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crashdive123
06-20-2011, 02:54 PM
It's taken a while, and quite a bit of gentle prodding, but Mrs. Crash came to me the other day and said she wanted me to install a rain barrel. (Great idea honey - it only took 2 years of dropping gentle hints :idea:)

I installed a gutter on a small section of our carport (most homes here have no gutters) and put in the barrel. I didn't win the battle over using the cheap, recycled barrel, but it's progress. Now - if only we would get some rain.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/002.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/001.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/003-1.jpg

hunter63
06-20-2011, 03:01 PM
Very nice.............
Now that is a fancy rain barrel there.......I bet it would even pass muster on a neighborhood inspection tour....Yeah, don't laugh there are some places that won't let you do that, or even collect rain water for that matter.

I still use mine at "The Place" on the side of the shed, comes in handy

Sourdough
06-20-2011, 03:16 PM
Looks good Crash. What does a "Martha Stewart" Rain Barrel cost......?

crashdive123
06-20-2011, 03:43 PM
Looks good Crash. What does a "Martha Stewart" Rain Barrel cost......?

With the Military discount at Home Depot, right at $90, but the peace and contentment are priceless.

Rick
06-20-2011, 03:58 PM
A couple of things you'll need to consider. If the barrel doesn't have a screen mesh over the opening or if the barrel cover doesn't fit tight then you'll want to do something to keep the skeeters out. You'll also have to add some sodium hypoclorite on occasion to keep the algae growth down. You might also consider installing some screen mesh at the downspout opening to keep clutter (seeds, leaves, etc.) out of the barrel. Of course that means you'll need to clean the gutter occasionally. I know you know that stuff but sometimes it slips our minds.

Does the diverter bypass the barrel when the barrel gets full?

Oh, yeah. Be sure to drain it this winter so it doesn't freeze and burst.

crashdive123
06-20-2011, 04:58 PM
All good advice. The cover fit is very tight (Fiskars is the manufacturer). Screening at top of gutter (to be installed). The bypass is really a simple design. The black piece on the gutter with the flex line to the barrel is the diverter and bypass all in one. The set-up came with two sizes (pick the one that fits your system). Inside the diverter is a trough that collects the water routes it to the flex line. When the barrel and flex line are full, the water runs down the center hole of the black piece.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/RainBarrel2001.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/RainBarrel2002.jpg

hunter63
06-20-2011, 04:58 PM
A couple of things you'll need to consider. If the barrel doesn't have a screen mesh over the opening or if the barrel cover doesn't fit tight then you'll want to do something to keep the skeeters out. You'll also have to add some sodium hypoclorite on occasion to keep the algae growth down. You might also consider installing some screen mesh at the downspout opening to keep clutter (seeds, leaves, etc.) out of the barrel. Of course that means you'll need to clean the gutter occasionally. I know you know that stuff but sometimes it slips our minds.

Does the diverter bypass the barrel when the barrel gets full?

Oh, yeah. Be sure to drain it this winter so it doesn't freeze and burst.

LOL, Crash you are in Florida, right?....But good point for all of us poor....in other more northern locations.......

Screen is a good idea, as is a little clorox....oh, and if you float a little vegetable oil on the top keeps skeeters down.

Rick
06-20-2011, 06:04 PM
Yeah, yeah. I had to get in a little dig at the Florida boy. Around here if you float oil on top you'll just pre-coat them. Lord knows they're fryin' size. We've had 2.7 inches in the last 24 hours. 1/2 inch the day before. The day before that.........I'll be happy to ship some of this rain to the south.

It will be interesting to see how much water your containers require. I don't have to use any at the moment but come late July and August I'll probably be using 25 gallons every couple of days for the garden.

crashdive123
06-20-2011, 07:53 PM
For the skeeters I just park my work truck in a prominent area....they wouldn't dare!

Sigh - no rain still. 101 degrees with a 98% humidity. Just a wee bit warm.

Rick
06-20-2011, 07:57 PM
Is the nozzle threaded to accept a hose? Darn these women anyhow. Don't they understand that men have to build "stuff"? Buying ready made "things" is against all the man codes ... unless it's beer. Beer can be ready made. Guns, too.

crashdive123
06-20-2011, 08:01 PM
Yes - The spigot is threaded. I suggested (nudged) that we raise the barrel and then just run a hose to the containers.......maybe for the next barrel.

hunter63
06-20-2011, 08:02 PM
For the skeeters I just park my work truck in a prominent area....they wouldn't dare!

Sigh - no rain still. 101 degrees with a 98% humidity. Just a wee bit warm.

Might have to fill it up with the garden hose.LOL.........I ran the hose from the cabin (pump) down hill and washed/flushed out my barrels once, neighbor laughed his butte off, giving me comments like "I thought that was for rain"...."yeah sure, rain water collection system",.... "now I know how it gets full, etc"......

My answer was simply...."Well, at least I don't have to haul it from town"......He doesn't have a well or pump.

When it does rain, you will be surprised at how fast it will fill up.......

crashdive123
06-20-2011, 08:05 PM
In the summer we often get afternoon thunder storms. They would sure be a welcome event with all the wildfires - well, not the lightning part.

woodsman86
06-20-2011, 08:05 PM
I think I am going to go into Home Depot and ask where the rain barrels are just to see if the kid will look for them...we may have registered "precipitation" during the last 5 minute misting.

The commercial rain barrel may not be the cheapest route but I definitely like the setup with the downspout and overfill. Is there a kit to daisy chain them? It looked as though there was another flat spot to drill a hole on the opposite side.

crashdive123
06-20-2011, 08:13 PM
There is no kit that comes with it to run them together. Yes, there is a reinforced flat spot on each side so that it can be set up on either side of the down spout. Running them together would be easy enough with some height changes - 1st one highest, last one lowest. Hey! I may get to build something after all.

hunter63
06-20-2011, 08:37 PM
I have a two barrels set up, but like to transfere with a pump and pool filter, from collection to use barrel, of course I was using mine for a shower.
I also have a first flush built in.

I did find that the screen at the top of the gutter, before the drop did fill up with sticks and dirt, but acted as a natural filter.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/hunter63/PICT0082.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/hunter63/PICT0066.jpg
Took off the black hose and bag replaced it with a 2-1/2 gal elect water heater.....
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/hunter63/PICT0065.jpg

Rick
06-20-2011, 09:26 PM
I connected both of my barrels together but I don't have an overflow. I'm going to have to rectify that I guess. It doesn't take much rain at all to fill them up based on the size roof I have. Here's a link to the thread I started. Crash has a rain calculator on post 19 so you can figure the size of your roof and how much rain you will collect. It's pretty simple. My 8 year old grand daughter explained it to me.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?7074-Another-Project-Down&highlight=rain+barrels

Rick
06-20-2011, 09:32 PM
I don't know how your yard is set up but if you have enough hose you should still be able to water your containers. I just can't remember how tall your pipes are in the containers. Elevating it would give you some more pressure obviously. My barrels are about 24 inches off the ground and at the far end of the garden probably 40 inches above elevation. I have just enough pressure from the 100 gallons that I can put my thumb over the end of the hose and squirt water about 4-5 feet.

crashdive123
06-20-2011, 09:42 PM
We've got containers in two areas. The homemade earth boxes are on the other side of the house - too far, but a good candidate for the next barrel. This little deck is not too far from the barrel.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/Garden/GardenUpdate012.jpg

woodsnwater
06-20-2011, 10:45 PM
Love that rain barrel and it's not ugly! Too many other projects going on to put one in but it's on our list. Thanks for the close up pictures

your_comforting_company
06-20-2011, 11:06 PM
101 degrees with a 98% humidity. Just a wee bit warm.

I have to remind myself that this is the only inhabitable planet in the known (reachable) universe and that the weather is "just right". Even makes me appreciate the gnats and skeeters a little more (as crazy as that sounds).

@ woodsnwater: We have a barrel that just sits over to the side and we use 5 gallon buckets, strategically placed under valleys and "drip runs". We can collect about 30 gallons even in a quick shower. It goes fast but we just dip out what we want to use and carry a bucketful to the plants. I have 5 gallon buckets set up with drip irrigation type homemade stuff.

@ crash: we got a nice rain on Saturday.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/nature%20shots/0617111917a.jpg

Winnie
06-21-2011, 04:08 AM
I have four barrels 1 is a "proper job" the other 3 are the good old blue barrels. We have at last had some rain, so they are all full at the moment.

oldtrap59
06-22-2011, 11:31 PM
East Texas finally got rain yesterday and today. More then enough to fill the blue barrels we have set up. Nice break from those triple digit temps the last couple days too. Just heard on the news that we're still about 28" short on precip over the last 18 months.

Oldtrap

Rick
06-22-2011, 11:37 PM
You can have all you want but you have to come to Indiana and bail it out for yourself. We've had a ton of rain.

Skinner
06-23-2011, 12:21 AM
In the summer we often get afternoon thunder storms. They would sure be a welcome event with all the wildfires - well, not the lightning part.

Yea ,In Florida It will Be Nice and Sunny then Bam Raining Cats and Dogs But Here Lately Hot/Rain Now Steaming Streets and Parking Lots .My In-Laws and Wife (Northerners) Got a Kick out of It Raining On 1 side of the Road and the Other Side All Dry and Sunny.

crashdive123
06-23-2011, 07:29 AM
No rain yesterday here. West of town was getting hit pretty hard though. Got my fingers crossed for this afternoon.

your_comforting_company
06-23-2011, 09:33 AM
looking at the radar, you'll have better chances tomorrow crash, where we'll likely get storms by mid-afternoon here today. They keep saying it's a slow mover, so maybe we'll all get a good soaking. Lord knows we need it!

And funny enough, I went down the road a piece to check my bee-trap yesterday, and not 100 yards from my house here, it was raining, and a mile down the road dry as a bone LOL. Wished I could lasso the cloud like the old cowboy cartoon and drag it over my garden. I'd need a pretty long rope tho..

crashdive123
06-23-2011, 12:04 PM
The afternoon thunderstorm patterns that we often get during the summer are usually caused by the afternoon sea breezes. On sea breeze coming from the Gulf and another coming from the Atlantic - when they meet thunderheads appear. Still hoping that something pops up this afternoon.

crashdive123
06-23-2011, 09:10 PM
We had a rather prolific thunderstorm this afternoon. Rained for about 30 minutes. Filled the barrel (58 gallons). Then we lost power for a bit. Opened the windows for a little breeze and took a nap.

hunter63
06-24-2011, 11:53 AM
We have had on/off rain for the last week, and cool temps, doesn't feel like June.

BTW, article in the local paper this morning, talking about the state DNR working on water planning, bacteria, run-off etc had a list of stuff that would help.
Listed was rain barrels and "rain gardens", basically a man-made swamp in your yard, as well as other "keep the water clean", do's and don'ts.

I suppose if enough people did this it would make a difference in the grand scheme of things, but I'm thinking that collecting rain water for your own use is something that you do for your own well being, not to save the world?

Funny thing is that in some places won't even allow collecting of rain water.........or so I'm told.

your_comforting_company
06-24-2011, 01:07 PM
every little bit helps. One person can't save the world, but 100 billion might make a little difference.