Hi guys, I have no idea about water butts, so hope someone can help out.

I want a butt to collect rainwater, possibly with a filter for the input and output. mainly to use my pressure washer from it (Nilfisk c120) as 1. handy when hosepipe bans are in place, and 2. our water is one of the hardest in the county, so hopefully filtered rainwater will be better for the car 

I don't intend to collect from a gutter, more directly from rainfall.

Can anyone advise what and were I can get something suitable please ?

More directly from rainfall?  you've lost me there.  normally you divert a gutter downpipe and ideally you need a decent size area of roof or you will empty it in the summer far faster than it will refill.  Other than that, it should be possible, although fitting a tap with a suitable attachment for the hose to the pressure washer will be a non-standard water butt tap.

have you thought about those waterless cleaning systems instead if water use is an issue? No idea how they work but I saw it being used the other day by a geezer near me.. We have very hard water here too absolutely full of chalk clay and heavy metal deposits.

Eww waterless sounds bad !

Its not an issue just thinking it A might be better than our tap water, and B  can still clean the car if there is a hosepipe ban

 

Neiln, I was thinking I will just take the lid off when its P ing down, and replace it when it isn't , or its full !

As I don't own the house, I can't start messing with the downpipes

Admittedly if there is a drought I am SOL, but that would be the case anyways .... I have no idea how many washes I can get with 210L ?

Edited 24 April, 201511 yr by Mr Grump

Get a big butt and fill it with tap water for when the bans are in place, just make it look like it's collecting rain water.

Not sure how you'd collect enough without using a gutter, but our 220 litre one came from wicks and was less than £20 with stand and gutter kit

You will need a roof with a gutter and downpipe to collect anywhere near enough.

Surely the water from the gutter is going to be much dirtier than straight from the tap?

My water butt is connected to the garage roof and takes about 30mins to fill then overflow in heavy rain. However the water is really manky and just gets used to water the plants when it's sunny. Also stinks pretty bad in the summer

Yeah, they do say some lumps of charcoal in the bottom keeps the water fresh...but it never worked for me. I ditched water butts years ago.

I bought a water butt with the intention of using it to clean the car, but after seeing the colour of it and the smell I ditched the idea. I use it to water the plants on that side of the garden.

Fortunately I can use as much water as I like and it is soft water.

Have you thought about a hand pump sprayer? Hozelock do a 5 or 10 ltr one for around £15. I used it when I was on a six week course down south. Used the hand pump to rinse the car, TBM, then rinse again with the hand pump.

Ludicrous as it sounds, a hosepipe ban is exactly that. I'm pretty sure it still applies, even if it's fed from a water butt.

As above, stagnant rain water is rank. Very gritty + all the crud that comes with it from the roof, gutter, downpipe & sediment in the bottom of the butt. I wouldn't wash my car with it.

 

Well the grit would be sorted by a filter, but tbh I am thinking about ditching the idea anyway.

No, the hosepipe ban means you are not allowed to use mains water, using from a container of your own is completely fine

An opening about 2' across, which is what a rain butt typically is, is NOT going to catch enough water to fill it!

have you thought about those waterless cleaning systems instead if water use is an issue? No idea how they work but I saw it being used the other day by a geezer near me.. We have very hard water here too absolutely full of chalk clay and heavy metal deposits.

Heavy metals? Really? I think that Southern Water (or your water supplier, if not Southern) would be very interested in that...since "heavy metals" are toxic and there are very strict  (extremely low) limits allowed in a mains water supply.

I watched that food unwrapped the other day, they did a part on tap water, doing that old myth has water really been through 7 people before you drink it.

Obviously the answer was no.

It's been through hundreds, it's the same water the diansours were drinking.

...anyway, they tested how pure it was and gave a website link so people can check using your postcode to check your own area.

Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3046928/Revealed-tap-water-just-good-slice-CHEESE-truth-really-does-7-people-drink-it.html

I watched that food unwrapped the other day, they did a part on tap water, doing that old myth has water really been through 7 people before you drink it.

Obviously the answer was no.

It's been through hundreds, it's the same water the diansours were drinking.

...anyway, they tested how pure it was and gave a website link so people can check using your postcode to check your own area.

Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3046928/Revealed-tap-water-just-good-slice-CHEESE-truth-really-does-7-people-drink-it.html

Unfortunately, in common with most "popular science" items on this type of show, presentation was simplistic and dumbed-down to the level of a five-year old. There is SO much more to the subject of water supply and bottled water.

Still interesting I suppose, people sounded interested so was worth a read.

Just because water us hard or soft doesn't tell you it's bad. Even in locations a few miles apart the water quality and crud in it can differ wildly.

Anywhere near farming land WILL have bad water with all kinds of rubbish in it from fertilisers etc.

Just because water us hard or soft doesn't tell you it's bad. Even in locations a few miles apart the water quality and crud in it can differ wildly.

Anywhere near farming land WILL have bad water with all kinds of rubbish in it from fertilisers etc.

Not really, if you are in an area where the drinking water is predominantly sourced from groundwater then the water companies go to considerable lengths to mix water to avoid problems. In agricultural areas fertiliser typically leads to elevated nitrate in groundwater which is relatively simple to reduce to acceptable levels and in reality poses a very low risk to humans (it can cause problems in babies).

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