If you want to fill a watering can from a water butt, the stand often makes the setup convenient. The tap needs to be high enough to get the can underneath and move it away when full.
The stand on my 100-litre Mini Rainsaver kit puts the outlet at a useful height for small watering jobs. Getting the base level and the tap seated squarely made assembly straightforward. I’d check those details before buying a separate stand: the kit may already include one.
Here’s how to measure what you need and support the substantial weight safely.
Measure the watering can first
Use your own can for the test. The height of its filling opening matters, and so does the room needed for the handle and spout as you move it. The useful dimension is the final tap outlet height, rather than the tallest edge of the stand.
Put the can where you would fill it and measure from the ground to its filling opening. Then establish the proposed height of the tap outlet once the butt is installed. You need the outlet above the opening, with enough extra room to move the can in and out without catching its handle or spout.
A stand’s advertised height does not necessarily equal the extra clearance beneath the tap. The butt may sit partly within a shaped support, and the tap position varies between models. Work from the installed outlet, not a photograph or the stand’s tallest edge.
For example, a can opening 33cm above the ground needs a tap outlet higher than 33cm, plus practical handling room. A setup with an outlet at 30cm fails that simple check even if the stand itself looks substantial. Choose your clearance with the actual can rather than treating an arbitrary gap as a universal requirement.
Match the stand to the butt, not just the litre number
Remember that water below a raised tap may stay in the container unless you empty it another way. A nominal 100 litres describes what the butt holds, not necessarily what you can draw through that outlet. Leave access for cleaning and the last water while the setup is still empty and easy to move.
EvenGreener’s three-part Mini Rainsaver stand is specified for its 100-litre Mini Rainsaver butt. Its sections clip together to form the intended support. A different 100-litre butt can have a different base shape, so equal capacity does not prove compatibility.
Check the model name, support footprint and manufacturer’s instructions. A stand that touches only a few unsuitable points on a moulded base can concentrate load where the container was not designed to carry it. Do not assume a circular stand suits every circular-looking barrel.
| Buying situation | What to check | Practical choice |
|---|---|---|
| Buying the complete Mini Rainsaver 100-litre kit | The retailer includes stand, tap, lid and diverter as specified | Avoid buying an extra stand unnecessarily |
| Replacing the stand on an existing Mini Rainsaver | Exact butt model and compatible three-part stand | Use the stated matching support |
| Supporting a different brand or capacity | Its own base design, support instructions and filled load | Do not substitute on capacity alone |
| Trying to gain more hose pressure | Water level above the outlet and irrigation requirements | A taller stand may not solve the pressure requirement |
A small butt still carries a substantial load
Water contributes approximately 1kg per litre. A 100-litre fill therefore weighs about 100kg before adding the container and fittings; a 200-litre fill contributes about 200kg. Those figures describe the water load, not a load rating for any particular stand.
EvenGreener instructs users to place this kit on a flat, even surface with the weight evenly distributed, and not on soil or grass. Prepare a firm, level base appropriate to the product. Soft ground can settle unevenly after rain, leaving a once-level container leaning.
The RHS also recommends firm, level supports to create watering-can clearance. For a manufactured kit, follow its specific support instructions rather than improvising a tall stack of loose materials. Consider where overflow will go: repeated discharge beside the base can undermine a poor installation.
Position and assemble the butt while empty. Do not try to lift or shift a filled container to squeeze a stand underneath. Leave enough access to operate the tap, inspect connections and clean the butt later.
Check the downpipe before ordering
The manufacturer lists the Mini Rainsaver kit’s diverter for 68mm round plastic and 65mm square plastic downpipes, and says it is not suitable for cast iron. Measure and identify your pipe. “Includes diverter” is not the same as “fits every downpipe”.
Read the installation instructions before choosing the final position and connection height. Keep the lid properly fitted and arrange the overflow or return flow as specified. A neatly raised butt is still a poor installation if surplus rainwater spills where it causes trouble.
If you are replacing only a stand, there is no reason to buy a whole kit unless the existing butt or fittings also need replacement. Conversely, the complete 100-litre kit may simplify a new installation when its pipe compatibility and capacity suit the site.
Raising the butt does not create mains pressure
Gravity pressure depends on the vertical distance from the water surface to the outlet being supplied. Roughly 1 metre of water head produces 0.098 bar of static pressure. Raising the whole butt by 30cm adds only about 0.029 bar, before hose and fitting losses.
That is useful context, not a promise of a particular flow rate. As the butt empties, the water surface falls and pressure declines. A hose fitting that physically connects does not establish that a sprinkler or timer will work adequately.
The RHS notes that a pump is needed for good hose pressure from a butt. Before choosing a powered solution, check the irrigation equipment’s requirements. Our automatic watering-system guide helps separate timer, sprinkler and drip arrangements; none should be assumed suitable for gravity feed solely because the threads match.
Make stored water convenient to use
A close-fitting lid, clear gutters and regular use help keep the system serviceable. The RHS recommends annual cleaning and using stored rainwater on established plants rather than seedlings. If you are planning to water a lawn, compare the stored volume with the area using our lawn-watering guide; a compact butt can empty quickly over a large area.
Buying decision: choose the Mini Rainsaver kit if its complete package and pipe compatibility fit the job. For an existing butt, buy its matching support only after measuring outlet clearance and checking the base. The stand’s job is to make a heavy container stable and usable, not merely taller.
