Whiskey barrels are durable, attractive and capacious.
Old whiskey barrels make excellent rain storage barrels. They are durable, able to hold a lot of water and a lot more attractive than a big, plastic barrel. As a bonus, they already come with an installed tap near the bottom which you can use to water your plants, meaning you don't have to go through the hassle of installing a hose tap. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Get a flexible plastic tube which is large enough to fit over the end of your gutter.
2. Stand the whiskey barrel on end with the tap near the bottom. Place it under the gutter on top of a concrete block. Keeping the barrel off the ground will help prevent rot.
3. Hold the end of the plastic tube against the top end of the whiskey barrel and trace it.
4. Place a 5-foot piece of twine on top of the circle. Hammer a nail through the end of the twine to temporarily attach it to the rain barrel. Tie the other end of the twine to some small weight such as a stick.
5. Cut the circle out with a saber saw, taking care not to cut through the twine. The piece of wood will fall into the barrel. Pull on the twine to pull it out of the barrel again.
6. Drill a 29/32-inch hole into the side of the barrel near the top. This will serve as an overflow.
7. Twist a 3/4-inch NPT pipe tap into the top hole carefully. Untwist it again and remove it.
8. Twist a 3/4-inch hose adapter into the hole you just threaded. Screw a hose into it and put the end somewhere where excess water can safely flow, such as the low end of your property.
9. Place a small piece of screen over the end of the flexible plastic tube. Glue it in place with a durable adhesive such as epoxy.
10. Cut your gutter so that it ends above the rain barrel. Place one end of the flexible tube over the gutter and the end with the screen into the hole at the top of the barrel.
Tags: into hole, plastic tube, flexible plastic, flexible plastic tube, near bottom, rain barrel