Connecting hose to water butt

Serida

In four months time South East Water are installing compulsory water meters in my area. At first I was delighted as being a one-person house owner I thought it would benefit me financially until I realised that every other year I pressure wash the driveway, patio and paths and this uses an awful lot of water. Have been wondering if it is feasible and possible to connect the outside hose to the water butt. I know this would drain the water butt in no time at all but if I were to do it in stages when the butt has refilled with rainwater it could work. Has anyone done this? Your advice would be much appreciated. Thank you.

adonis

I use my Karcher with a water butt sometimes, you need to make sure it is as clean as possible with filters to stop dirt and leaves going into the butt (use old tights or stockings) also karcher do a suction hose and pipe here.

C_Mababejive

Easy..get yourself one of these...

http://www.manchestersafety.co.uk/index.php?action=store&id_prd=4933&returnURL=&ctg=3&show_ctg=409

You dont have a combi boiler as well do you?

Serida

Thank you. Yes, I do have a combi boiler but what has that got to do with anything?

ariba10

We have a water butt and use some of the water in a Karcher.

You would be surprised how little water it does use. Not half as much as you would expect.

Serida

My pressure washer isn't as posh as a Karcher. It's a little one (RAC from Robert Dyas).

macman

One pressure wash session every 2 years is not going to bankrupt you via your water bill. Your pressure washer uses no more water than your hose can supply. You are confusing pressure with flow rate.

Owain_Moneysaver

Serida wrote: »

Thank you. Yes, I do have a combi boiler but what has that got to do with anything?

Because you can run off a couple of sinkfuls of water while waiting for the combi boiler to actually heat up the 'instant' hot water.

So just washing your hands a few times a day can end up using nearly as much metered water as a bath.

If you combi has a 'pre-heat' function to keep the water hot then it will use more gas.

savemoney

I am on a meter I do mine every two years, but I do swill the drive with bleach and water from water butt every now and then. I have a small block paved drive but I do have block paving at side of house passage way and fairly large rear drive which doesn't get used for car

This is taken with actual meter readings on meter

144 I did drive and some decking we have

90
99
144 ==== used pressure washer
104
110

I have two water butts but I doubt they be enough when full to do driveway/decking

HappyMJ

A pressure washer uses only about 360 litres per hour. That isn't that much. It'll cost about 1 penny per minute in water.

martinthebandit

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Because you can run off a couple of sinkfuls of water while waiting for the combi boiler to actually heat up the 'instant' hot water.

So just washing your hands a few times a day can end up using nearly as much metered water as a bath.

If you combi has a 'pre-heat' function to keep the water hot then it will use more gas.

Hmmm, of course you would run of almost exactly the same amount of water while waiting for the hot water from your tank to come through.