Plug holes in plastic barrels is the best way to connect a rain barrel.
I like my rain barrels.There are barrels around the house.I settled on the rain barrel design after many changes.It is very useful and well designed.There are many questionable designs.You can learn from my mistakes and build your own rain barrel.
I use these parts in my rain barrels.I get my barrels from a place that recycles barrels.Car washes, soda bottling plants and online classified websites are some of the best places to find barrels.They should be food grade barrels.
I have a screened basket in my barrels.The mosquitoes are kept out of the barrel.Mosquitoes are encouraged to breed by open top rain barrels.Cut a hole in the top of the barrel to seal off the pathway.It's best to use a jigsaw or a spiral-cut saw to cut this hole.Wherever pond supplies are sold, baskets of all shapes and sizes can be found.Make sure your hole is adjusted accordingly.
A good rain barrel can hold a lot of water.Don't use anything smaller than the size of the overflow hole.Determine what side of the barrel you want the overflow hole to be on.Take a measurement from the top of the barrel.The bottom of the circle should be slightly below the mark, so cut it out with a saw.It will be too big if you use a small fitting.
There is a hole near the bottom of the barrel.This is the hole for the spigot.The hole should be in relation to the overflow hole.Before you cut this hole, make sure you align the spigot in front and the overflow to the right.You have some wiggle room here, cut the hole using a hole saw or spade bit.The fitting can be used for a variety of hole sizes.
To clean the plastic from the holes you just cut, use a utility or pocket knife.The spigot hole needs to be smooth in order for the fitting to seat properly.
A lock nut is needed to secure the connection for your overflow pipe.
The best way to make sure you have a leak proof connection is to use a bulkhead fitting.The rubber washer should be on the outside of the barrel.Use a pair of long handle pliers and an assistant to place the plastic washer on the fitting.Attach securely.The large nut faces the inside of the barrel.They are reverse-threaded.To tighten, turn clockwise.
My hose connection has garden hose threads.This problem is fixed by a threaded adapter.There are two ends to the threaded adapter, one with close spacing threads and the other with wide threads.Wrap several layers of Teflon tape around the threads.The threaded accessory should be inserted into the fitting.The teflon tape goes into the fitting.If you need to tighten this, you can use an open end wrench or a pair of pliers.To get the washer seats on the adapter, thread the garden hose spigot onto it.The rubber washer will be damaged if you over-tighten.This hose connection has a larger hole than most and will give the highest water pressure possible from a rain barrel.
It's important to have a good overflow for your rain barrel.I glue the 18" and2" sections of the pipe to a 90 degree elbow using the same method I used for the 26" section.They will stay together.
Attach the overflow pipe with no cement and place the basket into the top hole.A full barrel is over 400 pounds.The barrel is ready for rain if you have a good base.
If you need help, you can contact me through my website: Atlanta Rain Barrels, I have parts available and free instructions for download.
1 year ago
I used this as a basis for a workshop with my students.We talked about the water cycle, pollution, and solutions to the problem for a few days.The following weekend, we invited parents and others to come to the school and create rain barrels to take home.
Four years ago.
Purchase a rain water diverter kit to make it easier to install.They work great and cost less than 30 bucks.When your barrel is full, they help with run off.I found the article helpful.
7 years ago.
8 years ago.
I did a new thing that you can install in a higher spigot.If you want to check it out, please give it a try.Thanks Brian, I'm on Facebook.
9 years ago.
The reply was 8 years ago.
The distance between the top of the water level and the spigot is what you get for gravity systems like this.If the water is 2 feet deep, you'd get less than 1 psi.Enough for hand watering.
9 years ago.
Where do you get a screen like the one shown?What are they used for?
The reply was 9 years ago.
I have 2 different types of screens listed under the rain barrel parts section of my website, but they are hard to find at retail stores.If you want to look at a local store, you can sometimes find baskets at pond supply stores.
9 years ago.
10 years ago.
10 years ago.
I tried to build one myself.It would be the same price as these, but wouldn't look as nice.I bought one.
11 years ago.
Nice piece of writing.You sell painted barrels on your website.Do you want to share some painting tips?What type of paint do you use?I painted my barrel with exterior house paint that was supposed to stick to vinyl siding, but it has started to peel off after getting wet.I believe that the barrels are made of a different type of plastic than the siding.Any suggestions?
10 years ago on introduction
More than likely your tank or barrel is made of polyethylene.The paint has been reported to work well by a few of our customers.If you don't like painting, we can make you something in almost any color at www.plastic-mart.com.
It was 11 years ago.
I have been using spray paint.It is supposed to be made for plastic.It can be found anywhere that sells spray paint.I make sure to wipe the outside of my barrel with denatured alcohol before I put anything in it.It will take 1-2 cans of paint to get good coverage.Before moving the barrel, let the paint dry.When you get the barrel where you want it to go, the paint won't chip as much as it would if you bumped it.
It was 10 years ago on Step 7.
If you don't have anything in your area, buying in bulk over the phone is the way to go.You can find sizes and prices at http://www.plastic-mart.com.There is a large discount on freight for more than one if you order over the phone.This is the best way to order.We can ship them immediately if we keep them in stock.We will direct you to a local supplier so you don't have to go and pick it up.
10 years ago.
To keep the misquitos out, you may want to look into a rainwater diverter kit.There are different websites on this website: http://www.raintankdepot.com has them.
It was 11 years ago on Step 7.
Is this a common hardware store item?I couldn't find one at my local hardware store.
It was 11 years ago.
I found the fitting at a farm supply store in the Midwest.I've seen them at another farm supply store.They were labeled as 'tank fitting' in the bin.Orscheln has a better price than Rural King.Good luck!