If you can't find the classic-looking wooden barrel, a plastic one will do.
Rain barrels collect fresh rainwater for irrigation, watering animals and more. The use of rain barrels has spread even to the suburbs of many big cities and towns. Typically, the rain barrel is attached in some way to the gutter system of a house, which takes full advantage of the larger area to catch the falling rainwater. The water is then funneled into one area so the home owner can use it for their chosen purposes instead of the water they are paying for. For the barrel to be truly effective, the overflow must be utilized efficiently. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Choosing and Prepping the Barrel
1. Choose at least a 50-gallon food-grade drum to make your rain barrel. You can find these at restaurants or a drum or barrel supplier. There are three main rules in choosing a good rain barrel. First, make sure the plastic is heavy duty and won't let light penetrate, which could cause algae growth in the water. Second, the drum should have never been used to store chemicals such as bleach or cleaner. And third, the lid must fit tightly over the barrel. If a lid is not available, you can use opaque plastic sheeting with zip ties or bungee cords to secure it to the edge of the container.
2. Wash out the barrel with a mixture of bleach and water. Use a clean scrub brush on a stick to make sure all food residue is removed. Dump out the cleaning mixture and rinse the barrel with clean water from a hose, making sure to scrape all sides with the brush. You may need to use a high-pressure hose attachment to clean the bottom of the barrel.
3. Empty the barrel completely of the rinse water and turn it on its side. You will be drilling a hole for the purpose of filling watering cans, so make sure the hole is low enough to maintain good water pressure, but high enough to fit your watering can underneath. Make sure the hole you drill is slightly smaller than the spigot you will be using. Force the spigot into the hole as far as it can go; use a rubber mallet if necessary.
4. Caulk around the edge of the spigot on the inside of the barrel. For extra protection, you may want to caulk around the outside as well. Allow the caulking to dry sufficiently before putting the barrel in use.
Installing the Filter-Diverter
5. Your downspout to fill your rain barrel may look like this.
Choose a location for the barrel. The location should be under a downspout on your house gutter system. If your house does not have a gutter system, place the barrel under a valley of your roof. (If this is the case, you will have to purchase a piece of downspout with a wide mouth on the top to catch the water from the valley and funnel it into the barrel through the lid.) The location should also be convenient to your garden or flowerbeds.
6. Install the downspout filter-diverter to the house gutter pipes. This device will keep the larger debris from clogging the downspout, the gutters and the barrel. Cut a section of your house downspout large enough for the filter to be installed. The top cut portion of the filter will slide right under the top section of the cut downspout. The bottom portion will easily insert into the bottom section of the downspout.
7. Measure the plastic tubing of the diverter and drill an identically sized hole near the top of the barrel. Insert one end of the tubing into the barrel and the other into the filter. Caulk around the inside and outside of the barrel to seal the tubing in place. The filter-diverter will send all overflow water into the yard once the barrel is full unless you use an internal overflow.
8. Drill an identical hole into the barrel on the opposite side of the barrel at the same height level. This will be your overflow for the barrel. Either place a second barrel next to the first or attach a hose that will divert overflowed water into an area where you desire more water. A pond or a trough for animals to drink from would be a good use of rainwater overflow. Attach a hose that will guide the water downward to the desired location. You may wish to use a spigot here as well that remains open so you can attach an inexpensive garden hose to it.
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