A steel drum can be used to harvest rainwater.
Harvesting rainwater to use on your garden helps conserve a scarce resource. Maryland's Department of Environment estimates that around 40 percent of household water supplies are used in summer for lawns and gardens, so a rain barrel can create a big savings on your water bill. It also provides a handy source of water in your yard without the need for complex plumbing. The water you harvest is chlorine-free, making it suitable for even the most sensitive plants. A steel drum is a good choice for a rain barrel, as it can withstand extremes of temperature without distorting or cracking. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Barrel Outlet
1. Measure a point 2 inches above the base of the steel drum. Mark this with chalk. This is where the spigot will be sited to drain harvested water from the drum. The depth below the spigot allows any sediment washed into the drum to settle at the bottom without being drawn off, keeping the water you use free from dirt and debris.
2. Drill a hole at the point where you placed your chalk mark, using a 3/4-inch bit. Remove the lid of the drum and, from the inside, push a PVC male pipe-thread adaptor through the hole you have drilled. If it will not fit, rasp around the edge of the hole with a round file until the adaptor fits snugly.
3. Screw the 3/4-inch spigot onto the thread of the adaptor, which protrudes from the drum. Before fully tightening the spigot, apply silicone sealant to the hole on the inside and outside of the drum, to ensure a drip-free outlet to your rain barrel. Tighten the spigot and allow the silicone to dry.
Barrel Inlet
4. Stand a 4-inch plastic-mesh aquatic planting pot on the lid of the steel drum. Draw around the base of the pot with chalk to leave a circular mark on the steel lid. Make sure you draw around the narrower base of the planting pot rather than its wider lip so that when a hole is cut, the pot will fit inside and be held in place by the lip at the top.
5. Drill a hole in the center of the chalk circle, using a 1/2-inch drill bit. Use a hacksaw to cut from this hole to the inside of the chalk mark and then to cut out a circle, always staying inside the guideline you have drawn.
6. Apply silicone sealant to the outer and inner edges of the hole cut in the steel lid. Place the aquatic planting pot into the hole, and allow the silicone sealant to dry around it. The plant pot provides a screened inlet to the rain barrel, which will keep out unwanted debris. Put the lid back on the drum.
7. Stick a sheet of fine-mesh window screen over the top of the inlet you have made, using PVC glue. This will prevent mosquitoes from entering the barrel and breeding in the rainwater.
Barrel Overflow
8. Measure a point 1 inch from the top of the steel drum. Mark this with chalk. This is where an overflow pipe will be sited to draw off excess water from the drum.
9. Drill a hole at the point where you placed your chalk mark, using a 3/4-inch bit. Push a PVC male pipe-thread adaptor through the hole, from the inside of the drum. Enlarge the hole by rasping with a round file if the adaptor will not fit.
10. Screw the 3/4-inch pipe-to-hose adaptor to the thread, which protrudes from the drum. Before fully tightening the adaptor, apply silicone sealant to the hole on the inside and outside of the drum. Tighten the adaptor, and allow the silicone to dry.
Barrel Siting
11. Place the steel drum beneath a rainwater down-pipe from a nearby roof. You may need to cut the down-pipe to size with a hacksaw to accommodate the drum. Avoid a site where the ground is very soft, as this may cause your rain barrel to topple over as it begins to fill.
12. Stand the drum on concrete blocks so that there is room to place a watering can underneath the spigot or to attach a hose. Raising the drum in this way also provides sufficient water pressure to make the hose effective.
13. Attach a length of garden hose to the hose adaptor on the barrel overflow. Site the hose so it will direct excess water into a nearby drain.
Tags: steel drum, rain barrel, from drum, silicone sealant, allow silicone, chalk mark, Drill hole