Yesterday, I finished installing 2 rain barrels and I thought I would share some photos. I've been meaning to do it for years, but I just never got around to it. The 32 gallon drums were free from a local car wash business (soap drums). I got 3 of them and used one to make a hydrolysis tank for rust removal. These had threaded cap fittings on the permanent lids. All I had to do was put spigots in them with a couple of reducers and turn them upside down. I would have used different spigot fittings for 55 gallon drums with removable lids. Six elbows to route the spouting into them was the only other thing I had to buy. The leftover spouting that I cut off was used for the drains.
I did this rather quickly, so my craftsmanship is not exactly pretty to look at. I just got it done. You'll see that one of the barrels has alot of extra length on the drain. I originally planned to connect the second barrel next to it, but I decided to put that one on another downspout.
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Looking at the pics I see you have the barrels sitting atop some loosely stacked bricks. I'd be a bit concerned about the stability of the barrel when full since water weighs just over 8.3 lbs. per gallon. If the barrel starts to push the bricks down on one side into the mulched area they are sitting in, it could wind up being a mess.
Figuring about 30 gallons before it hits the overflow, you're talking close to 250 lbs. in just water weight.
Great idea and one I should really utilize. I see folks with that size and some larger for sale, never free. Free is better.
Figuring about 30 gallons before it hits the overflow, you're talking close to 250 lbs. in just water weight.
Great idea and one I should really utilize. I see folks with that size and some larger for sale, never free. Free is better.
Yeah, you're absolutely right. I really regret not taking more time to set the bricks properly. Like I said, I just got it done. I can go back and fix that later if it becomes a problem. Since I cut the spouting to exactly match where the barrels stand on the bricks now, it probably won't be a simple task to rearrange the bricks. I'm pretty disappointed in myself as I know better - do it right the first time!
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Richard L.
- Full Member
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2011 2:27 pm
- Location: San Antonio Texas
Yep, they still unscrew. I have a great big antique pipe wrench for it. I thought about wrapping some screen around the end of the spouting where it enters the barrel, but I'm not sure if it would stay in place. The gutters have really good guards over them, so no leaves or maple seeds to worry about, but I'm sure there will still be some debris getting through.
OK, so I have a really dumb or simple question on rain barrels. Don't they have to be slightly elevated from garden level for water flow?
Most of my gardening (herbs) is in containers, on deck and back drive which means growing/dirt level already above ground level. I do have a large 'brute' trash can on the deck where rain from roof pours in. I use the water by dipping. When water level gets low, try to remember to tump it and clean out a bit. When not rainy, usually keep top on to keep out junk from trees and pesky mosquitoes. I am looking to place another on the side drive to catch water from a roof valley. Again, water would be dipped out for plant watering.
Most of my gardening (herbs) is in containers, on deck and back drive which means growing/dirt level already above ground level. I do have a large 'brute' trash can on the deck where rain from roof pours in. I use the water by dipping. When water level gets low, try to remember to tump it and clean out a bit. When not rainy, usually keep top on to keep out junk from trees and pesky mosquitoes. I am looking to place another on the side drive to catch water from a roof valley. Again, water would be dipped out for plant watering.
The old adage that says "Water seeks its own level" holds true. Look at it this way. If you have a pitcher with a spout and it is made of clear material, the water in the spout is the same level as the water in the container, despite more volume of water in the container.Susan W wrote:OK, so I have a really dumb or simple question on rain barrels. Don't they have to be slightly elevated from garden level for water flow?
Most of my gardening (herbs) is in containers, on deck and back drive which means growing/dirt level already above ground level. I do have a large 'brute' trash can on the deck where rain from roof pours in. I use the water by dipping. When water level gets low, try to remember to tump it and clean out a bit. When not rainy, usually keep top on to keep out junk from trees and pesky mosquitoes. I am looking to place another on the side drive to catch water from a roof valley. Again, water would be dipped out for plant watering.
If your garden soil level is higher than the top level of the water in the barrel, it won't water your garden. Now, if you add a pump of some kind like a sump pump, you can water your garden.
Thanks Gumbo! That's what I was thinking. Running cords and pumps defeats all. I will most likely go with another brute type trash container.
The little one, going on 3 stops by, and has a fascination with trash containers. His parents are trusting he'll be a manager, not the collector on the street. This season I may get him more directed to water Gran's plants, not drown all of his toys.
I have to wonder how many people are buying rain barrels to do the right thing, and don't figure the next step.
The little one, going on 3 stops by, and has a fascination with trash containers. His parents are trusting he'll be a manager, not the collector on the street. This season I may get him more directed to water Gran's plants, not drown all of his toys.
I have to wonder how many people are buying rain barrels to do the right thing, and don't figure the next step.
Susan-
I think your idea sounds as good as any for your situation. My yard slopes down toward the back where the garden is, so my barrels happen to be adequately evevated. However, My wife likes to have ornamentals in planters on the deck which is higher than the rain barrels. I never thought about them. If I ever get around to it, I'll have to think of something creative for that. I can drain the barrels into watering pails and carry them up, but that would get to be a pain. Those ornamentals take up more time than I would like, as it is.
I think your idea sounds as good as any for your situation. My yard slopes down toward the back where the garden is, so my barrels happen to be adequately evevated. However, My wife likes to have ornamentals in planters on the deck which is higher than the rain barrels. I never thought about them. If I ever get around to it, I'll have to think of something creative for that. I can drain the barrels into watering pails and carry them up, but that would get to be a pain. Those ornamentals take up more time than I would like, as it is.
If you are thinking of doing rain barrels, you might appreciate learning from my mistakes. I ran clear silicone around the overflow drains. Although the weather has been dry, it never hardened and it is still gooey. They have to be removed when cleaning out the barrels, so I attached them with Phillips-head screws for easy removal and re-installation.
I thought that since I have supposedly good guards over my gutters, I wouldn't have much debris clogging up the works. I was wrong. I watched a video from the manufacturer piling everything they had on the guards and it never clogged. They didn't have silver maple flowers. That stuff made a mess very early this season, clogged the gutter guards, and stopped up the spigot on one of the barrels. My solution was the screen material wrapped at the end of the downspout in the photo. I removed one of them yesterday for cleaning and I couldn't believe all of the maple flowers that it caught.
We haven't had much rain lately and my 60+ gallons of water didn't last very long. If you have a sizable garden to water, I would use two 55 gallon drums at a minimum. Mine are only 32 gallons each and they will probably only hold 30 before the water goes out the overflow.
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I thought that since I have supposedly good guards over my gutters, I wouldn't have much debris clogging up the works. I was wrong. I watched a video from the manufacturer piling everything they had on the guards and it never clogged. They didn't have silver maple flowers. That stuff made a mess very early this season, clogged the gutter guards, and stopped up the spigot on one of the barrels. My solution was the screen material wrapped at the end of the downspout in the photo. I removed one of them yesterday for cleaning and I couldn't believe all of the maple flowers that it caught.
We haven't had much rain lately and my 60+ gallons of water didn't last very long. If you have a sizable garden to water, I would use two 55 gallon drums at a minimum. Mine are only 32 gallons each and they will probably only hold 30 before the water goes out the overflow.
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