Water Butt puzzle

SeaVixen

Hi all! 

This is one of those questions that I could probably google the answer, but I can't seem to get the words right to find what I need. Hopefully one of you lovely lot can give me the right language, or tell me if it's actually impossible.

I'd like to install a waterbutt on one of my downpipes. The problem is that the water from the bathroom sink and shower runs through this downpipe, as well as rainwater from the roof. I have medicated shampoo and body wash that would not be good for the plants, so am trying to find a way around. 
I can see the point where the bathroom pipes join the rainwater. It would be ideal if I could attach the waterbutt connector above this point so that it only collects the rainwater. This is about 15/20 ft in the air, so there is no way the waterbutt inlet would be the same height as the connector. 
Is there a type of connector that I could buy which could sit this high up without a problem? 

Plan B would be to install a separate downpipe, but that feels a bit extreme. 

Many thanks in advance! 

FreeBear

A water butt connector is usually fitted to the downpipe slightly below the top of the butt. This is so that when the water level gets to the top of the butt, it "overflows" back in to the connector and then in to the drain. If you mount the connector at a higher level, you will need to arrange somewhere for the overflow water to go. Another connection to the downpipe at a lower level would do it.

SeaVixen

FreeBear said:

Another connection to the downpipe at a lower level would do it.

Aah! that might be the trick! Thank you! 
Does the connector that would take it back into the pipe have a particular name? 

stator

How old is your house? Most houses should have seperate rainwater drains and sewage drains, to prevent the sewers becoming flooded in a deluge.

What size is your downpipe?

This is the sort of thing you can use to take the overflow into a waste pipe. You may want to add a non-return valve, when the drain gets blocked you don't want it backflowing into your water butt

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Self-Tapping-Waste-Connection-Kit/p/421642

SeaVixen

The house was built sometime in the 30s. 
I've had a thought that there can be an overflow pipe from the waterbutt straight into the drain rather than trying to get it back into the pipe. This should prevent any backflow and be easier to fit! 
(I'm probably going to put two connected waterbutts there, so it will be from the second waterbutt rather than the first) 
Thanks for your help, both! 

stator

1930s should have separate drains. Suspect a lazy plumber is responsible for your current setup.

knightstyle

Due to our shared downpipe being on neighbours side of 6ft fence I put the thing well above the water butt and have a separate overflow going to a flower bed. this works well.

stator

I hope the downpipe is a waste pipe. I seriously hope you don't have a waste pipe going into a gutter down pipe

SeaVixen

knightstyle said:

Due to our shared downpipe being on neighbours side of 6ft fence I put the thing well above the water butt and have a separate overflow going to a flower bed. this works well.

ooh an even better idea! thanks! 
Where ours is going to be isn't really near any flowerbeds, but I was debating putting some pots nearby so might see if I can make this work! 

Davesnave

stator said:

1930s should have separate drains. Suspect a lazy plumber is responsible for your current setup.

Not necessarily. In 1980s we had a 30s house with all pipes  leading to the sewer. It was the original arrangement.When we built an extension in '87, the plans showed a soak away, but the BCO in charge said "Give that a miss on this soil; you'll only have problems in the garden, so pipe it into the sewer."

We did as we were instructed.

FreeBear

SeaVixen said:

knightstyle said:

Due to our shared downpipe being on neighbours side of 6ft fence I put the thing well above the water butt and have a separate overflow going to a flower bed. this works well.

ooh an even better idea! thanks! 
Where ours is going to be isn't really near any flowerbeds, but I was debating putting some pots nearby so might see if I can make this work! 

Have a look at "rain gardens" - Basically, a hole lined with a geotextile, filled with stones & gravel, then planted with an assortment of moisture loving plants. It is a variation on the soakaway idea, and building regulations still apply with respect to location of soakaways, boundaries, and buildings.

If you are just going to discharge the overflow in to a flowerbed, make sure it is as far away from any buildings as you can. The last thing you want is water undermining foundations and causing subsidence.