Rain barrels.
Rain barrels are a wonderful way to collect natural water run-off from your roof for garden watering. During peak watering months in the summer, they can actually save up to 1300 gallons of water, reducing your water bill and giving your plants a healthy, natural drink.
Although generally considered low maintenance, there are a few things that everyone should know about taking care of their rain barrel, that when followed, will keep it collecting rainwater for a lifetime. Does this Spark an idea?
Use a Rain Barrel
Rain barrels get their fill of water through a downspout that pours directly into them. Typically, water flows through your gutters, into your downspout and then runs off either onto your lawn or into the nearest city storm drain. A rain barrel collects that roof run-off in barrels, most commonly of the 55-gallon variety, but there are many sizes to suit anyone's needs.
Saving water is a significant advantage of rain barrel use, but having pure, clean, natural water for your garden is an even bigger benefit.
Kits are available that link two rain barrels together, which ensures that there is plenty of natural water available for the hot days of summer.
Basic Maintenance
Before using your rain barrel for the first time, give it a good cleaning with a non-toxic substance like vinegar. Rinse the barrel completely so that none of the cleaner remains.
Rain barrels come with screen tops to catch debris that flow through the downspout, and keep out mosquito larva. This screen should be cleaned regularly as roof debris accumulates.
Ideally, you should completely empty your rain barrel once per month and rinse it out. If any algae is present, add a cap full of chlorine bleach to stem that growth. Such a small amount of bleach will not be detrimental to your plants.
When linking two barrels together, remember that gravity flow will transfer water from a full barrel to an empty barrel. To that end, the feeder barrel should be placed up on blocks or bricks to make it slightly higher, and allow gravity to drain water from the feeder barrel to the collector barrel.
Storage for the Winter
When gardening season is over, it is time to store your rain barrel for the winter. Empty your rain barrel, remove all hoses and connections and let them drain out. Wash and store the filtering screen with your barrel.
Put your downspout back into its regular configuration to drain back onto your lawn or pavement until the following spring.
Store your rain barrel upside down so that there is no chance of water accumulation that may freeze and crack the barrel.
Troubleshooting
The performance of your rain barrel is directly dependent on your gutters and downspout. Keep both clean throughout the year to allow adequate water flow into your barrel.
Any leaking around the hose itself can generally be taken care of by merely tightening the attachment clamp. Replace broken or cracked hoses.
Clear a plugged barrel outlet by disconnecting the hose and using some type of metal skewer; try inserting a dowel rod or even an ice pick to clear out any blockage caused by debris.
If your barrel springs a leak, use aquarium caulk (found at any hardware store) to patch it. Follow manufacturers directions when using the caulk, and fully drain the barrel before attempting the repair.
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