Getting water into a water butt

sobeitjedi

Hi.
I have a shed with a pent roof and would like to collect rain water into a water butt.
My simple question is - how do I get the rain water into a water butt? What do I need?

Flugelhorn

presume gutter along lower end with slight slope to a downpipe which empties into butt

sobeitjedi

Yes, great - I can put a gutter along the lower end, but how does the water get into the water butt? I don't need a downpipe - is it essential?

Martin_the_Unjust

https://www.wikihow.com/Fit-Guttering-to-a-Shed

Brie

check with your local water supplier to see if water butt kits are available.  I got one for free recently via the link below.  It includes everything - the water butt, stand, tap, and the connector to collect water from your down pipe allowing any excess to continue down the drain.  fyi - when I ordered mine I was told there was a 20 week delivery wait but got it in less than 10 days.  Just need some rain now....

Saving water in your home , garden and at work (southwestwater.co.uk)

sobeitjedi

Brie said:

check with your local water supplier to see if water butt kits are available.  I got one for free recently via the link below.  It includes everything - the water butt, stand, tap, and the connector to collect water from your down pipe allowing any excess to continue down the drain.  fyi - when I ordered mine I was told there was a 20 week delivery wait but got it in less than 10 days.  Just need some rain now....

Saving water in your home , garden and at work (southwestwater.co.uk)

Wish I could get one for free - nearly £40 for me with delivery: https://www.savewatersavemoney.co.uk/products/view/38791/slim-100l-waterbutt.html

Maybe my query is - how does water get from guttering into this water butt?

ArbitraryRandom

 sobeitjedi said:

Yes, great - I can put a gutter along the lower end, but how does the water get into the water butt? I don't need a downpipe - is it essential?

You don't 'need' a downpipe - but if you don't then you're going to need an open top butt (which is risking lots of mozzies and the occasional dead rat/bird) and you're not going to maximise your collection as some of the water will likely miss the butt.

For the few quid it costs I'd say just get a down pipe and do it properly. 

elsien

Generally speaking, a down pipe with a diverter.
Example, not a recommendation.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Organics-Harcostar-Universal-Diverter/dp/B09MTKMMFW/ref=asc_df_B09MTKMMFW/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=570302338705&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9792390958575453410&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007011&hvtargid=pla-1624119474186&psc=1

Flugelhorn

you can have a diverter from the downpipe - usually this then send the excess down to the pipe to the drain (when coming off the house roof)  but presume excess off the shed roof will just have to run onto the ground https://www.waterbuttsdirect.co.uk/harcostar-universal-rain-trap-diverter

https://www.screwfix.com/p/floplast-square-rainwater-diverter-black-65-68mm/27866?kpid=27866&ds_rl=1249404&gclid=CjwKCAjw-b-kBhB-EiwA4fvKrGjLES9Yzq9xhif3seKRhXMbb0LhkWYFbEWYIItTWd_qlLWbpkdtbRoCktkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

ArbitraryRandom

I'd suggest, given there's no drainage currently from the roof (no gutter or down pipe), a diverter is probably overkill - rather take the downpipe directly from the lowest point of the gutter into the butt (cut a hole in the lid the right size for the pipe). 

sobeitjedi

I guess that's the issue - I don't want water running off down a downpipe - I want all of it collected in the water butt. Is this not possible?