Hosepipe ban, serviced pitches

Paulrambler
Paulrambler Forum Participant Posts: 29
edited August 2022 in Caravan & Motorhome Chat #1

A hosepipe ban is due to start in an area I am visiting on 26th August. How will this affect my connection with the tap on a serviced pitch?

Comments

  • Amesford
    Amesford Forum Participant Posts: 685
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    edited August 2022 #2

    The ban will apply to washing your car, caravan and watering the garden 

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #3

    The ban does not apply to using hosepipes for matters of health and safety. What is using water in a caravan if personal hygiene, cooking, drinking, toilet flushing are not classified as H&S?

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,299 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #4

    I suppose it would be possible to argue that you can fill a MH with watering cans rather than a hose pipe. 
    I don’t think I’ll go down that route though, except for top ups.😀

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #5

    Have thought about this since I regularly ‘plumb’ the van in when it’s on the drive at home and we have a ban coming in, in 4 days time.

    Although you’re using a length of flexible pipe - it’s not being used as a hosepipe. What’s the difference between what we all use and doing the job ‘properly’ with rigid pipe and plumbing fittings?

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,425 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #6

    +1.

    Yes I think using a hose pipe to water your garden or wash your car is totally different to using a hose pipe to supply water to your outfit. 

  • GEandGJE
    GEandGJE Forum Participant Posts: 507
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    edited August 2022 #7

    The Smart Alec reply is that your connection at the tap will be unaffected. Once you have turned the tap on these are the things that you will not be able to do.

    Use hosepipes - or anything that connects to a hosepipe or an outside tap - in order to:
    * Water a garden or plants
    * Fill a paddling or swimming pool
    * Clean a car
    * Fill a pond
    * Clean walls or windows

    BBC website used as the source of the information.

     

  • eribaMotters
    eribaMotters Club Member Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #8

    If you are on a caravan site then then they are paying for the water on commercial and not domestic rate. It should be the same as our son's situation where he runs a small farm in Devon. When hosepipe bans come into force they are allowed to continue with the use of hoses for business purposes. The caravan site is a business.

     

    Colin

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,585 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #9

    The sites in the areas with hosepipe bans will probably not be allowed to water the plants and grass areas as these activities are banned AFAIK.

    If only they had unisex showers!smile

  • geoffeales
    geoffeales Forum Participant Posts: 322
    edited August 2022 #10

    I see no difference to normal domestic water usage if you were to hire a holiday cottage in the same area.  Changing the subject slightly, we are using a serviced pitch for the first time next month and just wondered if anyone has any useful tips?

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,425 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #11

    Have you got the tap connectors? each site uses slightly different ones so just buy a cheap garden set from Aldi like I did for under £3 to cover all bases? Enough blue and waste pipe length? The length will depend where the tap and drain are the site itself will help out. Also a Y splitter tap connector is useful so that you can still access water without having to take off the connector from the tap.

    And once you've tried a SP it might be difficult to go back.

  • Rufs
    Rufs Forum Participant Posts: 4,072
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    edited August 2022 #12

    what about the very expensive ball cock that goes into the water butt surprised

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited August 2022 #13

    They have ,you just need a radar key 🤗👍

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,425 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #14

    Don't have to be expensive there are non-aquaroll products now available. 

  • Rufs
    Rufs Forum Participant Posts: 4,072
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    edited August 2022 #15

    Ok was not aware but just in case geoffeales, you are not sure what we are refering to, you can buy a ball cock device that screws into the side of the aqua roll that then attaches to the tap via the hose, you have to have this, no more topping up the aqua roll does it all for you , enjoy laughing

  • jennyc
    jennyc Forum Participant Posts: 957
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    edited August 2022 #16

    I think that the OP is spoofing you.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,425 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #17

    Fair point Ruffs, also GF you can do without getting the aquaroll out altogether by using a pressure reducing attachment and hose that goes straight into the pump socket on your caravan. Get the one that matches your system, Truma or Whale.  

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #18

    I don’t. I’ve seen others ask the same question elsewhere. The whole thing is woolly.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,299 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #19

    The first time we used a service pitch we just had the waste pipe and filled the aquaroll manually with a hose. As we decided we liked them we bought the ball cock device at great expense. This broke after about 3 years and I replaced it with one from B&Q for about £8, utilising the old screw cap. So if you happen to have a spare cap, you can drill a hole in it and make one up yourself.

     

  • geoffeales
    geoffeales Forum Participant Posts: 322
    edited August 2022 #20

    thanks for the advice guys, especially about having a variety of connectors. You'd think all sites would have a standard fitment, especially CAMC. I'd be a little nervous of connecting directly, if the pressure reduction failed wouldn't I get a flooded van? Anyway, I've ordered a complete kit for £20 on Ebay which includes stop-cock, seals, connectors and 5m flat hose. I just need to get some waste pipe and I'm sorted. 

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,299 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #21

    Depending on where the tap is situated 5 metres might not be enough. If it’s at the back left hand corner, as on most new services pitches, it might just depending where the water inlet is on your van. However, older service pitches may have a bollard on the grass a bit further away. When we caravanned we had two joinable 8 metre lengths, 80% of the time one length was sufficient.

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Forum Participant Posts: 3,880
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    edited August 2022 #22

    Very wooly, TW.   The wording of hosepipe ban seems to include pumping one's domestic house waste water into the garden.  So bath water, for example, has to go to waste down the drain or be bailed out a canfull at a time to save the plants.

    Which raises the question of should caravanners perhaps allow their Wastemasters to leak a bit onto the grass? Certainly on CLs distributing waste water along the hedgerow will be a saviour.

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #23

    Agree Steve - I carry 20m - split into 10, 7 & 3m lengths with connectors. We plumb into the water on a few of the CLs / CS's we go to regularly (I object to paying extra for the facility when I am providing all the kit!) and I also carry a 4-way tap splitter so that others can do the same from the same tap if they wish. Most of the time I can get away with the shorter lengths but on the CS we are on at the moment, where we always go on our favourite pitch, I need the full 20m.

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,666 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #24

    We use Flexi Wate pipes and the Fresh Mini kit from Colapz.  Very rarely use the aquaroll and wastemaster these days.....

    https://colapz.co.uk/collections/water-containers/products/fresh-mini-starter-kit

    https://colapz.co.uk/collections/flexi-waste-pipes

    They're not the cheapest solution, but once you've bought them, you won't need to buy them again!

    David

  • geoffeales
    geoffeales Forum Participant Posts: 322
    edited August 2022 #25

    good tip, thanks, I have about 10m in the garden which I'll take just in case.

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #26

    Geoff - I also agree with David's (DSB) recommendation re the Colapz waste pipe. It IS an expensive solution but it is SO convenient. I have 8 metres which is stored in its own small draw-string bag and is in the van permanently - 'just in case'. It is so much better than having a great long coil of waste pipe to contend with.

    Also - keep a few spare "O"- rings for the connectors.  Over time, they go brittle and crack and the connector can pop out under pressure - as I found out this week, but fortunately I had a supply to hand.

  • Amesford
    Amesford Forum Participant Posts: 685
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    edited August 2022 #27

    We purchased some waste plastic pipe and different fittings the same diameter as used on the caravan cut the pipe to convenient lengths and of course the elbows fit nicely on the caravan outlet plus we bought a set of those Velcro pipe supports that fit in the skirt rail and being ridged  no water lies in the pipe 

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,299 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2022 #28

    Another vote for the colapz waste pipe. We have 8 metres in our MH, so much easier than the coiled stuff, which particularly in cold weather can be impossible to get straight. We use it  both on a service pitch and for some  awkward disposal accesses, particularly on small sites abroad. 4 year old granddaughter really enjoy stretching out and plugging them together on our recent trip. Saved me a  job.😂