Prestige Water Butt FAQs

1. Can the Prestige Water Butt be mounted asymmetrically around the downpipe. 

Yes is the short answer, see this image. Simply remove one of the two planter caps in the top of the water butt and direct the downpipe into the tank. This provides ~14cm offset perfect if your downpipe is coming down the edge of a wall. A typical gully drain is 30-40cm wide so no modification to the outlet pipe should be required. If it is an issue simply purchase a downpipe offset kit here. 

2. I've been asked to provide rainwater attenuation storage for my new house extension can the Prestige Water Butt be used for this? 

Yes. Please give us a call to discuss your requirements in more detail. 

3. Can more than one water butt be linked together? 

Yes. The linking kits are free for more than one purchase. See this image here. Simply fix the secondary water butts ~20mm higher than the primary water butt. This ensures the primary overflow is the operating overflow and the secondary water butt overflows do not operate. Simply screw the linking kits into the 3/4" female moulded fittings in the tank. The linking kit is supplied with ~30cm of hose this can be snipped to suit. PTFE is useful for all threaded or barbed fittings to prevent small leaks.

4. Can the Prestige water butt be used to use to fill remote water butts?

Yes the Prestige water butt can act as a rainwater hub. Simply attach a length of hose between the Prestige water butt and the remote water butt. Please note that the Prestige water butt will fill other remote water butts to the level of its overflow. Ideally the receiving water butt will be set such that the top is level with the Prestige overflow and so only the Prestige overflow comes into operation. If it is set lower an overflow will be required on the receiving water butt however this will also determine the max level in the Prestige. This is an effective method of achieving high yield since there are no low diverter losses when compared to a conventional diverter during high intensity storms. 

5. Is the Prestige water butt suitable for my wall. 

The Prestige water butt is suitable for traditional solid brick construction. The fixings supplied are suitable for this construction type. If the property is different (e.g. timber, steel, concrete block, extruded/hollow brick) and alternative fixings will be required to suit. The fixings MUST NOT  be fixed into mortar, which is much weaker than solid brick and has no holding strength.

6. The brackets don't appear square, is that right?

Well spotted! That's correct the concealed L-brackets are not quite 90 degrees this is to fit with the base of the water butt and allow the water butt to "lean back" against the wall, when fitted in the correct orientation. Once filed the brackets allow the butt to move on the brackets.

7. Which drill bit and driver bit should I use ? 

The current masonry drill bit required is 8mm for the plugs and PZ3 for the driver. The fixings are suitable for SOLID BRICK only. 

8. Does the Prestige bulge when full like other slimline water butts?

All water butts bulge when full, some noticeably more than others. The degree of bulging depends on the shape and the reinforcement. Circular/cylindrical tanks appear to bulge less than rectangular tanks since the bulging is uniform i.e bulging in all directions equally. Rectangular tanks appear to bulge more since the bulging is likely to occur unequally i.e different faces will deform unequally. Part of the Prestige's patented design has a bulge reduction feature which limits bulging. This is the reason for the hole in the front which runs through to the back - a tension bar.

9. Can the inside be cleaned?

Yes. Simply pop a hose into the tank via the top planter access and either remove the tap or side bung and allow the fine silt to be washed out into a bucket. Once removed the tap can also be cleaned by soaking in warm water and running water through it.

10. Should I drain the tank in winter?

When the mould was first made the note regarding "Drain In Winter" was included as precautionary. Over 25 years The Original Wall Mounted Water butt Company (now Prestige Water) learned 2 things: 

1. A tank sat against a house will very rarely  freeze due to it being in contact with thermal mass of the house 
2. Since MDPE is a frost proof and the tank is vented to atmosphere i.e. not pressurised, freezing does not cause an issue. The additional volume simply occupies the space available to it as it would if water was left in a barrel and froze. 

11. Will this fit 65mm square downpipe? 

Yes, the inlet hole is 80mm diameter and a square imprint has been provided for 65mm square downpipe, see here. The corners of the imprint  may require minor trimming to allow the square downpipe to enter. An alternative is to use a square to circular adaptor -widely available. The raised inlet box section is 100mm square, the hidden rebate is ~95mm wide and 105mm deep at the apex.

12. What diameter is the overflow spigot and how does it work?

The overflow spigot is stepped, the main diameter is 61mm to suit 68, 65,70,75 and 80mm downpipe this steps down to 53mm outer diameter so it can fit inside old cast iron down pipe ( 2 1/2"). 

The spigot simply enters the discharge downpipe spigot-socket, since the water runs under gravity as opposed to pressure a seal is not required as with all downpipe connections.  

13. Can the overflow be blocked off?

It is not recommened to block the overflow as excess rainwater will spill from the top of the water butt during rainfall. However the overflow can be blocked by placing a round cap in the overflow and sealing this with a sealant.

14. In the central position does the water butt collect all the inflow? 

The short answer is no. As water runs off the deflector most water runs into the tank but some water runs on the underside of the deflector and back out out the tank. This is referred to as the Coanda effect and the result of the 'stickiness' of the water. This effect reduces with the intensity of rainfall since more flow is transferred off the deflector. For 100% yield one of the side inlets should be used.

15. My bung or tap has started to leak

All water butts expand and contract depending on their fullness and the ambient temperature. This movement can, over time, result in the threaded components becoming loose resulting in minor leakage. To resolve this issue simply tighten the bung or tap by screwing clockwise a quarter of a turn and assessing/repeating until the leakage of has stopped. The aim is to compress the gasket between the flange of the tap/bung and the tank such that the seal is reformed. An alternative is to remove the bung/tap and apply PTFE tape on the male thread and re tighten. This method forms a seal between the male and female thread. All the Prestige water butts are supplied with a spare bung, this should be retained so the bung may be replaced if required. 

16. The tank appear to leak from the base/where the downpipe exits

The likely explanation for this is that the overflow spigot does not enter the outgoing downpipe. This may have occurred during installation or potentially after installation if the outgoing downpipe is not fixed in position. A number of fitters use a single small screw (with sealant) to fix the outgoing downpipe into the spigot to ensure the downpipe remains on the spigot. An alternative is to measure the outgoing downpipe outlet from the floor when properly located  on the spigot prior to fitting. Once fitted this measurement should remain the same if correctly located. 

With the outgoing downpipe in its current position the outgoing downpipe can be gently rocked to develop a sense whether it has been fixed in position or placed loose in position. If its dropped over time the spigot of the tank may not be entering the outgoing downpipe. This may be a simple fixing by simple moving the outgoing downpipe up and locating it on the spigot and re-tightening the outgoing downpipe clips.

An alternative is that the tank has developed a leak (covered under guarantee). To check this remove the tank form the wall. Fill the tank with a hosepipe and check for leaks. This task is best performed with two people and the tank raised on a plinth. 

17. How long is the guarantee on the Prestige Water butt

The guarantee period is 1 year on the body of the tank. Typically any manufacturing defects will reveal themselves at installation, first filling or shortly afterward. The tank is largely static and bar the tap there are no moving parts. The Prestige water butt has been on the UK market for 25 years+ and some of the original tanks remain in use today. If a fault does develop after 1 year technical support will still be available. Furthermore, a full inventory of spares are available here. 

18. Prestige Water ‘End-of-Life’ Policy:

MDPE is an extremely hard wearing material and some of the Original Prestige water butts are still in use today - 25 years after production! If the tank has come to the end of its useful life please inform the Retailer or Distributor and collection will be arranged so the item can be recycled. There will be a nominal cost for this service.