I am thinking of getting a water butt to fit under my bathroom waste water pipe to collect the water from basin and bath/shower.Would this water be suitable to use on my veg plants and seedlings?
Any help/advice would be appreciated.
Recycled water
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pigletwillie
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It would be ok for established plants but not for seedlings as it may cause them to "damp off" or gat fungal or mould diseases.
Established plants would be ok but you will be best off using a biodegradeable soap and shampoo to prevent a build up of whatever is in those products in the soil.
Established plants would be ok but you will be best off using a biodegradeable soap and shampoo to prevent a build up of whatever is in those products in the soil.
Kindest regards Piglet
"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind".
"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind".
One year we had a hose pipe ban (it does not happen very often here in Wales!) but I resorted to piping my kitchen sink waste on to the garden. I also used the rinse water from the washing machine, but that involved a bit a faffing around with the pipe to let the really soapy water down the drain, but keeping the rinsings (only slightly contaminated with detergents).
I had a huge crop of outside Tomatoes that year with no adverse effects.
I had a huge crop of outside Tomatoes that year with no adverse effects.
I don't suffer from insanity .... I enjoy it!
Vivianne
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peter
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Bob Flowerdew answers this beautifuly in the May Issue.
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
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steve169
Thanks for all of your replies,perhaps I should just take a line from the roof guttering and save rain water instead!!! Thanks again Steve
Water butts fill up incredibly quickly. There must be a way of filling up a second or third one from the same guttering once the first one is full. Does anyone know it? Our barns all drain into one water butt which is full after a night of rain. Also I would like to feed porous pipe in greenhouse beds from a waterbutt. Can anyone solve that one for me?
there are two ways to connect water butts.
connect the bottoms together with a permenant pipe, this will involve making holes near the bottom and installing pipe fittings in all butts, the water level will be the same in all connected butts, but you can put stop taps in the pipes to isollate the secondary butts.
the other way is to use a piece of garden hose as a syphon. u need a piece of hose long enough to dangle into the bottom of both butts, provided the hose is full of water and both ends remain below water level the water will transfer from one butt to another, up over the side, yes water will flow uphill provided there is no air in the pipe. within reason there is no limit to th spacing between the butts provided they are on the same level.the only difficult bit is getting the hose full of water in the first place. if the butts are a distance apart u have to suck the first water through the hose from the full bett to th empty one, provided the delivery end of the hose is below the water level of the full butt once started water will continue to flow. if the butts are close together just immerse the hose in the full butt and seal the end with your thumb while transfering it to the empty butt. its easy once youve got the knack.
connect the bottoms together with a permenant pipe, this will involve making holes near the bottom and installing pipe fittings in all butts, the water level will be the same in all connected butts, but you can put stop taps in the pipes to isollate the secondary butts.
the other way is to use a piece of garden hose as a syphon. u need a piece of hose long enough to dangle into the bottom of both butts, provided the hose is full of water and both ends remain below water level the water will transfer from one butt to another, up over the side, yes water will flow uphill provided there is no air in the pipe. within reason there is no limit to th spacing between the butts provided they are on the same level.the only difficult bit is getting the hose full of water in the first place. if the butts are a distance apart u have to suck the first water through the hose from the full bett to th empty one, provided the delivery end of the hose is below the water level of the full butt once started water will continue to flow. if the butts are close together just immerse the hose in the full butt and seal the end with your thumb while transfering it to the empty butt. its easy once youve got the knack.
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sandersj89
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Richard
Interesting you say you connect your butts with hoses at the base.
I do the connection at the top. The reason I do this is that I tend to fill my watering cans by dipping htem in to butt, far quicker than using the tap to fill them.
By having the hoses at the top of the butts I have a highest possible water level in the first butt at least and it is easier to fill the can, if that makes sense!!!
Just took deleivery of another butt yesterday so out with the drill and piping at the weekend.
Jerry
Interesting you say you connect your butts with hoses at the base.
I do the connection at the top. The reason I do this is that I tend to fill my watering cans by dipping htem in to butt, far quicker than using the tap to fill them.
By having the hoses at the top of the butts I have a highest possible water level in the first butt at least and it is easier to fill the can, if that makes sense!!!
Just took deleivery of another butt yesterday so out with the drill and piping at the weekend.
Jerry
Farmers son looking to get back to the land full time one day.....
Holiday in Devon? Come stay with us: http://www.crablakefarm.co.uk/
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Deb P
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Just got these watertanks this week, a good bit of recycling, both are full already after this weeks rain! I got fed up not being able to dip a watering can easily into my 'barrel like' waterbutt, so that has now been moved and used elsewhere so I can use the tap on the bottom properly.
Easiest way of connecting two water butts together is to use a piece of hose pipe attached to the taps on each butt. Turn the taps on and both butts will fill to the same level. This way you are not involved in DIY cutting of your barrels, with possible leaky joints. When you need to use one barrel turn BOTH taps off, disconnect hose pipe from the butt and turn the tap on.
If you want to get really adventurous connect 3 or more up, using "T" junctions in the hose pipe.
If you want to get really adventurous connect 3 or more up, using "T" junctions in the hose pipe.
I don't suffer from insanity .... I enjoy it!
Vivianne
Vivianne
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sandersj89
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vivie veg wrote:Easiest way of connecting two water butts together is to use a piece of hose pipe attached to the taps on each butt. Turn the taps on and both butts will fill to the same level. This way you are not involved in DIY cutting of your barrels, with possible leaky joints.
True, but I use old fruit juice barrels with no tap attached so have to make them up.
Jerry
Farmers son looking to get back to the land full time one day.....
Holiday in Devon? Come stay with us: http://www.crablakefarm.co.uk/
Holiday in Devon? Come stay with us: http://www.crablakefarm.co.uk/
There are many after-market linking kits which fit any water butt, they include a flexible pipe, around 0.75m long, and the connectors at each end. They are around £4 to connect two butts. Most of my butts have a predrilled hole for these kits. They will fit any but with curved or flat sides.
In engineering terms, connecting the water butts at the base is a really bad idea.
1. If you have to scoop water, rather than use a tap; then when levels are low, you will always have to lean deep into the butt to get to the low lying water.
2. The slightest leak from any of the butts, will drain ALL the butts until they are empty, whereas a butt linked at the top of the butt will only leak to the bottom of the link.
In engineering terms, connecting the water butts at the base is a really bad idea.
1. If you have to scoop water, rather than use a tap; then when levels are low, you will always have to lean deep into the butt to get to the low lying water.
2. The slightest leak from any of the butts, will drain ALL the butts until they are empty, whereas a butt linked at the top of the butt will only leak to the bottom of the link.