Rain Barrels

Step 5 Final Thoughts

I'll be hiding these with some cheap lattice and connecting some soaker hoses to these for watering my garden. We've had a couple of small rains and they're working to specification.

If I were to do this again I would countersink the grate on the bung hole or possibly a leaf trap on the down spout. I would also place the connector tube lower down the barrels, as it stands I may just add a hose bibb to barrel one if I find I'm having standing water most of the time.

Comments

[RyanDW]

Have you considered putting a drain bibb at the bottom of the 1st tank so that you can drain the inevitable "roof sludge" that you will slowly build up on the bottom of the tank? Also either lowering the bibb on the 2nd tank, or perhaps using a 2nd bibb on that tank for the same reason may be good. In order to keep bugs out of the tanks, you may want to run the pipe from the gutter straight into the tank and then use a separate, external, "filter box". I've thought about doing this very same thing .. great idea!

[thelunatick1]

Had a couple thoughts on this. 1. design the system such that barrel one is a French well. outlet being placed somewhere 2/3 up the sidewall. This should allow the water to settle out the particulate and not advance to the actual reservoirs. 2. if that first barrel were designed like a trombone, then you could adjust the water level for discharge based upon season rain event expectations. such that a lighter rain will get into the reservoirs. 3. as the barrel is likely to be near the foundation. design the french drain floor to be within a larger barrel. then plumb an outlet to tile system away from your buildings to drain the french drain and reduce mosquitos concerns. 4. as the first barrel is now slidable. Make it so that it can be removed. Now have access to clean out the floor of the french drain annually. 5. don't fixate on passive drainage of barrels only. They do make solar powered water pumps. Using these you can pump the water from the barrels to where ever you need it. Such as a soaker hose irrigation system, etc. 6. By pumping it, you can then submerge the tanks into the ground. Just be certain to call your states "Call before digging" hot line so as not to break a utility line. Save some dollars and possibly a life.

[fillerup]

Nice instructions! Where do you buy the "thru hole" thing to put the spigot on the barrel? Is the tapped spigot on your 55 gallon barrel a 1/2 incher? How much did the "thru hole" thing cost?

This barrel rainharvester / collector is tapped with a 1/2" threaded barbed connector. They cost 60 cents?

http://www.rainharvester2.blogspot.com

Thats alot of rainwater!!!

[Tocsin]

I found these fittings on ebay. They run about 2.50 to 5.00 each. I don't mind the threaded approach of the link above, however, I wasn't sure how thick the barrel walls were and I wanted to move more water than the traditional lawn fittings would allow. These 'thru hull' fittings are extremely strong because they sandwich the barrel sidewall between two thick plates, keeping the pipe from twisting out and allowing a wider diameter hose. I was worried that a small diameter hose wouldn't allow water to pass between barrels quickly enough. The tapped spigot is indeed 1/2". Thanks for the feedback!