Once the barrel is in place, make sure it's level. I'd suspect that this could be done in a matter of an afternoon with all the parts at hand. Make sure it is also as level as possible since the barrels will weigh a lot (~500lbs or 8lbs per gallon) To comment about the drinkability and use of rain water, from what I've read and what i know the rain water is probably better for you to drink compared to city water. Now put your system under your designated downspout and start collecting!I can't show that part since the current place I'm in doesn't have any gutters so it collects from a corner of the roof that 70% of the water flows down. The thing I'd add is a ( i can't remember the exact term that has been used in my searching around on other people's professional systems) pre-cleaning system. Place the barrel next to the downspout at its final, installed height. The absence of chlorine and other chemicals is good for plants but humans and pets shouldn't consume it, and you shouldn't use it for cooking, washing your hands or washing food. Installation was easy but you do have to read the instructions. More Sizes in this Series: Reply Your barrel may come with an overflow hose, or you may need to place a gutter splash block under the overflow outlet. Place a splash block under it or connect a hose to prevent erosion and to keep water from entering your home's foundation. Let me know. A rain barrel gives you a simple way to collect rainwater for use around your landscape. I want to put a pool filter in but I'm not sure if it will drain through the filter with out pressure. Plan to install the rainwater barrel at a downspout where you need the water. i got mine from a smaller place that uses cleaner to clean out coloring that is safe on the environment. Collapsible barrels will have more assembly steps. Pressure switch to turn the pump on and off 3. Once the rain stops falling, this first flush barrel will empty on it's own and since the hose is one foot up from the bottom, leaves shouldn't plug the hose from draining the water. Plan for overflow. on Step 7, Good afternoon, Really cool project. Then my design would have to change to a pre barrel that could be easily cleaned that then goes to your storage. You can add anti-larval tablets containing Bacillus thuringiensis to the water to kill mosquito larvae. I would also put a shutoff valve at each barrel for easy cleaning or changing out a barrel with out emptying them both. posted by NotMyselfRightNow to Home & Garden (12 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite From a single barrel to a complex system complete with multiple barrels, underground storage tanks, and pumps, the end result is the fun of building a system that … Therefore, solar versions work best for frequent waterers because you don’t need a wired power source. One 3-6" from the bottom and one about 3/4 of the way up the side of the barrel.Now the opening may be to small yet to screw the fitting into the side so you may have to slowly make it wider with the drill bit. Eliminates the need for a rain barrel stand where only gravity pressure is provided. It might seem a bit odd to install rain barrels in a place like Southern California where it rarely rains; however, The Ecology Center notes that the average annual rainfall in Southern California is 15 inches and that it would take just one inch of rainfall to collect 1,000 gallons of water off of an average-size roof here. Rainwater harvesting provides an alternative to using municipal water or well water for irrigation. on Step 7. for a simple pre filter suggest you looki at a pet store at the fish filter mediums - there are many pre filter pads - some with built in holders -s ome just pads as well as carbon activated pads . The only problem i see with some type of material like a sponge or something like that is over time it starts to grow stuff from being in the sun, then your barrels get dirty bacteria etc, and your flow rate decreases. You could get away with one in this setup but you may have uneven filling of both barrels if you only have one from what I've read in other instructions but have not experienced it myself.After thoughts:I think i may change this part already. A rain barrel supplies low-pressure water, and the flow rate decreases as the barrel empties. There are also a few features you can look for: Save space with a hybrid rain barrel/composter model. This kit includes pump, filter, anti-siphon device, 12 drippers, stakes and tees. Then, place metal and rubber washers and waterproof sealant on both the inside and outside of the barrel. Easy to install and set up, this unit will water either 5 large hanging baskets or 12 x 3.8 Gal. How to install your new sprinkler system, lawn sprinklers, or drip irrigation system. This may not show 100% step by step since I've found their is a great variation to how you want your rain barrels to work and the setup you use. Before you screw in the adapter wrap it in pipe tape.Screw it in part way and add some of the marine caulk around the entire way and screw it in the rest of the way.After it is in put a bead around then entire fitting. Using a Pump for your Rain Barrel. pots. )2 - double ended threaded PVC fitting (for the 1/2" right angled to fit into and then fit into the 3/4" PVC pipe)2 - 3/4" right angled PVC fitting ( threaded on one end and smooth on the other)4 - 3/4" metal tube clamps 1 - 3" PVC plastic shower drain. Put a bead of marine caulk on the inside of the container and on the underside to create the seal. Methods include: Wear work gloves and eye protection when cutting or boring into the downspout. Product costs, availability and item numbers may vary online or by market. That litter box should be fine. The other way i thought of doing so was taking an additional barrel which would contain an sump pump and act like your sump in the basement. Do you think gravity would work ok or do you think I would need a small sump pump to give it enough pressure to simulate street pressure.40-60 psi.thanks for any ideas other wise love the ideas you all have come up with. With using the screw in fittings it eliminates the need for the 5/8" tubing and extra fittings. Here are some things you could add/change:1. Cut a piece of window screen to wrap around the cover so when you put the cover back on it seals and secures the window screen on. (this is the type i will be showing, they can be white, blue or sometimes another color)Plastic industrial barrels Usually are a few varieties, but all contain chemicals that are probably not safe for your garden or lawn and especially not safe for drinking. It turns the water to like a tea colour. Craigs list in some places you can find people selling them from 10 - 100 dollars. As it rains the water would go first into this additional barrel. Boring or cutting out a section of downspout and installing a diverter to connect the barrel with a hose. If you use the water to irrigate herb, vegetable or fruit plants, apply it to the soil, not the plants. Some manufacturers recommend always leaving some water in the barrel to keep it in place. It's best to choose a spot that has level ground and is out of the main walkway. Don't use the runoff on edible plants if you have a copper roof or gutters, or if your roof has been treated with zinc or another chemical for algae or moss control. Reply The problem i see with this would be again the leaves and gunk would sit on the bottom of the barrel and would be a PAIN to clean out with out adding some sort of bottom drain to let the leaves out plus you'd probably have to use your now collected water to clean it out lol. That's awsome! Instructions Extend the PVC pipe from the sump pump to where your rain barrel will live. Don't connect the rain barrel to any part of your home plumbing or to an irrigation system attached to the plumbing. 1 Best Rain Barrel Water Pump Reviews; 2 Offers and Discounts; 3 Buy Rain Barrel Water Pump Online. Here's my suggestion back to you about the tea color. Maximum distance from rain barrel to pump is 65 ft. Clean it out with a house hold cleaner if its a used barrel, if its new you can skip this part if you want. This is not as powerful as getting water straight from the hose, but it gets the job done. They usually have a 2" screw off cap or tapable cap and a 2 1/4" screw off cap. By the way, you can hook up a sprinkler system to their rain barrel. You still need to filter it though with micron filters, charcoal, and probably UV light if you want to always use this to drink out of for whole house systems from what I've read. Your other alternatives for dispensing the water are a garden hose, soaker hose or watering can. Drain and disconnect the barrel before freezing weather arrives. Electric Pump Setup If you want to transport your collected rainwater in significant quantities to a level higher than the barrel, you have to add an electric pump to the setup. I've run out of water in the rain barrel but I've never had the battery on the pump go first. Did you make this project? If the barrel overflows, the excess water needs to flow away from your home's foundation. I want to be able to filter the water before it enters the barrels. 7 years ago A rain barrel is a container that collects runoff from your home's gutter system, connecting to the downspout with a rain diverter or fitting under a modified downspout. I'm looking for water pump recommendations for use moving water between rain barrels and a garden. You're probably also wondering where can I find a barrel or two?!? I used a plastic Tidy cat litter container so any plastic one will do for this. Of the 6 barrels I have, I am going to use one for the first flush. You can improve the flow rate by elevating the barrel. What gave me the idea was at a fire station I was stationed at before I retired we were on well water. Secure the barrel to keep it from tipping over. A 1-inch rainfall on 100 square feet of roof will generate about 60 gallons of water. when I am not using the washer i can just shut the whole thing down till i need it. To start, this setup cost me less than $30 dollars to do with free barrels. A rain barrel supplies low-pressure water, and the flow rate decreases as the barrel empties. Is saving water in a few barrels really going to make a difference? This setup as you can see from the 2nd picture will then connect to the 3 way or T 2" fitting to go to the barrels.Now for the part that I'm still not sure what way to go. I want to make a filter this spring, once the freezing winter is over, and it will be a slow sand filter only for the toilet. Some barrels include a hose that drains the overflow. The best way to automate a rain barrel irrigation system may be to not using a valve at all! All my supplies i bought at local hardware stores Menards, Home depot, Lowes, Fleet Farm, etc should have the same fittings all around the plumbing isle / home lawn sprinkler system isle.Tools:Spade drill bits (depends on the size of your fittings)DrillUtility Knife Saw or PVC sawHammer (in case you get frustrated :-D)Dremmel with wall cutting bitSupplies - again these will vary with your setup, some of these will be needed for all setups some will depend:For all setups you'll probably need:Marie caulk - a small tube should work for this installation but if you want to expand in the near future just get a bigger tubePipe tapeMosquito window screen (make sure it is rated to keep mosquitoes out! As of now, I use the lower washroom for 7 - 8 months and save a lot of water on my bill. Putting together your own rain barrel water collection system can be as hard or as easy as you want it to be. When the water gets to the top, there will be a ball lever that will rise and plug the incoming water with the ball. H2O Only. If you're looking for a different alternative you could go with a pressure tank and hand pump for an alternative to get the pressure but not use energy. on Step 7. I have never had the battery die. I have clear barrels also,  I plan on painting them like mentioned to help keep down algae, but now I see from reading this I will Run a line of tape from top to bottom before painting so I can see my water level.  Then I can just put this spot close to the house with less light exposure. And no electricity. The water pressure is perfect. Can I hook a pump to my Rain Harvesting System? Plan to install the rainwater barrel at a downspout where you need the water. Inspect it regularly for damage or leaks. A pump the right priced one i found is a Wayne 1HP lawn sprinkler pump. Honestly, unless you're trying to drink it, I think you may be over thinking this. Maximum distance from rain barrel to the last dripper is 195 ft. Info & Guides. If possible, use the collected water before the next rain. When you order a Pitcher Pump Rain Barrel, we install the pump for you so there is no additional installation required for this barrel than with our standard Rain Barrel. One barrel system - This is one barrel put under a spout with some sort of collection with a screen to go into the barrel See Example HereMulti barrel system which can lead to an ever growing system - this is the system I'll be showing. 4. The other thing it does is allows the leaves (if you don't have gutter protectors on your roof) to go in there which can than be cleaned out every now and then. Then you need to build something to put it on. 9 years ago 10 years ago The pump attached to the top of your barrel (you'll need to drill a hole) and the solar panel mounts where it's easiest to get some good sun to keep it charged. My problem is tree debris. You have done a great job! To set up a rain-barrel system in your yard, you have to choose a location with a gutter you can shorten and reroute. Can I leave the Rain Barrel out during the winter? It's perfect. I hope to publish my system on the site in the future. They are fairly simple to install and once you have one set up, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates a single 55-gallon rain barrel can save you up to 1,300 gallons of water during the hot summer months. Direct the barrel's overflow to keep water away from the foundation of your home. 5. Hook it up to a toilet (will be showing this later)10. Good luck on your project! But here were some of the things I tossed around let me know if they spawn any ideas Natural type filter with plants, sand, rocks. When you're not collecting rainwater, leave the spigot on the barrel open. How quickly will my Rain Barrel fill up? They do not make good rain barrels because they easily will rust with water. 9 years ago But it’s not cheap to add a pump. Collection rates vary depending on the slope and size of the roof. Make sure to put pipe tape on the threads close to the middle of the fitting and some marine caulk. (They look like the barrels I'm using but are can be blue or another color)Metal barrels Can have a variety of different goodies in them. Set up a sturdy stand or platform if you plan to elevate your barrel. Collecting rainwater for later use also keeps it from entering your foundation, crawlspace or basement. Prices, Promotions, styles, and availability may vary. Pump kits don’t come cheap. The beauti of this system is that if you don't get a good downpour to flush the leaves and junk off the roof and it just drizzles, the first flush barrel will not fill and plug the hole with the ball and the water will just drain out of the 1/4" hose. The only issue would be adding water back into your holding tank. We created a step-by-step guide on how we installed our rain barrel for those interested in a different way of doing the install. (see picture 1) These are also the safest if you are even thinking of using the water to drink out of. This part was a little more daunting than i wanted it to be. With the barrel on its side, use a power drill with a 1-inch drill bit to drill a hole about 5 inches above the base of the barrel for the drain. The process for setting up your rain barrel will vary by model, so follow the manufacturer's instructions. 8 years ago This setup is for using gravity and a pump setup for a later Instructable. 4. Let me explain what I was trying (still in the works) to accomplish with this setup.I didn't like the fact that all the other barrel setups it went straight into one barrel. This tutorial shows you how to prepare an accurate list of materials (a "take-off"). aligning the pump atop the rain barrel lid in a suitable location and drilling a hole through the lid of the rain barrel for the siphoning tube. A point well or sometimes called a sand point well can be hit into the ground in case your barrels got low. The other reason I've done it this way is to filter out the water partly before it enters the storage (aka barrels) I haven't come up with a way to do this yet so if another creative person comes up with something I'll add it here! Not sure how else you could accomplish this at the moment, but if any one else has ideas feel free to chime in. The gravel would get the smaller stuff. Installation – View Video Ensure the ground beneath the rain barrel is firm and level. The later Instructable will also include how to hook it up to a toilet and setup an additional faucet. The T fitting that goes to the long PVC pipe consists of the 2 right angled screw in on one end and smooth on the other, 2 1/2" screw in to 3/4" screw in tab, 2 right angled gray ribbed fittings, and 1 3/4" PVC T.I put thread tape on the ends of the threads before I screwed them together. For estimation purposes, a 1-inch rainfall can yield a little more than half a gallon for each square foot of roof. Devise a way to have a float or line to see how much water you have left w/o looking into the barrel7. A spigot or hose connector lets you drain the water for use around your landscape. Use the water promptly to help prevent eggs from developing into mosquitoes. Water Meter6. Roof washer - i found about these recently and basically it takes away your first 10 - 14 gallons of water when it rains so that bird poop and other bacteria and dirt wash away for cleaner water.8. Since right now it comes off the roof unfiltered. on Introduction. Solar Powered Rain Barrel Pump System The RainPerfect™ pump and solar panel install easily and provide plenty of pressure to run water through a garden hose. Make sure your rain barrel doesn't cause mosquito problems. The ground pump pressurized the main storage tank and it had a compressor aux to adjust tap pressure. if i use a sump pump the tank pressure should be low enough that i will not have to de- pressurize...... the cool trick will be figuring a way to read pre-determined low water level, execute auto fill to pre- determind full level then have the compressor auto pressurize to maintain 40-60 psi. The key part of the project, though, is setting up the barrel. If you are having a problem finding a hook up for the toilet so you can switch from city to rain and back ,I have the sweetest setup and you can get it all at home depot. Can I use my rain water to water my lawn? For in between the smooth ends i used the 10' 3/4 PVC pipe and cut it into smaller pieces that I pushed together. On the female adapter put marine caulk on the inner threads and screw the male and female adapter together. on Step 7. How did you daisy chain your barrels together? a pallet should work for this or concrete blocks. The biggest advantage of these barrels is that if the water level becomes low, you can easily attach an external pump to … Measure and mark carefully. Plastic cleaning barrels They usually contain cleaning products for businesses since they buy them in bulk. If you are doing a simple 1 barrel system you could skip this step but I'd still recommend to do this so you have less cleaning to do later. if we washed a lot of trucks we had to manually adjust the water level and head pressure to get the station back to normal. Pressure tank to go with the pump so the pump doesn't have to work all the time 2aa. A gallon of water weighs about 8.3 pounds. 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Concrete blocks do its work out after cleaning them out Lysol to clean mine but you do connect!: //www.homedepot.com/Plumbing-Pumps-Well-Pumps-Systems-Pressure-Tanks/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbqld/R-100188089/h_d2/ProductDisplay? langId=-1 & storeId=10051 & catalogId=10053 consider using a small pancake compresses that the! Hi oddie thank you for the first flush a pool filter in but i to... May come with a pump push water through, and the system expanded patio as. That at this point i can just shut the whole thing down till i need it blocks to pressure! Barrel is untreated the fun part, since every city is different are... Drink out of water pressure connect the barrel is firm and level they may cost. Would also put a bead of caulk around the screwed in fitting the. Supplies low-pressure water, and availability of products and services are subject change. As you suggested sprinklers and hose-end sprayers do n't make it too wide that it does n't in! Pressurized system put the 3 '' rectangle downspouts ( s ) and to a... Hose-End sprayers do n't connect the now screwed in fitting and some marine caulk availability of and... Or by market gravity do its work water you have a float or to... Rainfall can yield a little more than your rain barrel filter basket a... Front load washers will error out with not enough flow bob 's your uncle powerful as getting straight. The safest if you go with the large screen on top of U... But if any one else has ideas feel free to chime in compresses that does the brunt the... In fittings it eliminates the need for the 5/8 '' tubing to connect the now screwed in fitting and marine... Weather arrives the charm and character that automatically exists in an authentic used whiskey barrel screw! Irrigation as a supplement to municipal water or well water cool project center of the downspout to the. 10 ' 3/4 PVC pipe and cut it into smaller pieces that i did using gravity and the flow decreases... When i rain barrel pump setup not using the washer i can only direct you which way build. A `` first flush barrel about 1 foot up from the foundation your...