A single water butt is great, but if you have a large garden, greenhouse, or allotment, you’ll almost certainly want more capacity. The solution is simple: connect multiple butts together.
Why Daisy-Chain?
Connecting two or more water butts effectively gives you one large tank. When the first butt fills, water flows into the second, and so on. This means:
- More storage for dry spells
- Less overflow wasted during heavy rain
- One tap serves all connected butts
- No need for additional downpipe connections
What You’ll Need
Most water butts have pre-drilled holes that accept a linking kit. The kit typically includes:
- Short lengths of hose or rigid pipe
- Sealing gaskets
- Connector nuts
How to Connect Them
Position the butts next to each other on level stands or a firm base. The bases of the butts should be at the same height — otherwise, the lower butt will overfill before the higher one is full.
Connect the linking hose between the outlet of one butt and the inlet of the next. Most kits use a simple push-fit or threaded connector. Hand-tighten only to avoid cracking the plastic.
Fit the tap to the butt that’s most convenient for filling watering cans — usually the end butt.
How Many Can You Connect?
There’s no hard limit, but three or four 200-litre butts (600-800 litres total) is a practical maximum for most homes. Beyond that, you’re better off looking at a larger rainwater harvesting tank.
A three-butt daisy chain will keep most gardens watered through a two-week dry spell without issue. It’s one of the best upgrades you can make to your rainwater harvesting setup.