Leak in water butt

[Primrose]

I've noticed that one of our water butts seems to have developed a small leak which appears to be dripping from somewhere here near the base and am wondering how we track it down. Also, Is there any way is solving the problem without having to completely empty the container, and then how on earth do we find out where the leak is?
I know there used to be a product which you could pour into car radiators to block leaks. Would something.ike this be suitable for solving the problem and would it be damaging to plants if the water was subsequently used for watering?
It's a large water butt and currently fairly full so may be a major problem to sort out and I'm trying to think of an easy way of dealing with it, if there is one.
Any ideas?

[Geoff]

I wouldn't try putting anything in the water.
I suppose to find it you have to give the outside a good clean and towel down then see if you can spot it.
Curing it might be a bit of a problem. Usually you have to get rid of the pressure so any compound you use can go off before it is washed away. If you find a slight crack and it is thick plastic and you can get electricity to it a long shot might be a soldering iron.

[FelixLeiter]

Keep an eye on the water level. If it stops leaking, you'll know that the leak is somewhere exactly on the waterline. Also, if you take a look from inside the butt you might see light coming in through the hole. You might need to put a cloth over your head and shoulders, like a Victorian photographer.

[richard p]

whats the water butt made of?

ifi ts a hole a screw and rubber washer should stop it. splits can be done by screwing on a rigid cover plate with a rubber sealing gasket.... old inner tubes are a good source of rubber.

metal tanks can be welded even if theyre full.

ive even seen a holey tank lined with a bit of black plastic sheeting.


if all else fails fill it with soil and compost and use it to grow long carrots.

[JohnN]

If, as you suspect, the leak is near the base, empty the butt, manhandle it on to sheets of newspaper, fill it to, say, 6", and see where the paper gets wet. Keep topping up a few inches at a time until it starts leaking.

[FelixLeiter]

So, how's progress with the butt, Primrose?

[Primrose]

Husband has picked up some kind of bug so need to wait until he's feeling better as it's probably a four handed job. Also need to reduce the water in it somewhat as I think as it.s too heavy to move in its fairly full state.

[Primrose]

And to make matters more complicated, the two water butts are connected together via a siphon so that the water levels remain equal in both containers. It seemed a good idea at the time

[FelixLeiter]

A good idea at this time would be to disconnect the syphon, I would have thought. Some of the water from the butt which is leaking can then be baled into the one which isn't. Have you tried any of the suggestions above, though? You may still not need to drain any of them, leave Husband to convalesce.