Rain Barrels?

[Tommyice]

Have any of you made them yourselves? What did you use?

I'm looking to make one to collect the runoff from the old pool pump house here. It's located on the corner of my garden and close to 9 half barrels I use for planting that are a pain to get water to.

I was thinking of making one from a Rubbermaid trash can--figured it would easy to into to make the "plumbing" connections. Of course that will mean actually paying for a trash can. I have access to those blue barrels that soap comes in for car washes. Since those don't have removable tops I was wondering how on earth, even with cutting a hole in the top I would be able to reach into it to make the connections at the bottom end.

Any ideas?

[farmrbrown]

55 gallon plastic barrels. The screw in lids have holes in them that you can screw in a common spigot. Use the other hole to let air in as you use the water. I put them under my down spouts.
Warning, they do weigh a lot when full, but they do roll.

[Tommyice]

Farmerbrown this is free ones I have access to

[jwal10]

Lay the barrel down, keeping the 2 threaded bungs in the top vertical (one above the other). Thread a faucet into the plug with the 3/4 inch threaded knockout. (One of the plugs is 2" pipe thread, the other is not) Use a holesaw to drill a hole in the top, near the back of the barrel for the downspout to fill the barrel. Build a stand to put barrel on, for the elevation needed to get the water where you need it....James

[SimplerTimez]

Leslie, here is a video that shows how using exactly the same kind of barrel that you have

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDE5QVF7f6E

My parents and best friend both elevate their barrels in order to use gravity to water downline from them. If the barrel sits higher than what you wish to water, then you don't have to worry about rolling it around or moving it.

Hope this helps!

~ST

[FarmChix]

Originally Posted by Tommyice

Farmerbrown this is free ones I have access to

You are incredible lucky! I could use about 10 of those! LOL Green with envy.....

[farmrbrown]

You got it!

I had to buy mine, only $5 apiece.
When my garden needs a little, I roll the out the barrels, lol, and hook up a soaker hose. Use any elevation to your advantage for gravity feed.
Living in the mountains makes you think before you act.........

[Tommyice]

Farmerbrown and Simpler I think I'm going to have to pass on this drum then. I don't have the room to keep it on it's side--I need to have it standing upright like the pic I posted.
This is where it needs to go....between that fence and the stock tank.


FarmChix I get them at the car wash near me just for the asking. We have stringent recycling laws here so they are happy to get rid of them. Maybe try by you. I have some that were cut in half across their "equators" for planting and two that were cut "longitudinally" and set on bricks for my strawberries.

[farmrbrown]

You don't HAVE to keep it on it's side, that's just the way I move it around.
If you want to keep it in one spot upright, just elevate it on some blocks and add the spigot on the bottom.

[SimplerTimez]

Leslie, no one that I know keeps them on their horizontal side, always sitting up vertically. Simply by elevating it you can use it to gravity feed for watering.

BTW, awesome use of those for the plantings, you're doing a great job!!

~ST

[pattycake]

Thanks for posting this. You have been a big help!!

[Tommyice]

Thanks Simpler. I don't have a lot of land to garden on, so when you're suburban you get creative.

[elkhound]

[FarmChix]

Ooooh Thanks!!!!! I will definitely check it out. Now, I'm all excited!

[Tommyice]

Simpler I checked out a video that played after the one you linked. I was worried about the spigot leaking with using just the teflon tape. The second video shows the top being cut off at the narrow indent and then cutting a second strip around the top of the barrel so that the "lid" fits into. That way you could put a gasket on either side of the spigot connection.

I'm loving all the ideas and am gonna rethink using the blue barrel.

[elkhound]

[tambo]

I have a blue barrel with the top cut out sitting under the eve of my garage. It catches the run off. I just stick my watering can in it or a bucket to get the water out. I use it to water the chickens and water the garden.

[SimplerTimez]

Cool, glad you got pointed in the right direction!

~ST

[mickm]

Yep, have to do it here!

[nehimama]

I used those same barrels, Leslie. I cut the tops off with my jigsaw, and used bulkhead fittings (marine grade) for the spigots. Granted, I had to crawl inside the barrels to attach the fittings - can you say, "Claustrophobia"? I put screens over the tops to keep debris out, and in the winter, I drop a heavy-duty stock tank de-icer into each one. I love my rain barrels!