Water butt empty in Exeter
Professional water butt empty services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£60
Typical Duration
30-45 mins
Location
Exeter, Devon
Water butt emptied safely and properly - drained without flooding your garden. Whether it's for winter storage, cleaning, or before a repair, it's sorted quickly and sensibly.
When You Need It Empty, Not Dumped Everywhere
Your water butt's full of water and needs emptying. Winter freeze risk, repairs needed, or you're moving it - doesn't really matter why.
What matters is getting 200+ litres of water out of it without creating a bog in your garden or spending an hour bucketing it yourself.
Quick job, but needs doing properly.
💡 Pro tip: In Exeter/Devon, hard winter freezes are rare but when they happen, full water butts can crack. Empty or lag them if temps are dropping.
Why Proper Emptying Matters
Just tipping it over creates a muddy mess and might damage your lawn or plants.
| ✅ Done Properly | ❌ Just Tipped Over |
|---|---|
| Water spread across suitable areas | One waterlogged patch |
| Drained gradually | Everything flooded at once |
| Lawn and plants fine | Soggy mess, possibly damaged grass |
| Clean job | Muddy chaos |
What's Involved
🔧 The Process
| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Drain | Use tap first, then bucket/siphon the rest |
| Distribute | Water spread to suitable garden areas |
| Disconnect | From downpipe if needed |
📦 You're Left With
- Empty water butt
- Garden not waterlogged
- Ready for next step (cleaning, storage, moving)
Pricing
| Job | Time | You'll Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Empty standard water butt | 30-45 mins | £60 |
Fixed price. Includes disconnecting from downpipe if needed.
Perfect For...
✅ Winter preparation - protecting from freeze damage
✅ Before cleaning - needs emptying first
✅ Moving/repositioning - can't shift it full
✅ Repair needed - crack or leak to fix
Why Choose Us for Water butt empty in Exeter?
Emptied without flooding your garden
Water drained to suitable areas
Ready for winter storage or maintenance
Quick job - usually under an hour
What to Expect
Step 1: Assess & Drain
Check how full it is, use the tap to drain what I can, then bucket or siphon the rest. Fastest method depends on the setup.
Step 2: Distribute Water
Spread it around suitable areas of your garden - beds, under trees, anywhere that drains well. Not all in one spot.
Step 3: Disconnect If Needed
If you want it disconnected from the downpipe (for storage, moving, etc.), I'll do that. Otherwise it stays connected ready for refilling.
🔧 DIY Tips
If you want to empty it yourself:
🔧 What you'll need
- Buckets (several if it's a big butt)
- Watering can (for spreading)
- Or: length of hose for siphoning
- Or: small pump if you have one
💧 Emptying methods
1. Using the tap:
- Easiest but slowest
- Direct it somewhere suitable with a hose
- Won't get the last 10-20 litres (below tap level)
2. Bucketing:
- Physical but effective
- Lean in and scoop (careful not to fall in!)
- Spread each bucketful around as you go
3. Siphoning:
- Needs a hose and understanding of physics
- Fill hose with water, block both ends
- One end in butt (high), other end lower elsewhere
- Release - water flows until butt's empty or hose level equals water
- YouTube has good tutorials
📍 Where to drain it
- Flower beds (they'll be fine)
- Under trees and shrubs
- Soakaway areas
- Gravel areas
- NOT: all in one spot on the lawn
- NOT: against house walls (damp issues)
⚠️ Safety warnings
- Water is heavy - don't try moving a full butt
- Leaning over to bucket? Don't fall in
- Wet ground gets slippery quickly
- 200 litres = 200kg - that's why you empty first
💡 Pro trick: If you're siphoning, start the siphon by sucking the hose until water flows, then quickly put it down to drain level. Once it's going, gravity does the work. (Or fill the whole hose first and plug both ends - less likely to get a mouthful of murky water.)
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
❄️ Winter freeze protection: If temperatures are forecast below -5°C for more than a night or two, empty butts can protect against cracking. Or lag them with old blankets/bubble wrap and leave a bit of airspace at top.
Planning to clean it after? Tell me - I can position it better for scrubbing while it's empty and light.
Moving house? Empty water butts are much easier to transport. Leave it to drain and dry for a day or two before moving if possible.
Massive water butt (500L+)? Will take longer - maybe 1-1.5 hours. I'll estimate properly when I know the size.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would I need to empty my water butt?
Most common reasons: winter freeze protection (full butts can crack when water freezes), you need to move it, it needs cleaning, or there's a repair needed. Some people empty them before winter and others leave them - depends on the butt and your situation.
What do you do with all the water?
Spread it around your garden in areas that can handle it - flower beds, under trees, soakaway areas. Not dumped in one spot which would waterlog your lawn. If you want it gone off the property, I can drain to the main drain instead.
Can you empty it even if it's completely full?
Yes - I use the tap first (if it works), then bucket or siphon out the rest. Takes a bit longer when it's absolutely full, but it's straightforward. Big butts (200+ litres) just take a bit more time.
Will emptying damage my lawn or plants?
Not if done properly. I spread it around rather than flood one area. It's just rainwater so plants are fine with it unless the butt's absolutely manky - in which case I'll drain it to the drain instead.
Do you disconnect it from the downpipe as well?
If needed, yes - especially if you're storing it empty over winter or need to move it. I'll reconnect it afterwards if you want, or leave it disconnected for winter. Your call.
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