How do you capture your rain water?

[NASTYZEN]

This is how I made mine with the stuff laying around the shed.
First I used a 4.0'' round tube and cut it to length.Then hole sawed a matching hole in the bottom of the barrel.I set the tube in silicone and put a self tapping screw trough the barrel into the tube to lock it in place.

I set the barrel on some cinder blocks and inserted the bypass tube into the eaves drain tube. I simply threaded a hole for the faucet and screwed it on with pipe tape on the threads.Lol To be ideal would be to screw the faucet into a fitting sandwiching the barrel wall.

Next I cut a hole in the top side of the barrel matching the eaves down pipe.
Also note that I screwed the top of the bypass into the side of the barrel via an alu. bracket that I had previously bent up.Setting the top of the bypass tube below the level of the fill level.

Not the prettiest but the principle works. I'll get around to painting it or some thing, eventually. even the cinder block base could be jazzed up a little.

This one is last years prototype...So many projects, so little time..

 

[R6 Racer]

I have been doing it for a few years now, & have a drip watering system for my gardens attached directly to it.
Last year I only had to water once with the garden hose.

Steve

 

[Altec]

This is cool. If I ever have to pay for water, I'll have to keep this in mind!

 

[NASTYZEN]

I have been doing it for a few years now, & have a drip watering system for my gardens attached directly to it.
Last year I only had to water once with the garden hose.

Steve

You seem to have a nice setup. More pics and details please.

This is cool. If I ever have to pay for water, I'll have to keep this in mind!

It's more a question of water temperature. My well water is so cold, it shocks the plants to much.

 

[Frank The Plumber]

I use my lawn

 

[theoldwizard1]

I haven't got mine hooked up yet (and in the middle of a drought, it wouldn't be filled anyway).

I bought some 55 gallon plastic barrels ($15) that held soap at one time. The cool part is they have 2 bungs on the top. One bung has a knock out for 3/4" pipe and the other 1/2" pipe. The barrels will be mounted upside down. 3" ****** from the bung to a plastic (sprinkler) tee. I am going to be using 1" clear vinyl tubing to connect the barrels together.

I need a gutter on the garage on probably more barrels.

 

[VWingman]

Basically the same here. I have a double barrel setup. I have a 4 to 3 inch reducer mounted upside with a screen over the top to collect the water from the down spout. The two barrels are tied together with a 2 inch pvc and some couplers. Works pretty well. Both are sitting on cinder blocks 2 high.
When we get a good storm, it will fill up in no time.
Whats interesting is I have heard of people hooking these up to their downstairs toilets for flush water.

 

[onemore]

Some great ideas. Thanks and if I want to give my wife the final push for divourse I will build one!

 

[darkk]

I just look up and open my mouth...

 

[89GLH]

Mine is similar, I have 3 60 gallon barrels upside down with the centers of the caps fitted with 3/4" threaded adapters )the center of the caps punch out and are already threaded). Both caps are punched out on each barrel, and the rear most are tied together to equalize the water level in the barrels, and the front 2 are a header with a spigot.

 

[5lima30]

I am a newbie to rain barrels , but like the concept! I recently purchased one for my 65 gal barrel. I built a stand out of 4"x 4" and 2"x 6" to hold the barrel. I still need to install my gutter to funnel the collected rainwater to the barrel. I am wondering do you drain your rain barrels in the winter? If so do you cap the barrels to keep rain/ snow out?

 

[sammm]

What's rain water?

 

[NASTYZEN]

I am a newbie to rain barrels , but like the concept! I recently purchased one for my 65 gal barrel. I built a stand out of 4"x 4" and 2"x 6" to hold the barrel. I still need to install my gutter to funnel the collected rainwater to the barrel. I am wondering do you drain your rain barrels in the winter? If so do you cap the barrels to keep rain/ snow out?

I take apart the set up for winter and store the barrels in my shed.I keep them capped all the time to keep the Mosquito's down.

 

[5lima30]

I take apart the set up for winter and store the barrels in my shed.I keep them capped all the time to keep the Mosquito's down.

NASTYZEN,
Appreciate the info. I guess I'll drain them for the winter and cap the top.

 

[raley]

i did mine with just a gutter over top of a trash can, cut a hole in the top of the barrel with a screen on it (mosito proof screen) so that nothing can get into the barrel. throw a tap on the bottom and it waters my little garden (and that ***** more than the barrel)

 

[R6 Racer]

Sorry for the delay...

The orange you see in all pics is the overflow hose, it comes from all 5 barrels & is connected from under each barrel to a single exit point that puts all the overflow back into the garden.

In the red are filters that take out all the small particles that would clog up the drippers.

The green are the on/off valves. There are 2 of them. One at each end of the system. One for flowers & the other for veggies. Yellow goes to the flowers & the white goes to the veggies.

The pink lines act as both equalizers & feeders. Since they are attached to all barrels at their lowest point they allow for the equalization of the water level in all barrels. This allows me to feed either zone from all barrels.

The blue arrow shows the screen tops that cover each barrel top to prevent mosquitoes & other such things.

The last pic (overall view) is from last year, the rest are current.

Steve

 

[R6 Racer]

Here are some closer pics of the drippers & lines in the veggie garden.

If there is anything else I can show you or any other questions just let me know.

Steve


P.S. For winter I drain the barrels & cover the tops with plastic held down with a couple of left over bricks from the house construction, then I put a couple of those expandable extenders on the downspouts so the water goes to the middle of the garden & not near to the house. For the flower garden lines I just blow them out, disconnect them from the barrels & leave them where they are till spring. I do take up all the lines in the veggie garden, blow them out & store them in the garden shed till the spring. I remove them so I car rototill the garden in the spring.

 

[Grumpy365]

It's been covered.

Previous Posts Also coverered some legal issues (it's not always legal to capture rain water).

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=87561&referrerid=47711

 

[NASTYZEN]

Here are some closer pics of the drippers & lines in the veggie garden.

If there is anything else I can show you or any other questions just let me know.

Steve


P.S. For winter I drain the barrels & cover the tops with plastic held down with a couple of left over bricks from the house construction, then I put a couple of those expandable extenders on the downspouts so the water goes to the middle of the garden & not near to the house. For the flower garden lines I just blow them out, disconnect them from the barrels & leave them where they are till spring. I do take up all the lines in the veggie garden, blow them out & store them in the garden shed till the spring. I remove them so I car rototill the garden in the spring.

That's real cool and nice too.Thank you for sharing Steve.
Looks like a lot of work. But the results are there. I notice your over flow pipe diameter is kind of small,do you get issues when the sky's decide to open up? I see a basement window that looks a little vulnerable.

 

[NASTYZEN]

It's been covered.

Previous Posts Also coverered some legal issues (it's not always legal to capture rain water).

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=87561&referrerid=47711

Hey thank's Grumpy!

 

[IDASHO]

Ive got a small website showing my setup.

http://www.bonnefinstudios.com/kwb/projects/tank/

GJ thread located here.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65839&highlight=cistern

 

[R6 Racer]

That's real cool and nice too.Thank you for sharing Steve.
Looks like a lot of work. But the results are there. I notice your over flow pipe diameter is kind of small,do you get issues when the sky's decide to open up? I see a basement window that looks a little vulnerable.

I haven't had any problems with the window so far & I have been using the system for 3 years now. The overflow pipe is a 1&3/4" diameter. Altho I have been thinking about switching it out to a 2" abs.

Steve

 

[R6 Racer]

Dammm You NASTYZEN

We had a night of torrential rain a couple of days ago & my window well was 1/4 full of water & was seeping into the basement! (no biggie the basements not finished in that room yet)

Its all your fault! 3 years with no problems till you jinxed me! (JK)

Now I have to figure out what went wrong & fix it.

Ah well... as goes life!

Steve

 

[NASTYZEN]

Dammm You NASTYZEN

We had a night of torrential rain a couple of days ago & my window well was 1/4 full of water & was seeping into the basement! (no biggie the basements not finished in that room yet)

Its all your fault! 3 years with no problems till you jinxed me! (JK)

Now I have to figure out what went wrong & fix it.

Ah well... as goes life!

Steve

Oooooo that *****! Well, at least your basement wasn't 1/4 full of water.I'm about to remove all of mine for the winter.

 

[PhantomEB]

I will be addin in the barrels to our place damn soon, every where possible!