dripping tap - water butt

2012paddy2012

Have 2 nd water butt returned first - small tap leak- not bringing this one back - drip is driving me nuts!!
Any diy guy come up with a home made handy solution?
Just looking to make up something handy that I can srick over tap to stop drop - that I can just remove when I need to - like piece of hose or something-
Ita just the tap exit water exit area-

Thks
See pic's

jack of all

Where is the water dripping from? Is it coming from the tap itself or from where the tap body enters the butt? I had a leak from the tap where it entered the butt which was easily solved. The lock nut on the inside of the barrel is only plastic and gave a poor grip plus the washers supplied were rubbish. I was able to replace this with a standard brass tap back nut (1/2", available from DIY or any plumbers merchant) combined with replacement fibre washer and bit of silicone on the inside for good measure. No drips no, 2 years on. If the tap itself is dripping it may be just a bit of grit in the tap body, separate the two parts and give them a clean, spray a little silicone lubricant inside and reassemble.

2012paddy2012

jack of all wrote: »

Where is the water dripping from? Is it coming from the tap itself or from where the tap body enters the butt? I had a leak from the tap where it entered the butt which was easily solved. The lock nut on the inside of the barrel is only plastic and gave a poor grip plus the washers supplied were rubbish. I was able to replace this with a standard brass tap back nut (1/2", available from DIY or any plumbers merchant) combined with replacement fibre washer and bit of silicone on the inside for good measure. No drips no, 2 years on. If the tap itself is dripping it may be just a bit of grit in the tap body, separate the two parts and give them a clean, spray a little silicone lubricant inside and reassemble.

Just tap is leak.
Thkz

Thoie

If you can't fix the tap, could you just put a bit of hosepipe from the tap back into the water barrel? You might need to drill a hole in the top to put the hose in, but if it's staying there permanently, a bit of sugru will make the top water-tight.

2012paddy2012

Thoie wrote: »

If you can't fix the tap, could you just put a bit of hosepipe from the tap back into the water barrel? You might need to drill a hole in the top to put the hose in, but if it's staying there permanently, a bit of sugru will make the top water-tight.

Ok if I attach hose to the tap - then run it up along the exterior of barrell ? Just the hole then if I drill it is just to keep water back in barrell until required? Sounds veryhandy workable and do able thks

Will try it later

Tabnabs

Make up a little wooden bung and stick it in the tap, job done without any fuss.

dodzy

You could possibly change the stock plastic tap for one of these.....

jack of all

dodzy wrote: »

You could possibly change the stock plastic tap for one of these.....

You could, but I reckon the butt would need a reinforcement plate (as used in attic storage tanks for ballcocks) to resist movement and accommodate the weight.

Thoie

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

Ok if I attach hose to the tap - then run it up along the exterior of barrell ? Just the hole then if I drill it is just to keep water back in barrell until required? Sounds veryhandy workable and do able thks

Will try it later

I've had a rethink, and it's a bad idea - will explain later.

dodzy

jack of all wrote: »

You could, but I reckon the butt would need a reinforcement plate (as used in attic storage tanks for ballcocks) to resist movement and accommodate the weight.

Possibly, yes. Really depends on the bore size of the existing hole. Eitherway, twud be easy enough with the extensive range of plumbing fittings available in this day & age.

Thoie

Thoie wrote: »

If you can't fix the tap, could you just put a bit of hosepipe from the tap back into the water barrel? You might need to drill a hole in the top to put the hose in, but if it's staying there permanently, a bit of sugru will make the top water-tight.

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

Ok if I attach hose to the tap - then run it up along the exterior of barrell ? Just the hole then if I drill it is just to keep water back in barrell until required? Sounds veryhandy workable and do able thks

Will try it later

Thoie wrote: »

I've had a rethink, and it's a bad idea - will explain later.

So the reason it's a bad idea is that I forgot about gravity (it's been a long day). I was thinking of the water from the drip travelling up the hose and back into the water butt. Because of gravity, that's unlikely to happen unless there's a loooottt of water. What would probably happen is that a bunch of water would collect in the hose near the tap, and then when you'd take it off the tap, the water would just fall out into the same spot that is already damp.

So my other genius idea is a short length of hose from the tap to the existing drain on the left. Fix the hose down neatly along the wall (leaving yourself enough wiggle room at the tap end), so you can just take the hose on and off easily. I'd also use a hoselock type connection on the tap end, so that you won't be yanking and pulling at the tap each time.

wowy

Thoie wrote: »

So my other genius idea is a short length of hose from the tap to the existing drain on the left. Fix the hose down neatly along the wall (leaving yourself enough wiggle room at the tap end), so you can just take the hose on and off easily. I'd also use a hoselock type connection on the tap end, so that you won't be yanking and pulling at the tap each time.

I got the level wrong on the downpipe, so now my water butt will overflow rather than drain the excess through the downpipe.

I did what you suggest as an overflow, and it's easy to disconnect with the hoselock when I need it.