Install Rain Barrels
Properly installed rain barrels save water and money, and help your garden grow. Typically, rain barrels are made from recycled 55-gallon barrels. The top and bottom have fitted spigots. Inside the barrel you will find a screen fitted over an aluminum louver. Rain barrels come with five-foot hoses with shutoff fittings. Vessels are filled using the hose on the rain barrel, and the water is used to water the garden. In order to install a rain barrel, your home must have gutters and a downspout. If your home is lacking these, you must install them first. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Connect the rain barrel's universal downspout adapter to the gutter's downspout tube.
2. Make a rain barrel stand about six inches tall and level. Use cinder blocks or some other hard surface. Rain barrels are heavy when full and can fall over if their base is not level.
3. Mark the downspout tube at the appropriate height and cut it with a hacksaw. Make sure to leave six extra inches so the tube has room to fit down inside the barrel.
4. Slide the rain barrel up into the downspout. Use a pair of pliers to crimp the edges of the downspout if it doesn't fit easily into the barrel opening.
5. Direct the overflow hose toward the lawn or a landscaping area so runoff can occur harmlessly, if necessary.
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