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Sankey Waterbutt 100L
by Unhappy Butt
I Bought several Sankey water butts just before 'Declared Drought of 2012', because Sankey products supposedly had a good reputation. I purchased 3 x 200 litre butts for allotment this year and 1 slimline butt with stand for our small garden. All 3 x 200 litre butts failed within weeks and were replaced three times. Finally gave up ... and bought Ward manufacture 200 litre butts (had bought 2 'Ward' make ones 2 years ago, no problem). Slightly more expensive, but a lot more durable. It would appear that the Sankey butts are designed to be Eco friendly, but they decompose a little too quickly perhaps. Slimline butt lasted nearly 4 months, but split underneath today, it's going back tomorrow for a refund. Tip of the week: If you buy a Sankey butt, keep your receipt! I telephoned Sankey customer services who told me that the large 200 litre butts are prone to transit damage, personally I think they are too thin material, probably re-cycled old milk bottles. These butts were filled after the cold weather, so no idea how they would cope with freezing water inside them during a cold snap!
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Sankey 100-Litre Slim Space-Saver Water Butt
by tirial
The Sankey Waterbutt is a compact design holding 100 liters of water, and ideal for small or compact gardens where space is at a premium. It can also save you money on water bills.
Bought on its own the water butt consists of three items: a screw-in tap, lid and butt. However I bought this as part of a Sankey Kit from the ... garden centre, complete with stand and downpipe connector, and it is often sold that way.
The butt is dark green, tall, but narrow, with a rounded off square footprint. The flat sides make it easy to fit into corners or against a wall, particularly useful in small gardens where space is at a premium. When empty it is surprisingly light for its size, but also very tough. We've had ours a couple of years and it has lasted through snow, freezes and gales without problems.
The lid is curved rather than flat, and clicks into place. To remove it you fit your fingers into the gap and pop it upwards. To replace it, you put it on and press down until it clicks. It is very obvious if the lid is not on securely, a feature I wanted because of the amount of wildlife around here, and it would be very difficult for an animal to accidentally remove it. The tap comes supplied and simply screws into the prefitted hole. It is a simple lever-tap which turns between open and shut positions to control the water flow.
The plastic is completely opaque, which removes algee problems, but means there is no way to tell how full the waterbutt is from the outside. You need to remove the top to check. However the extra height means that when full it gives good water pressure.
You could use this without the stand as long as the butt is placed on a perfectly flat surface to make sure the base is supported. On an uneven or rough surface like paving or gravel, the stand is necessary. Also, there is a slight curve inwards at the base, and I would be concerned that it could be pulled down or blown over without the stand. The stand is a piece of shaped black plastic about a foot (30cm) high with little claw feet that hold the base of the waterbutt, and a wider base area for added stability. It also lifts the waterbutt so that things like watering cans can fit under the tap to fill (there's a moulded inset in the base to allow space for them).
You could simply buy the butt on its own and fill it by hand, for example if you are on an allotment with no gutter to connect it to. If this is the case you will not need any tools to set this up. However, it works best if connected to the gutter directly to fill itself. The connector is designed for this, and even has an inbuilt overflow system so once the waterbutt is full extra water goes down the drain.
To connect the downpipe connector, you will need a drill and a saw. The instructions are basic, well-written and easy to follow. It took us about an hour, most of which was arguing about the height. At its most basic the process is as follows: At the top of the waterbutt are two flat round inserts, one on each side. You drill a hole in the side you want and attach the hose from the connector to the butt by the supplied nut-and-thread fitting. Then you cut a piece out of the downpipe and slide the connector itself into the gap. This can be done with the downpipe in place on the wall. However, read the instructions before cutting, since the final height of the cut matters!
You can also use these rounded sections to attach waterbutts together for extra storage, useful if you have a main downpipe that receives a lot of rain. The only drawback is that each waterbutt is linked at the top, so will still empty through its own tap. For people with larger water requirements there is a larger version of this waterbutt available that holds 250 litres, and it may be better to buy that.
Using a waterbutt really does help with the garden, especially if you want to use rainwater for organic gardening. It can also save you money on water bills, especially if you are on a meter or live in an area where the water company gives discounts on water that does not enter the drains.
To get the best out of this waterbutt for the garden you want to get the connector and stand as well. However, if you are just looking for water storage, perhaps in a shed or garage, this would be ideal on its own. We've had no complaints about it - in fact we liked it so much we bought a second!
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Hozelock Bioforce UVC 8000 Pond Filter
by aefra
Technology doesn't actually sprint past me, but I tend to be looking the other way as its gentle jog leaves me behind. Nothing too retro, just putting up with inconveniences because I hadn't realised that things could be different. So it is that over the past decade I have found maintaining my 2000 gallon fish pond gradually more time ... consuming as well as expensive. Sitting grandly surrounded by raised beds and in front of a trellis - formerly hiding "the works" - it contains my precious fish. A couple of these are more than 30 years old and another five not far behind.
Until recently the works consisted of a giant black plastic tank on bricks containing another smaller tank, within which a filter medium cleaned the water flowing back to the pond via a large UV unit beside it. Once or twice a year I needed to empty this reservoir sized monstrosity before cleaning it of the nasties which had accumulated since the last time. Added to this was the fact that something drastic was about to happen. My helpful fortnightly gardener didn't have to point out the bulging sides of the tank, but his prognosis made it clear that something should be done fast if I were not to be the cause of a flood of Noah-like dimensions cascading into next door's garden. In any case, my system was clearly no longer doing its job as I battled weed and algae.
I had already discovered that Hozelock had brought things up to date when replacing my submerged pump and separate UV unit, so made straight for their shelf in my local pond and aquarium centre. I was looking for a suitable tank with the appropriate 2" holes already cut for the pipe work and hoping that the boot of my small car would be large enough to carry it home.
The Hozelock Bioforce 8000 which was to be my choice is 270mmx270mmx456mm (10.6"x 10.6"x 18" in old money). The hose needed would be only 1" internal diameter. Something had to be missing and I asked for help from an assistant. He assured me that this was the complete job and when installed would only show a few inches above the ground. What is more it contained an integral UV bulb and dispensed with the need for the final bulky piece of equipment. Oh Joy! I happily left the store hugging the box and telephoned my obliging gardener.
The Bioforce consists of a neat round head with a white tube hanging beneath which contains a UV lamp. For the uninitiated, water passes over the lamp and causes that awful algae to clump and so not green the water. Sunk into the ground, backfilled with sand and close to my pond is now a neat container holding three doughnut - shaped biomedia foam pads one on top of the other. The pads being this shape offer a central hole in which the tube beneath the head slots when it is lowered, before being fastened with 7 clips. All that remains is to connect hoses from the submerged pump and back out towards the pond. In my garden the outlet hose leads to a little rill which pours as a waterfall into the pond. A generous length of cable leads to the electric point. What is left for the eye is a few inches of grey plastic head from which 2 neat hoses enter and leave.
To summarise; I began with a vast ugly tank needing many yards of hose and accessed behind a fence and now have a small device behind my pond, easily hidden by plants and needing a very few feet of pipe. So a good start, but how efficient is this little machine and how high maintenance?
I already knew that it would take a while for the water to clear and, sure enough, I found myself daily removing thick floating algae from the surface of the pond. At least this meant that the UV lamp was working. It took a few weeks before I noticed that the water was becoming less murky. Then one morning all was clear and clean and it has remained so, even on sunny algae - forming days, during the past few months of early spring and summer. The water which gurgles into the pond is clear and I can see my precious fish.
Coldwater fish, especially those the size of mine, need a regularly maintained environment. This has become a pleasant pastime once a week instead of a daily unproductive chore. I rinse away water- slowing solids from the submerged pump weekly. However, the Bioforce has needed hardly any attention. In fact it has proved to be a formality which I have attempted only twice since installing it.
I unclip the part of the filter exposed above the shingle behind the pond. Lifting the head I lay it carefully to one side (after all it contains that UV lamp) and reach down for the filter foam rings. A quick rinse out in the bowl I have taken with me and they are replaced and the head tightened into place. I would stress that all the clips must be securely back in place. Switching the electricity back on (don't forget to switch off first) I hear the welcome gurgle of water flowing once again through the Bioforce and out into the pond.
A UV bulb should be replaced every 6 months, the instructions for doing so are not complicated and my trusty gardener will do this for me. The violet glow can be clearly seen from above the head of the filter to show that all is well; however, it is not advisable to look actually into the light. The foam medium is replaceable, but I can't see me needing to do this for a long, long time.
The cost of this little wonder varies a lot. I paid £130 from Swallow Aquatics, yet have seen it at Amazon for £114 and much less on other sites. Do I think it worth the cost? Absolutely. I am delighted with the space I have reclaimed where once there was an untidy tank and "works" as well as the clear water, weed free pond and lack of attention needed.
Note: The instruction booklet states that the device does not have to be buried.
There are other sizes available to deal with higher or lower volumes of water than the 8000 provides.
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