With the right set of DIY skills, the right tools and a bit of spare time, it’s a perfectly feasible home improvement project. A 200 litre capacity plastic water butt can be lifted by the average adult without a problem. If you get beyond that size, or the material is not plastic, then you may need two people. Also consider access size – some of the larger capacity water butts are too big for a front door or the average garden gate.

The smallest water butts sold have a capacity of 100 litres; the largest ones are generally in the range 1,500 to 2,000 litres. The larger tanks can be as high as 200cm / 80in with a base 120cm / 48in. The smaller tanks are typically 130cm high (including stand) and 35cm / 14in wide. 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. 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.

How To Connect Shed Guttering To Water Butts

FloPlast recommend the use of lubricant on all gutter seals for ease of fitting and improved performance. 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. 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 quite similar to putting guttering on a summer house. Here are the steps you need to follow: Step 1: Pre-installation preparation

The instructions below are for installing guttering on a pent shed… things get slightly more complicated (and expensive) if you’ve got an apex roof, where you’ll need to install guttering on three sides for maximum water channeling efficiency. Water butts come in all shapes and sizes, some even could be considered as garden features. The choice all comes down to cost, your personal preferences and needs. WATER BUTT SIZES 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. 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. If none of the options are suitable, ensure your downspout extends around a metre out from the shed when you’ve finished installing the guttering to prevent surface water pooling. Step 2: Identify the direction of the fallAfter a few heavy rain showers, the guttering proved its capability, filling two two hundred litre water butts within a month. 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. 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 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.

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. Plants in grow bags, containers and hanging baskets have much higher requirements for hand watering. This is because the plant foliage will disperse the water away from the compost in the container reducing the effect of natural rain water to surprisingly little.

Interested?

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!