Water tank question....

[kippers garden]

I have a problem that i'm hoping someone on here can solve for me....

I have a very large metal water tank on my plot that has probably been on the plot for donkeys years.  I want to attach a hosepipe onto the tap so I can then, in turn, fit a soaker hose that runs around my polytunnel.  The only problem is, I can't find a hose attachment to fit the large tap on the water tank.  The tap has a screw thread fitting and the tap is 5 1/2 inch circumference / 4cm diameter.

Can anyone suggest where i could buy a fitting from or how I could attach  a hose to it?  (Pls bare in mind i'm not very technical lol).

I will be very grateful to anyone that can help me.

[kippers garden]

[Pescador]

Kipper,
4cm would suggest  an inch and a half, imperial size, which is what UK plumbing is usually measured in. If it has a screw thread on the end, then any gardening/hardward store should be able to sell you a hose adaptor.
Look for 'Hoselock' brand fittings as you can then use them for a range of attachments

[kippers garden]

Kipper,
4cm would suggest  an inch and a half, imperial size, which is what UK plumbing is usually measured in. If it has a screw thread on the end, then any gardening/hardward store should be able to sell you a hose adaptor.
Look for 'Hoselock' brand fittings as you can then use them for a range of attachments

Thanks, I have tried and they don't seem to know hat i'm going on about, even after showing them photo's of the tap lol

[Hi_Hoe]

Nahh! Inch and a half isnt a modern standard size at all all. I doubt any hardware store or diy store will stock anything like that.

If hozelock do one i'll show I disagree in woolies window!

I know exactly the tap size you have and your tank must be an antique!! Unless you can time travel, or live next door to steptoes yard you wont have a prayer! 

You may get lucky with ebay???

[Big Boy]

Can you not drill another hole suitably sized for a garden tap?

[Robert_Brenchley]

You may need to put a plug in the existing hole and drill a new one.

[Dandytown]

I did the same last year Kipper and it worked a treat.

My neighbour collects scrap metal and is forever bringing back water tanks before disposing of at the tip.  They work really well and some have the corrent attachments.  See below:  That set up was a 66L tank that had enough pressure to drain out through  45m of soaker hose (from Wilko's)

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=182228

Best of luck!

[chriscross1966]

If you know a competant model engineer they could make you a fitting for it probably.... less fun making random internal threads compared to outside ones, but unless you're really unlucky and it's a german Panzer thread .... after the 2nd World War about the only conduit threading tools left in Germany were from tanks and they needed tons of pipework whilst rebuilding their housing stock... so Panzergewinde threads became common in Germany, and across various bits of the continent that tended to buy German plumbing fittings... designated PG[number], yours might be PG29 or PG36, wiki here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzergewinde...

[galina]

These people sell all sorts of fittings.
http://www.smithsofthedean.co.uk/fittings/fittings.html

[kippers garden]

Thank you so much for your replies.  I'm determined to do this so I'll keep going until I find a fitting.