Rain barrel

[bagged89s10]

So I have two rain barrels I got from a friend for free and I'm finally getting ready to set it up. I'm using these. I believe they are former olive shipping containers. The top ring unscrews.


Should I just simply direct the down spout to the top above of the barrel, or do I need to have it go all the way into the barrel? I'm thinking to the top is the easiest way and using window screening at the top to try to minimize debris and Mosquitos.

Also what exactly do I need to buy to install a spigot near the bottom.

Thanks for the help.

 

[akdiesel]

Nice free catch. I would say just spill over the top with the screen.
As for the spigot, is the container plastic. If so you may be able to simply drill and tap it with the 1/2" or 3/4" npt fittings with some tape or pipe dope to help seal. Since it is just gravety fed there is not goint to be that much pressure on the valve.
I will be getting an IPO tote that has a the valve on the bottom but I am including a high and low shut off / on level switch so I don't cavitate and burn up the pump feeding off of it.

 

[Kaizen]

I got a bunch to make a 300 gallon one in my basement to water with. dumb idea. not enough output.
anyways for you they have a spigot at hd like this http://www.homedepot.com/p/Homewerk...MPT-x-MHT-Hose-Bibb-Valve-VHBCELF3B/202370045
mine was all brass and the outlet was kind of 45 degrees which is better for this application. I got a hole saw just a little smaller then the threads on this. Then just gunked up the threads with plumbing sealer stuff....not the tape...the stuff you paint on then just thread it in. then put the hose to it.
my barrels had fittings that screwed into the top so I put my downspout right into a fitting. for you I'd cut a hole and put window screen over the whole top so when you screw it on it holds. that's to keep the skeeters out. the water of course will just overflow and not usually a problem unless you need to redirect it in which case put a T and a couple 90s above the barrel top. course you'd need a sealed system for that . google it as well lots of stuff out there on it
don't expect to be able to put a hose end on a hose. and not great going up hill through a hose. I had some plantings under the eave that didn't get water so I ran a hose to it and just opened the faucet a little and it would slowly drain it

 

[todd_fuller]

I would recommend a downspout diverter. There are several designs out there. There are two reasons you'd want to use a diverter:
1. Locating the barrel someplace than RIGHT under the downspout,
2. When the barrel eventually fills to capacity, you can direct the overflow to where you want it, usually away from your house.

I use it to also connect multiple barrels in parallel, so I can store 100-150 gallons from a downspout.

An easy way to add your spigot is something like this:

http://store.rainbrothers.com/flexi-fit-3-4-fpt-rubber-threaded-spigot-seal/

 

[navyeoseabee]

I would run a rain gutter down to it, since my dad had it free falling into his 55 gallon plastic barrel. I was lucky to sleep in the room on the other side of the wall.

as far as a spigot, unless you want gravity feed low pressure, i would use a submerge-able pump from harbor freight for $20. just my $0.02 cents.

 

[Cato]

Where I live, municipal water cost about 0.5 ¢ per gallon. So a 50 gallon rain barrel would save me only 25¢. So every time it rains enough to fill four barrels (which is next to never here in So Cal), I could save $1.

lol

 

[Ray916MN]

Just installed one of these http://www.menards.com/main/p-2744834-c-5812.htm to feed my wife's rain barrel. Slick. Inexpensive, no moving parts and it filters to prevent debris from getting fed into the barrel. When the water in the rain barrel rises to the level of the diverter, it diverts the water down the spout.

 

[kbs2244]

You Tube is your friend.
Do a search on "rain barrels."
There are tons of ideas.

 

[bczygan]

I picked up a few white plastic 55 gallon drums that Pepsi syrup comes in, from the local distributor.

Was going to put a wood fence around each one, since they aren't too pretty, but never did it. Disposed of them.

 

[Reg1952]

Rain brothers.com has some stuff.

 

[bagged89s10]

Thanks everyone for the input. I think I'm going to get a downspout diverted like this one that is on the rain brothers site. This will save me having to mess
Around with my downspout which is not directly above where the barrel is sitting. I will price out buying the stuff individually as I don't need to pay for hole saws which I have plenty of. I wish I new about these rain brothers 2 years ago when I acquired these barrels. Good ideas and stuff on their site.

http://store.rainbrothers.com/produ...-and-Installation-Kit-Downspout-Diverter.html


As far as pressure, the barrel is at the rear of my house and the property slopes down all the way to my property line. So I won't have any issues using a hose to get water to our gardens.

 

[egdede]

Where I live, municipal water cost about 0.5 ¢ per gallon. So a 50 gallon rain barrel would save me only 25¢. So every time it rains enough to fill four barrels (which is next to never here in So Cal), I could save $1.

lol

I guess the thought is that -- once or twice a year -- you would have water to use how ever you want, on what ever day you want!

 

[getbent4x4]

youtube has well thought out ideas. I suggest a food grade 330 gallon tote. Only $35-60 off craigslist.

 

[HotRod68Camaro]

I'm going to be looking into this soon as well. My water bill is almost $200/mo! Even if i could just collect enough to water my lawn i'd be happy.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

For water pressure raise the barrel a few feet. make sure the ground is somewhat solid so it doesn 't tip. screen the top and run the downspout to where you want the barrel. I drilled a hole close to the top and used downspout to direct the overflow away to the back of the yard, a flexible line would work too, I'd suggest two inch.

 

[Colin Len]

Where I live, municipal water cost about 0.5 ¢ per gallon. So a 50 gallon rain barrel would save me only 25¢. So every time it rains enough to fill four barrels (which is next to never here in So Cal), I could save $1.

lol

For me it has zero to do with cost savings and 100% to do with the drought and that I'd like to do all I can to reduce my impact on water supply. If I were more well to do I'd look into a large water capture/storage system and someway to collect grey water as well.

 

[Kaizen]

I'm going to be looking into this soon as well. My water bill is almost $200/mo! Even if i could just collect enough to water my lawn i'd be happy.

that was my set up. I have a few zones of sprinklers so I got 10 50 gallon barrels. I had water from an ro/di water maker that wasted a lot so I had that fill the linked barrels. got a shallow well pump and used that out to the sprinklers. lasted 20 minutes and pressure was 1/3 of city water. I'd recommend if you want to have a large reserve water supply or for lawn to get a large 1000 gallon plus above ground cistern. course not the prettiest thing but really only want to go. I was shocked how much water I use when I started this venture. a 50 gallon rain barrel didn't go very far.

 

[Cato]

For me it has zero to do with cost savings and 100% to do with the drought and that I'd like to do all I can to reduce my impact on water supply. If I were more well to do I'd look into a large water capture/storage system and someway to collect grey water as well.

You are quite a team player.

I, however, think there are better ways to handle a naturally and cyclically occurring drought. Not to get too political, but enforcing immigration laws would reduce demand especially here in the Southland. Grey water is another good idea. Collecting shower/sink/laundry water for landscaping is a great solution.

 

[coldh2o]

Where I live, municipal water cost about 0.5 ¢ per gallon. So a 50 gallon rain barrel would save me only 25¢. So every time it rains enough to fill four barrels (which is next to never here in So Cal), I could save $1.

lol

Or, 100,000 more globally minded homeowners (only 1.5% of the 6.9M homes in California) could save 20,000,000 gallons of water.

 

[pablo94sc]

Screen is good, but have some mosquito dunks on hand in case you get larvae in there. Better safe than itching! Lol Also, since you have two you may want to build a frame and run pvc under each to connect the two barrels, and have the hose spigot in the pvc. This not only gives you a solid base for two heavy barrels, but a way to hide them with a little framing and sheets of lattice... and a good place to hang a hose reel.

Post pics when you're done.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

In some locations or states, private catchment or retention of rain water is illegal (I know, go figure...). Check your local laws to be sure.

Charles

 

[rslaback]

I'm using a diverter on mine. One of the things I want to try is modeled after a waste oil container I made out of a well pressure tank. I hooked up a hose to the bottom and then to empty it I would fasten an air chuck onto the shrader valve on the top essentially making it an air over oil hydraulic system. It will take a check valve on the input line but I can't imagine something similar (at low pressure obviously) wouldn't work to dispense the rainwater barrel as well. Soaker hoses also work well with just the gravity feed.

 

[Cato]

Or, 100,000 more globally minded homeowners (only 1.5% of the 6.9M homes in California) could save 20,000,000 gallons of water.

Another issue is that if we want to support and encourage further population growth in this area, we have to find adequate sources of water. Personally I feel Southern California is over populated as it is. But what we need to do purchase more water from other states. There is plenty of water out there, it's just in the wrong areas.

But I'm just 1 guy, my opinion has very little impact on policy.

 

[gjz30075]

a 50 gallon rain barrel didn't go very far.

I agree. One good storm and ours was overflowing. I plan to install a
diverter.

 

[getbent4x4]

50 gallon barrel would be filled in less than 5 mins if it was put in a good spot of the house.

 

[brycez28]

Last year I had one 50 gallon barrel with a 1/4 HP utility pump. Full barrel would last about 3-4 days of watering the garden with soaker hose. We get enough rain that the barrel was never empty for more than a day or two. Pump doesn't have enough pressure for a sprinkler. This year I have two 50 gallon barrels tied together. That should work nice since we almost doubled the size of our garden. I usually pay around $100 every three months for water. First year we used city water for the plants. Water bill was $350 No more of that for me!!!

 

[RossABQ]

Where I live, municipal water cost about 0.5 ¢ per gallon. So a 50 gallon rain barrel would save me only 25¢. So every time it rains enough to fill four barrels (which is next to never here in So Cal), I could save $1.

lol

Google the cost of these 50-gallon rain barrels... $100+ each!

Hard to get excited about the cost/benefit ratio there. Lots of better ways to save, like grey water from washing machines.

 

[Nick Danger]

Google the cost of these 50-gallon rain barrels... $100+ each!

Hard to get excited about the cost/benefit ratio there. Lots of better ways to save, like grey water from washing machines.

Don't buy 50 gallon rain barrels. Buy empty animal feed barrels from the farm supply store. The quote I got a couple years ago was $12 each. The PVC fittings were another $6 or so. For the first barrel, I used an inlet screen from a spa store.

It's like using a Tivo for the rain.

 

[jgorm]

For me it has zero to do with cost savings and 100% to do with the drought and that I'd like to do all I can to reduce my impact on water supply. If I were more well to do I'd look into a large water capture/storage system and someway to collect grey water as well.

exactly! Well, almost, I could use some cost savings too. Rain barrels fill up surprisingly fast. My friend has 3x 250 gallon tanks and will top them all off with a couple hours of moderate rain. he can water his small patch of grass for months with that. My goal is 1000+ gallons of capacity. 1" of rain on my shop alone is 514 gallons. 1" on my house is roughly 1850 gallons if I could collect it all. I have at least 20 fruit trees that love drinking water.
In san diego you can get 275 gallon tanks off craigslist for $100 and the city will give you $75 each, up to 4 tanks.