Connecting water butt to gutter (no downpipe available)

[abbeyroad]

Hi

The gutter on our extension goes around the corner then to our neighbour's downpipe. I'm wanting to put a water butt in the back yard, but there is only plastic gutter available and I'm wary of putting a downpipe in my bit as I would then need a soakaway etc etc.

I'm wondering how to connect the gutter directly the water butt, but with some mechanism to avoid overflow. There's no kit I can see available to do this, but I'm happy to try and put something together from what I can get from the DIY shop.

Suggestions welcome thanks!

James

 

[curriebeaky]

I'm wondering how to connect the gutter directly the water butt, but with some mechanism to avoid overflow. There's no kit I can see available to do this, but I'm happy to try and put something together from what I can get from the DIY shop.

James

SORRY IF THIS POST IS DEADLY OBVIOUS - you may (probably) know this stuff already!

James,
have you not got a sewer grid (maybe for kitchen sink or something) anywhere near where you want to put the water butt? If you did, drainage of 'overflow' would be easy by fitting a pipe in through the side of your water butt at the level you want the water to get to, but not over. Once water level reaches level of pipe, it would just drain through to waste grid (wherever positioned).

Just for clarification, when I say 'pipe' I mean the standard small flexible pipe the would usually be used to connect water butt to downpipe usually. (for both inlet and outlet)

The problem is connecting the water butt to gutter. I have the same problem myself (cast iron downpipe). I have come up with a solution tho by drilling the under side of the plastic horizontal gutter (on edge of roof) and leading a small pipe from this direct to the top of the water butt. It's working for now but i have a feeling it may get blocked when all the leaves start falling from the trees (i have numerous trees back and front if my house). However, my gutters need cleaning out pretty regular anyway so shouldn't be too much extra hassle.

I don't know of any specific kits that will allow you to connect the gutter direct so you may have to 'botch' something together!

If you find a better solution, please let me know!!
John

 

[digdilem]

Just a small rider to the above - a kitchen type grill drain might be septic only - ie, not designed for rainwater. This could either bugger up your septic tank, or break your bylaws if you're mains and are on septic-only drainage. (Whether they'd notice is an entirely other matter ofc...)

 

[xr4x4]

Can rain water go down standard drains?

Ie sewage drains.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Surface water cannot legally be discharged into mains foul or surface water systems where it did not before without permission from the Water Company or building control.

 

[xr4x4]

Ok thanks.

I thought so, just wanted to check.

 

[curriebeaky]

Surely to god all rain water finds its way to the sewer system anyway! So if you 'redirect' it a little bit shouldn't do.no harm. Can't see a problem with 'redirecting' rain water into ANY mains rainage system.

The rain water from my roof goes into the sewer, the water from my bath, shower and sinks go into the sewer so what's the difference?

Ah well, mine finds its way off my roof and into my water butt or into the sewer (whichever sewer!)

Sue me!! Catch me if you can!

John.

 

[digdilem]

Surely to god all rain water finds its way to the sewer system anyway!

Actually, no! In a lot of cases it goes to soakaways, or discharged over the surface (rural).

In built up areas, yes, often it does end up in the sewer, and if water from your property does so you'll be paying extra (your bill might have something about surface water).

This actually causes significant issues at treatment plants where the extra surge caused by heavy rainfall can overwhelm their holding and treating capacities and occasionally (or not so occasionally!) they release untreated sewage into the sea or river because they can't take any more. This is not as bad as it sounds when it happens (so the water companies would say, anyway) because when they do it's so diluted by the extra storm water, although the odd Richard the Third and non-soluble presumably still gets released into the wild.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Surely to god all rain water finds its way to the sewer system anyway!

Are you thick or something?

 

[xr4x4]

Indeed.

Surly the point of running gutters into soakaways is to put the water back into the water table?

 

[curriebeaky]

Surely to god all rain water finds its way to the sewer system anyway!

Are you thick or something?

Why are you asking whether I'm thick or not - does the answer have any bearing on this topic? Does my comment indicate that I'm thick or does it state an obvious point?

Just to let you know, and if I do say do myself, Ive had a very good education thank you.
I know how the environment works, how water is circulated from the surface of the earth into the atmosphere and back to earth etc etc (layman's terms for you there just in case)

When in a town most rain water MUST go through the sewer system. That is what the sewer system is for! It is to remove excess water and remove waste water.

I live in a town - not on a farm - I can see things being very different in a rural situation. I pay my water company for the waste removal so I have no problem 'redirecting' the water to the sewer. Anyway, my gutter has a downpipe straight to sewer system anyway so what would I being doing wrong.

I was offering some help to someone else and was 'semi insulted', unless you were actually asking a genuine question?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Surely to god all rain water finds its way to the sewer system anyway!

Are you thick or something?

Why are you asking whether I'm thick or not - does the answer have any bearing on this topic? Does my comment indicate that I'm thick or does it state an obvious point?

Just to let you know, and if I do say do myself, Ive had a very good education thank you.
I know how the environment works, how water is circulated from the surface of the earth into the atmosphere and back to earth etc etc (layman's terms for you there just in case)

When in a town most rain water MUST go through the sewer system. That is what the sewer system is for! It is to remove excess water and remove waste water.

I live in a town - not on a farm - I can see things being very different in a rural situation. I pay my water company for the waste removal so I have no problem 'redirecting' the water to the sewer. Anyway, my gutter has a downpipe straight to sewer system anyway so what would I being doing wrong.

I was offering some help to someone else and was 'semi insulted', unless you were actually asking a genuine question?

Yes I was asking genuine question. But you have answered it now. You are thick.

 

[RedHerring2]

@ curriebeakie,
don't let this, your first foray into diynot, put you off sticking around.
Some (lots) even most posters on here are usually helpful, but understandably get a little irate when someone gives unsound advice. Especially in their first or second post.

As a Newbie, stick to giving advice within your knowledge/experience base and you'll do OK. Posters are usually asking questions and expecting answers from experienced/knowledgable trades/persons.

FYI, look up SUDS as in Sustainable Drainage Systems.

 

[DIYJimboJones]

Hi,
I have the exact same problem as the original post topic states.

I have a shared gutter with a neighbour and they have the down pipe. We have limited space for our water butt so I want to connect it to the gutter, but what happens when the butt is full as there doesn't seem to be a valve system for sale.

Any clues or pointers?

 

[StephenW]

Is there any way you could put in a downpipe from your gutter, down far enough to fit the diverter (same level as the final water level in the butt) and then take it around the corner and connect to the downpipe lower down?