusty sealant and there you have it!!
You wouldn't even know it was home-made!!!!!! Hehehe, anyway....now we have FREE water for the garden. All we need now is for the heavens to open and it'll all start fill up!! Probably took about 30 minutes from starte to finish and so wish I'd have done this long ago. But(t) sure there it is in all it's magnificant glory!! Total cost was about €35 for the fittings which I think will be a good long-term investment anyway!!
UPDATE: Well the Butt leaked!!. It happened to fill about 1/3 with free rainwater over the last few days and seems that the pressure was too much. I have drained all the water from the Butt and will hope to put some Gutter Sealant around both the inside and outside of the Butt. Think I used either the wrong Sealant or I didn't allow the sealant to set fully before connecting it all up. Will let you know how I get on over the next few days!!
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