My son has asked me to put a tap in to drain his trough (it is filled
with stones, plants sit on top of the stones and water).
Are there any 'kits' around to do this, has anyone done this using off
the shelf plumbing parts are there any 'gotchas' I have to look out for?



I have a LOT of water to clear. Glove should give some idea of scale,
stones scraped out of the way to try to illustrate just how much water
is in this thing.
http://postimg.org/image/q8g7gfu7l/



Where I intend to mount the tap (hadn't realised just how grotty the
Greenhouse had become).
http://postimg.org/image/s0p76dz4x/

On 16/09/2014 14:01, soup wrote:

My son has asked me to put a tap in to drain his trough (it is filled
with stones, plants sit on top of the stones and water).
Are there any 'kits' around to do this, has anyone done this using off
the shelf plumbing parts are there any 'gotchas' I have to look out for?

I have a LOT of water to clear. Glove should give some idea of scale,
stones scraped out of the way to try to illustrate just how much water
is in this thing.
http://postimg.org/image/q8g7gfu7l/

Where I intend to mount the tap (hadn't realised just how grotty the
Greenhouse had become).
http://postimg.org/image/s0p76dz4x/

People involved in home-brewing sometimes modify barrels to add taps to
them and it is easy to do; once you have drilled the hole through, you
can add the tap via a bung. There might be better, more permanent ways
of achieving the same thing, of course.

"White Spirit" wrote

soup wrote:

My son has asked me to put a tap in to drain his trough (it is filled
with stones, plants sit on top of the stones and water).
Are there any 'kits' around to do this, has anyone done this using off
the shelf plumbing parts are there any 'gotchas' I have to look out for?

I have a LOT of water to clear. Glove should give some idea of scale,
stones scraped out of the way to try to illustrate just how much water
is in this thing.
http://postimg.org/image/q8g7gfu7l/

Where I intend to mount the tap (hadn't realised just how grotty the
Greenhouse had become).
http://postimg.org/image/s0p76dz4x/

People involved in home-brewing sometimes modify barrels to add taps to
them and it is easy to do; once you have drilled the hole through, you can
add the tap via a bung. There might be better, more permanent ways of
achieving the same thing, of course.

The problem as I see it is that the wooden box is lined with polythene to
keep the water in. You need a tap that will connect to the membrane and seal
it whilst having a long enough thread to pass through the wood. Whilst I
don't know the thickness of the wood it looks like a normal outside tap
would not have a long enough length of thread with the necessary large
washers to stop leakage.

Sealing the membrane with a large washer and some suitable sealant should
work.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 17:02:22 +0100, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:

"White Spirit" wrote

soup wrote:

My son has asked me to put a tap in to drain his trough (it is filled
with stones, plants sit on top of the stones and water).
Are there any 'kits' around to do this, has anyone done this using off
the shelf plumbing parts are there any 'gotchas' I have to look out for?

Where I intend to mount the tap (hadn't realised just how grotty the
Greenhouse had become).
http://postimg.org/image/s0p76dz4x/

The problem as I see it is that the wooden box is lined with polythene to
keep the water in. You need a tap that will connect to the membrane and seal
it whilst having a long enough thread to pass through the wood. Whilst I
don't know the thickness of the wood it looks like a normal outside tap
would not have a long enough length of thread with the necessary large
washers to stop leakage.

As he asked for std plumbing fittings he needs to ask at a plumbers
supplies for a bulkhead fitting like pictured here.
http://www.thepipefittings.com/bulkhead-fittings.html
in a size suitable for the thickness of the trough side and with a
thread for the tap he wishes to use
Other sources are online and ebay,and water garden centers who deal
with fish ponds for carp etc.
Personally I would get the Bulkhead fitting on ebay and use a water
butt tap sourced from wherever convenient.

G.Harman

On 16/09/2014 14:01, soup wrote:
My son has asked me to put a tap in to drain his trough (it is filled
with stones, plants sit on top of the stones and water).
Are there any 'kits' around to do this, has anyone done this using off
the shelf plumbing parts are there any 'gotchas' I have to look out for?



I have a LOT of water to clear. Glove should give some idea of scale,
stones scraped out of the way to try to illustrate just how much water
is in this thing.
http://postimg.org/image/q8g7gfu7l/



Where I intend to mount the tap (hadn't realised just how grotty the
Greenhouse had become).
http://postimg.org/image/s0p76dz4x/

Why not just syphon the water etc out?

On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 14:01:16 +0100, soup
wrote:

My son has asked me to put a tap in to drain his trough (it is filled
with stones, plants sit on top of the stones and water).


Why not just drill a few drain holes half way up, is there a reason
for a need to have the trough so wet? that way you get the plants
being irrigated, I guess that is its wanted to have some water
sitting in the bottom

In article ,
Derek wrote:

On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 14:01:16 +0100, soup
wrote:

My son has asked me to put a tap in to drain his trough (it is filled
with stones, plants sit on top of the stones and water).


Why not just drill a few drain holes half way up, is there a reason
for a need to have the trough so wet? that way you get the plants
being irrigated, I guess that is its wanted to have some water
sitting in the bottom

OK I'll chip in too: not sure what your son wants to achieve he looks
like a trough of water and gravel, which accommodates water- or
bog-plants, perhaps ... which he wants to drain now and again.

You cannot fit a tap without first emptying the trough: the tap needs to
be fastened securely from the inside.

What I would do is similar to Derek's suggestion above: I'd drill a hole
say 1/2" in diameter *at the bottom edge* (you don't want water sitting
forever in the bottom: it will get very nasty), and I would shove a cork
or something similar in it, to be removed when draining is required. I'd
put the hole round the back, or in the less-seen side.

John

My son has asked me to put a tap in to drain his trough (it is filled
with stones, plants sit on top of the stones and water).
Are there any 'kits' around to do this, has anyone done this using off
the shelf plumbing parts are there any 'gotchas' I have to look out for?



I have a LOT of water to clear. Glove should give some idea of scale,
stones scraped out of the way to try to illustrate just how much water
is in this thing.
http://postimg.org/image/q8g7gfu7l/



Where I intend to mount the tap (hadn't realised just how grotty the
Greenhouse had become).
http://postimg.org/image/s0p76dz4x/



Consider using a short length of threaded tube such as an in line malleable
iron pipe connector. With a threaded flat flange and plenty of plumbers goo
on either side. You can then screw any standard tap to the outside thread.

Mike

On 16/09/2014 19:27, David Hill wrote:

Why not just syphon the water etc out?

That's what I did last year (gets emptied at the end of the season) but
he wants (don't know why he doesn't empty the bleeping thing) a tap
fitted, This is just a bit of a thought/research to figure out if it
is easy enough to do, might yet tell him "no daddy can't do that". Son
has special needs so I tend to indulge him in his gardening (but if it
is expensive/awkward to do shall revert to the "no" option).

On 17/09/2014 07:24, Derek wrote:
Is there a reason
for a need to have the trough so wet? that way you get the plants
being irrigated, I guess that is its wanted to have some water
sitting in the bottom


Thinking about it yes, but it needn't be so deep instead of 4" of
stones we could use 1" of stones as long as the plant pots have
something to sit on.

Plant roots grow through the drain holes on the bottom of the pot(s)
and reach the water in the stones (that way they don't need watered
every day and if a watering is forgotten it is mot a catastrophe) . 4"
was chosen initially as that was the way neighbours had theirs but
thinking of how it works 1" would be perfectly adequate, now I just
need to tell #2son it's been wrong all this time.


Disclaimer:- I am not a Gardener (who said that's obvious?) but my son
is. He has himself a placement/training course out at Kevock garden
plants [1](not bad since the doctors said he would never talk/walk ,
everything is not rosy in his life but he is doing a LOT better than
initially thought) so we tend to indulge his Gardening.

[1] http://www.kevockgarden.co.uk/

"soup" wrote in message
...
On 16/09/2014 19:27, David Hill wrote:

Why not just syphon the water etc out?

That's what I did last year (gets emptied at the end of the season) but
he wants (don't know why he doesn't empty the bleeping thing) a tap
fitted, This is just a bit of a thought/research to figure out if it
is easy enough to do, might yet tell him "no daddy can't do that". Son
has special needs so I tend to indulge him in his gardening (but if it
is expensive/awkward to do shall revert to the "no" option).

Its easy to do, plumbers merchants will sell the kit, but any cold water
tank connecter would do the job (collars and rubber washers both sides)
should leave you with a standard screw thread to attach what ever you like

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk