(Another) Easy Rain Barrel

Everyone knows there are a lot of different rain barrel designs on this site. To be honest, most of them are much better thought out and effective than the design I'm about to talk to you about. However, my design has two small yet powerful advantages: It's stupidly simply, and exceptionally cheap.

Step 1 First Things First

In order to do this properly, you're going to need a rain barrel. If you don't have a rain barrel then you'll just have a tube running from your gutter onto the ground spewing water everywhere and then your neighbors will say, "What a strange person. Why did they replace their gutter spouts with that length of tubing?" I got mine for free from a nearby plant that was closing down (I know, I know, I know, you're supposed to use food grade. Relax, it held soap, nothing caustic or overly harmful. I rinsed it out very thoroughly). Of course, many of you don't live near old soap manufacturing plants so I've provided a link for you that has three popular vendors for this particular item. It's really just the search query for 'How to make a rain barrel' again, but every time you click on one of those links an angel gets his wings, and Instructables gets a dime.

Comments

[dorkjackson]

Thanks for a sweet and simple barrel plan. And amusing too!

[plumber4]

Oh yeah, a couple more things: I did not notice an overflow on your barrel. They are pretty good to have with maybe a soaker hose connected to it run into say a flowerbed or garden. Also, my first barrel I put the spout at the very bottom as you did. It works fine. But because of sediment, I put the spout on my most recent one a bit highter up so the spout doesn't get stuff in it and reduce flow. Just thought that I would share my mistakes with you. These barrels are a fun way to collect free water and just a fun project. There are so many different ways to make these things.

[plumber4]

Though I don't doubt that the epoxy makes a nice seal, it's not really needed. I took a chance with my first rain barrel that I built (I just got sick of paying for water from the city for the garden and flowers and had two barrels sitting around). I used the same boiler drain or spout you show in pictures, drilled hole slightly smaller in barrel and let the brass threads make its own threads in the barrel. I was really careful to thread it in really straight. It worked with no thread tape or pipe dope! No leaks. I like you instructions though, nice job. Maybe save some money on your next barrel by not using epoxy.