How to Set Up Rain Barrels

Why Rain Barrels?

Rain barrels have many benefits.  They are Eco friendly helping to save water which can be used for plants, gardens, or lawns.  And when municipal water sources are talking about droughts and conservation restrictions, rain barrels can help with the water supply.  And they will help save on bills by reducing the amount of water used.  Rain barrels also help with storm water management by diverting water that could potentially run off the property and flood the local storm water drains, and also help with preventing erosion.  Read on to see how you can set up your own rain barrels.

What is collected rain good for?

• Watering Plants, gardens, or lawns. Rainwater is free of chlorine, fluoride, and other chemicals typically found in tap water. Using rainwater can promote healthier growth and reduce the risk of plant damage caused by harsh chemicals or mineral buildup. 
• Giving the dogs a bath.
• Washing the car.
• Rising dirt off your shoes and tools from messy gardening.
• And more!

What are downsides of having a rain barrel?

For one, you cannot drink this water.  Roofs are usually covered with dust, bird droppings, insects, bacteria, and if you have the paper type shingles, can contain tar.  Tar and dust will usually settle and coalesce at the bottom of the rain barrel and will not affect the quality of the water.

How to set up rain barrels

Supplies needed

Rain Barrels can be premade already.  The ones that I have are from a local company: Rain Barrels Intl

However if you don't have one, a regular trashcan can be converted into a rain barrel.  A conversion spigot can be purchased online.

Typical way to get rain water is to divert the water from a downspout.  There are multiple products out there, but the best is to get the spout that you can manipulate to a certain direction, or place the barrel directly in front of the downspout and place the bottom directional downspout higher to aim directly into the rain barrel.  There's also the downspout splitter that connects in line with the downspout, and there's a hose that leads off to the rain barrel.  However, there have been experiences of leaves getting stuck in these downspouts, and then it clogs up the entire pipe.

Cinder blocks or any other sturdy materials are also needed to prop up the rain barrels.  Spigots are usually placed near the bottom of a rain barrel so that you can get all the water out.  In order to place a bucket or watering can underneath, you'll need to have a clearance of at least 6 inches.  Cinder blocks are cheap and sturdy at around $2 each at your local hardware store.

Something heavy is also need to be placed inside the rain barrel so that it doesn't tip over or the wind blows the barrel away, like a large stone.  Or some water can already be placed inside to weigh down the barrels.  

Where to place?

It mostly depends on if you have rain gutters.  If you do, the best spot is right next to where your downspout is.  

If you don't have rain gutters, then take a look at where two planes of your roof intersect (something like a V or a valley).  When it rains, the valleys will gather the rain coming from both sides and collect it into one nice stream.  And if you have the mesh, then the rain will collect right into the barrel directly - no downspout necessary.

Tools needed

Cutter/Saw - The downspout will need to be cut through so that the diverter can be attached.  I used both a battery powered circular cutter for 3/4 of the pipe, and then finished off with a hacksaw for the part closest to the wall to not damage the house.

Drill - The angled diverters placed at the bottom of the downspouts are usually held in by screws and can be removed, which the drill with the correct bit will help.  Once the downspout has been cut, the diverter can be attached higher up.  The screw should be tapered so that it can dig into the material, usually metal.

How much can the rain barrels collect during a storm?

It just depends on the amount of precipitation.  Rain water on just one face of your house can fill up the rain barrels very quickly.  The set up we have uses two barrels with a connection between the barrels and the spigots left open on both - this way the water will fill both barrels up evenly.

Even with more capacity, the rain barrels can still over fill.  Rain barrels should also have an overflow near the top of the barrel so that you can connect a garden hose.  The hose can be lead down to an area that can handle the overflow of water.

FAQs

Are Mosquitos able to multiply in rain barrels?

If the mosquitos have access to an opening, then yes they can.  Rain barrels with a mesh do not allow for the mosquitos to enter, and they will not fly down a pipe or hose to lay their eggs.

What if it hasn't rained in a really long time?

With rain barrels, you're not limited to only collecting rain.  There is a lot of wasted water when you wait to take a warm or hot shower.  All that water that can be saved into a bucket of some sort, and can be taken out to the rain barrel for storage and use around the house.