Mending a water butt

[Shaolin]

We have an old water butt fed from the garage roof. It's about 6' tall and 18" diameter made of corrugated steel with the corrugations going hoop-wise (if that makes sense).

There's now an irregular hole about the size of a 10p piece about 6" from the bottom of the butt courtesy of the corner of a brick.

Is there any way I can repair this or is it a case of buy a new one? I can't see how I could clean and dry the inside around the hole, it's concreted in place for a start and it's too narrow for me to fit into it if I could get it off. So the only possibility seems to be an external repair of some sort, but what to use? any suggestions?

[Olf]

pull a plastic bag through the hole leaving most of the bag on the inside and let the water pressure do the rest. Non?
Or some fibre glass.

Edited by Olf on Friday 30th October 18:18

[Busamav]

I would suggest you make up 2 rubber gaskets from an old inner tube ( doubled up )
then using 2 large washers and a large nut, and bolt them up through the hole .

Does that make sense ? started the beer a little early tonight

[Wings]

Try making what was once obtainable called a "pot mender". This can be made by useing 2 by 1½” outside diameter by ¼” inside diameter metal washers, use one washer outside and one washer inside water butt hole, fixing both washers with ¼” x 1” machine threaded bolt and nut. Before tightening bolt and nut, use either silicon or gasket seal between washers and water butt hole.

[Eggman]

The inside washer might present a challenge if the tank is 6 feet high, though. I would be tempted to pull the edges of the hole together as much as possible, then use a wide headed pop rivet to attach a repair washer with a rubber gasket cut from inner tube.

Then I'd probably slosh the whole area with mastic to provide a durable and workman-like finish guaranteed to delight the eye of SWMBO

[HRG.]

Plastic Metal (AKA Repair Putty) should do the job as long as the butt is properly cleaned, keyed and dry before you put it on.

[Eggman]

Another thought: as an alternative to using a pop rivet, you could use a type of cavity wall fixing that turns out to be called a 'spring toggle'. (Like the ones shown here)

[Shaolin]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I should be able to get the outside clean with a wire brush on a drill, it's the inside that is dirty and wet with no real way of cleaning or drying. I'll go out and buy a few bits and bobs tomorrow with a view to pulling "something" spongy and water-tight close to the outside by a bolt and washer of some description, may have to dangle the youngest inside by his ankles to put that bit in place.

I've just been staring at it going errr.... so all the suggestions are welcome

[HRG.]

Get a drill pump from a DIY shop and pump it empty

[Busamav]

HRG. said:

Get a drill pump from a DIY shop and pump it empty

I am guessing that the 10p size hole 6" from the bottom would have just about dealt with that problem

[grumbledoak]

Quite impressed at the engineering knowledge in the suggestions! To offer an alternative viewpoint, have you checked the price of a new one? You can waste £20 worth of time and effort quite quickly if you try...

http://www.waterbuttsdirect.co.uk/standardbutts.ht...

[Eggman]

Men fix things.

[grumbledoak]

Eggman said:

Men fix break things. And hit their thumbs with hammers.

EFA

[Eggman]

You forgot the bit about it taking much longer than expected. Underestimating the job is an essential part of man maths.