How to build wheely-bin stand which can support 250kg?

[kmak]

We are going to use a wheely-bin as a water butt. To have the tap high up enough to get a watering can under it (but not 1 foot from the bottom of the butt), we need a stand. It needs to be able to live on the north side of the house, withstand being outside and support 250kg.

Does anyone have any advice they can give about a decent design?

We have plenty of pallet wood we can use but not much in the way of thick stuff. It would be important to support the flat base of the bin too.

 

[eribaMotters]

All I can advise on is keeping the thing out of sunlight. Whilst the effect of UV on the plastic does not normally need to be considered, it does have an effect when you have 250kg of water on the inside. My uncle found this out when two of the four wheelie-bins he uses as water butts exploded one summer.

Colin

 

[kmak]

All I can advise on is keeping the thing out of sunlight. Whilst the effect of UV on the plastic does not normally need to be considered, it does have an effect when you have 250kg of water on the inside. My uncle found this out when two of the four wheelie-bins he uses as water butts exploded one summer.

Colin

Thanks Colin, good warning! They will get late afternoon/evening sun, which is pretty warm. I presume by explode you mean that the side split due to weakening?

What does he sit them on?

 

[dizjasta]

Is a 45 gallon drum on a brickwork plinth out of the question?

 

[powertools]

Brick work and a paving slab.

 

[eribaMotters]

Thanks Colin, good warning! They will get late afternoon/evening sun, which is pretty warm. I presume by explode you mean that the side split due to weakening?

What does he sit them on?

He just wheeled them into place over his concrete paving slabs.

 

[kmak]

He just wheeled them into place over his concrete paving slabs.

Thanks. Our surface is fully flat there and I would like to be able to get something under the tap, only reason I want to raise it.

 

[kmak]

Is a 45 gallon drum on a brickwork plinth out of the question?

No, just using wheely-bin to make it easier to move if we need to. Would still need to be all but empty, but it would have wheels and handles.

Can the bricks be just piled or would they need mortar? We need something moveable.

 

[kmak]

Brick work and a paving slab.

Just piled/placed (e.g. drystone style) or with mortar?

 

[Jameshow]

Just piled/placed (e.g. drystone style) or with mortar?

I would use mortar you don't want it topping.

Or use concrete blocks laid flat X4 for each level you prob want 3 levels 12"

Or 3x3 timber posts and cls frame with diagonals too.

 

[kmak]

I would use mortar you don't want it topping.

Or use concrete blocks laid flat X4 for each level you prob want 3 levels 12"

Or 3x3 timber posts and cls frame with diagonals too.

Thanks. We might try the 3x3 timber. We do need to keep the option of moving the whole lot if we need to.

 

[Matt_0222]

You may not want to go down this road, but a built-for-purpose 210l water butt from B&Q with stand, tap and diverter included are only £40 each at the moment. Wickes are selling the same 210l for £40 inc. stand & accessories too. By the time you're sorted on the stand, accessories etc. you might not be saving that much.

I did read about someone years ago during the petrol shortage who stored fuel in their wheelie bin. That split too—except they had to evacuate the whole neighbourhood to make it safe from the petrol spillage! Hard to tell if it's a rare occurrence or they are just not designed for it (my guess is the shape is not optimised for that kind of loading/bulging caused by the water)

 

[Matt_0222]

This was an interesting post on wheelie bin water butts: How to Build a Self-Cleaning Rainwater Tank from a Wheelie Bin. It had an interesting self-cleaning overflow design too.

 

[Richard_C]

Put the tap hole higher up, reduces useable capacity but a lot easier. If you are desperate for the last dregs in dry weather you can buy a stirrup pump.

 

[Agent_zed]

I used an old copper water cylinder for my water butt, which actually looks pretty cool and also wont degrade anytime soon. I just used some offcuts of 6x2 timber to build 2 squares one on top of the other and then topped it with the 6x2 to make a box around 14inches high. More than strong enough for 250kg, would probably take over a ton easily.

If you think about 250kg its only about the weight of 2 large people. If you look at a wooden bench that will take 2 or 3 people they aren't that big timbers and normally over a large span. A small square box out of pallet wood is going to be easily strong enough if you build it right.

 

[trvlr]

A couple of the typical concrete or similar building blocks will do the job nicely; very solid and no way they will collapse.

I have two water butts on such blocks - and they raise the butt high enuff to fill a watering can comfortably. I use a typical outdoor tap (as per say an intended hose connection) as the outlet, rather than the plastic things so often sold to same end. Easy to fit and you know they won't snap off or crack etc.

 

[kmak]

A couple of the typical concrete or similar building blocks will do the job nicely; very solid and no way they will collapse.

I have two water butts on such blocks - and they raise the butt high enuff to fill a watering can comfortably. I use a typical outdoor tap (as per say an intended hose connection) as the outlet, rather than the plastic things so often sold to same end. Easy to fit and you know they won't snap off or crack etc.

Thanks. I will also be getting normal taps - because they let the water out at a decent rate.

 

[kmak]

You may not want to go down this road, but a built-for-purpose 210l water butt from B&Q with stand, tap and diverter included are only £40 each at the moment. Wickes are selling the same 210l for £40 inc. stand & accessories too. By the time you're sorted on the stand, accessories etc. you might not be saving that much.

I did read about someone years ago during the petrol shortage who stored fuel in their wheelie bin. That split too—except they had to evacuate the whole neighbourhood to make it safe from the petrol spillage! Hard to tell if it's a rare occurrence or they are just not designed for it (my guess is the shape is not optimised for that kind of loading/bulging caused by the water)

Thanks, we already have the bins though.

Another possibility for the bin full of petrol splitting is that petrol is a solvent. It may have weakened the plastic due to it not being the right type of plastic.

 

[trvlr]

I wouldn't counsel let alone even consider anything that had held petorl or other solvents for water storage. No way to knowhow the plastic may have been affected; let alone residual nastie poisonous aspects...

 

[kmak]

I wouldn't counsel let alone even consider anything that had held petorl or other solvents for water storage. No way to knowhow the plastic may have been affected; let alone residual nastie poisonous aspects...

The bins haven't been used for anything. The above was in response to a news article someone saw.