Making a rain barrel is an effective way to collect run-off water for use in gardening, cleaning or other projects. Water can be collected from a roof, and the barrel will generally fill quickly even with a light rain.
A rain barrel is a simple project that can be put to use as soon as it is finished. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Clean your barrel out with a mixture of bleach and water. Mix 1/8 cup of bleach with five gallons of water and rinse your barrel out well to remove any chemicals or debris.
2. Place the barrel at one corner of your house next to a downspout so that it can catch run-off rainwater.
3. Drill a hole for your hose spigot near the bottom of the barrel. Drill a 15/16" hole for a 3/4" hose spigot. The spigot will allow you to remove water from your barrel as you need it.
4. Screw the spigot onto the barrel or secure it according to the directions on your spigot.
5. Place the cinder blocks in an overlapping pattern or cement them together to make a level platform for your rain barrel.
6. Attach a downspout to the lid of the barrel. Blue plastic drums come with a lid that has a space to attack your downspout. Use a flexible downspout that you can bend or stretch to meet your barrel or cut your downspout to meet the opening of your blue plastic drum.
Tags: your barrel, rain barrel, downspout that, Drill hole, hose spigot, your downspout