Thanks to its beehive design, it certainly looks impressive, but how does it compare to the more traditional designs out there? I put this water butt to the test to find out. If space isn’t too much of an issue, water butts of between 250 – 300 litres are standard size. They’re the best water butts for most domestic small/medium gardens.

Also, unlike the other water butts that I reviewed, where the downfill pipe attached into the side of the water butt, this one connects via its lid . This is unusual, but neither good nor bad. Capture all’ filters come by many names, including downpipe filters, downpipe guards, downpipe leaf catchers, downpipe leaf traps, and downpipe leaf filters. These all capture coarse debris, leaves etc. In all of these maintenance of the filter is required to remove the debris.Use a watering can rather than a hose pipe as this will significantly reduce the amount of water you use It’s easy to see why slimline water butts are so popular, and the Charles Bentley 100l Slimline Water Butt Setis one of the bestselling models out there. I put it to the test, and unsurprisingly it come out as one of the best water butts if you’re after a slimline model.

Water butts come in a range of sizes. Naturally, having a small water butt is better than none, so even a 100 L model can be useful, especially in small gardens. Follow the instructions supplied with the butt to ensure your model is installed in the correct way. Generally, there are two main ways of fitting a water butt in your garden. You can remove the lower part of a down pipe, so the upper part runs directly into a butt placed beneath it, adding an overflow pipe to take excess water away to the drain. If you’ve set the water butt up in a very windy location, you could potentially tie a strap around it to keep it sturdy – the indents in the design should make this easy. This water butt’s biggest draw is its slimline design . Not only does this mean that it doesn’t take up much room, but it also gives it a sleeker look , as opposed to the larger and chunkier water butts out there. However, its compact construction does also mean that its storage capacity is limited to 100 litres – whether or not this is enough for you will depend on what you need a water butt for.

Choosing a Water Butt

Drill a hole in the side of the water butt, 8cm down from the top. The hole needs to be just the right size to fit the connector fitting of the diverter through. Fit the connector piece in place by pushing it through the hole you just drilled and screwing the supplied washer and nut on. All water butts should be sold with a lid, both for safety and to keep the water fresh by stopping leaves and other debris from falling in. If you have young children, look out for water butts that feature a child-safe lid. Pre-drilled holes – these make it a lot easier to set up the water butt. If holes are not pre-drilled, you will need to make a hole of around 25-30 mm to connect the water diverter. Given that most people don’t have a drill bit of this size, this can be quite a difficult process. If you want a water butt with pre-cut holes, try to find a model with several pre-cut, plugged holes on different sides of the water butt. This will give flexibility on where the diverter can be connected, and where the water butt can be positioned.

Its slimline design means that this water butt is taller and narrower than a traditional water butt which saves a fair bit of space. It’s easy to see why this water butt appeals to such a wide range of people. It’s sleek enough to sit inconspicuously in the corner of small gardens, yet it’s also slim enough to be lined up in a row of connected water butts to contribute to a larger water storage system. It’s one of the best water butts if you’re after a slimline design. If you have a traditional cottage garden and don’t want a big plastic barrel to spoil the look, then you can buy genuine oak whiskey barrels. Plastic butts in the style of terracotta pots, stone containers and wooden barrels are also available. If you have a large roof and need to store a lot of water, you can connect two or more butts up together or invest in a really large storage tank.Water butts with rain water diverters are designed to collect water from the down pipe and still let the overflow enter the drain or soakaway. Watering too often can keep roots shallow and weaken plants; wait for signs that the plant is suffering before watering If you have the space you could consider connecting several butts together with a linking kit to increase the amount you can store. When one butt is full the water will automatically flow into the next. Keeping the water fresh With a capacity of 227 litres , this was the largest of the water butts that I tested. It’s pretty chunky in design, but the fact that it’s green means that it would blend well into a garden. The recycled plastic construction feels strong and sturdy . In fact, all of the connections that come with this water butt are noticeably tougher, more robust, and higher quality than those supplied with the other water butts I reviewed. If the building runs on a metered water system, any water that is used to water plants, clean cars or fill up paddling pools can significantly add to your water bill. Using a rainwater diverter to direct rainwater from the roofline drainage into a water butt results in a free source of water that can be used for these activities.

There’s no denying that most of the water butts available on the market look pretty drab and boring, but the Sankey 150l Beehive Water Butt shows that this doesn’t always need to be the case. An instant attention-grabber, this water butt is easy easily one of the best water butts in terms of aethetics.The results in the all too common hosepipe ban restricting water usage in your garden. Installing one or more water butts to save rainwater is the best way to create a ready supply of free water for your plants, protecting you from having to go without when there is a ban in place. First, work out how often you’ll be using your water butt. If you plan on filling a watering can a few times a week, then a 100 litre water butt would probably suffice, considering that the average watering can holds 10 litres. These water butts also usually have slimmer designs that take up less space.