Downpipe Rainwater Diverter?

paperclap

Hi all,

Ive a downpipe coming off my conservatory.

Next to it, I’ve rallied up four water butts to collect rainwater.

I’ve taken a look at rainwater diverters, but, how do they know if the water butt is fall and therefore divert? And, does this principle only work if one water butt is used? Can’t see how it could know four are full!

In my case, would I be better of simply grabbing some new down pipe, elbowing around the corner, and straight in to the first water butt?

Thanks!

plumb1_2

Are you opening that artwork up to the paying public 😊

paperclap

Haha, well… now you mention it, a quid entry doesn’t sound too bad, does it? 

Section62

laurencewhymark said:

I’ve taken a look at rainwater diverters, but, how do they know if the water butt is fall and therefore divert? And, does this principle only work if one water butt is used? Can’t see how it could know four are full!

The usual method is the diverter contains a weir which is set level with the required water level in the butt.  Once the butt is full the water overflows the weir (inside the diverter) and flows into the lower part of the downpipe.

With the arrangement you've got you need to set the diverter weir height higher than the 'outlet' of the first butt, otherwise it will never fill to the level of the pipe from the first butt to the second.

Are you fixing the hoses to the outlets in a more watertight method? If you've just drilled a hole in the butt (as it appears) and poke a hose through, a good proportion of the water will leak out of the hole rather than flow through the hose.

The most watertight method I've found is to use a tank overflow connector like this (with the threaded end outwards) -

https://www.toolstation.com/solvent-weld-overflow-tank-connector/p29453

-and then screw a hose connector onto the 3/4" BSP thread.

Brie

Even if you do manage to get the water to flow from one butt to the next you need to do something about when the 4th one fills.  You don't want it simply overflowing. 

I have 2 butts the same size and level.  Once the first is full the water flows into the second.  Once the second is full the levels are even and so any excess goes down the drain pipe.  That can't happen with the way you've got stuff set up.

Apodemus

Once you have the four butts linked up, why not just do the same type of overflow for the fourth butt with the hose leading back to the bottom of the downpipe?

paperclap

Thanks all.

I (well, the previous person who owned these) have simply cut a hole and popped a hose through. I’ll check out those connectors, thanks!

Right now, I don’t want the fourth butt diverting back to the down pipe in ground, as it’s partially blocked. Half the reason I’ve got this setup in the first place! Was thinking of just leading another hose out of the fourth butt onto the grass area / garden. Not a good idea?

So Brie, you have two identical butts. And the way they’re set up effectively makes them one? Presumably you’ve got some sort of loop system? Downpipe to first butt, first butt to second button, second butt to downpipe? Anyway, not sure I have the luxury of that lovely setup, as all my butts are vastly different!

Apodemus

Fair enough, if you have a reason not to linkback to the downpipe - but a rainwater diverter would simply mean that the excess would be continuing down the downpipe, so that is not your solution  either.  I can't see any reason why having the excess released onto the lawn should be a problem unless it is going to cause flooding back at the house.  Either way, sorting the soakaway from the downpipe is probably worth attending to.  I'd be surprised if your setup would cope with heavy rain, as the pipe diameter is pretty small, with very little scope for excess to be stored above each of the succcessive outlets.

In Brie's scenario, the joining pipe would be lower down on the butts, so that they operate as one.  No need for a loop system,  The diverter would stop new water coming in to the butts when they are full, with the operation of the downpipe reverting to normal.

paperclap

Apodemus said:

Fair enough, if you have a reason not to linkback to the downpipe - but a rainwater diverter would simply mean that the excess would be continuing down the downpipe, so that is not your solution  either.  I can't see any reason why having the excess released onto the lawn should be a problem unless it is going to cause flooding back at the house.  Either way, sorting the soakaway from the downpipe is probably worth attending to.  I'd be surprised if your setup would cope with heavy rain, as the pipe diameter is pretty small, with very little scope for excess to be stored above each of the succcessive outlets.

In Brie's scenario, the joining pipe would be lower down on the butts, so that they operate as one.  No need for a loop system,  The diverter would stop new water coming in to the butts when they are full, with the operation of the downpipe reverting to normal.

Yes will definitely need to get the downpipe sorted. Just want a solution heading into winter if I don’t get round to it really.

Do you mean the downpipe diameter is too small to cope with heavy rain? As, it’s the standard 68mm round downpipe size. Pretty sure every house has that?

Apodemus

No, I meant your hosepipe diameter between each bin.  The flow rate in the downpipe is likely to be greater than the hose can take, so it would need a buffer zone at each level.