How to Capture Water with Rain Barrels

How Does It Work? Rain that lands on your roof and flows off through storm gutters and drains is funneled into the rain barrel through a hole in its lid, where the water sits until you need to use it. You fill a watering can or connect a hose through a valve near the bottom of the barrel.

How do you collect water from a rain barrel?
Can I use a hose with a rain barrel?
How do you collect and store rainwater for drinking?
How fast do rain barrels fill up?
How long can water sit in rain barrel?
What happens when rain barrel is full?
Are rain barrels worth it?
How high should my rain barrel be?
Can rain barrels work without gutters?
What is the best way to catch rain water?
What happens if you don't have rain gutters?

How do you collect water from a rain barrel?

You have to place the rain barrel so rainwater from the roof will flow into it. This means it has to go either under a downspout, under the edge of the roof, or below a roof trough. It's best to catch water from a downspout, but if you don't have gutters and downspouts, a trough or roof edge will do.

Can I use a hose with a rain barrel?

Using Your Captured Rainwater

A rainbarrel spigot with a rubber gasket has been installed in this home-built rainbarrel, allowing the owner to easily fill their watering can. A garden hose or soaker hose can also be attached to the spigot.

How do you collect and store rainwater for drinking?

To start collecting rainwater, build a rain barrel from a plastic drum to catch the water. Attach the rain barrel to a downspout from your home's roof along with filter diverters to get rid of some of the contaminants. After you have enough water in the barrel, be sure to filter and disinfect it so it's potable!

How fast do rain barrels fill up?

It's common for about 1/8" inch of rain to fall each hour during a moderate rainstorm. That means that a 500 square foot roof can fill a properly installed 50-gallon rain barrel in about one hour.

How long can water sit in rain barrel?

To prevent algae growth, do not let water remain in your barrel more than 5-7 days. If algae grows, rinse your barrel with a VERY dilute (5%) bleach solution (3/4 cup chlorine bleach per 1 gallon of water should do). Rinse well. Keeping your barrel out of direct sunlight may also help.

What happens when rain barrel is full?

When the rain barrel is full, the diverter shuts off, and the rainwater will simply flow through the gutter like it normally would. ... But when there is a heavy rainfall, many times the rain barrel overflow valve can't keep up, and excess water can bubble over the top of the barrel rather than out the release valve.

Are rain barrels worth it?

Many arid or drought-prone regions have restrictions on lawn watering, and a rain barrel system can be an excellent way to get around these rules. If water use is expensive, capturing precipitation to use in the household can also be worthwhile. The cost of such a system depends on its size and the technology used.

How high should my rain barrel be?

For consistent, stable water pressure that meets your garden's watering needs (e.g. to create 10 PSI), the water level of your barrel needs to be 23.1 feet above the garden and higher for additional pressure or larger irrigation systems. That's right.

Can rain barrels work without gutters?

Many householders set up rain barrels to catch the water as it drips from the roof, reducing runoff and erosion while preserving water for garden use. Most homes direct water into the barrel with gutters and downspouts, but even homes without gutters can use a rain barrel.

What is the best way to catch rain water?

The rain will collect in gutters that channel the water into downspouts and then into some sort of storage vessel. Rainwater collection systems can be as simple as collecting rain in a rain barrel or as elaborate as harvesting rainwater into large cisterns to supply your entire household demand.

What happens if you don't have rain gutters?

If rain flows off your roof because you have no gutters, the water causes massive erosion, washing away more and more soil each time it rains. This causes your carefully sloped landscape to wear down, allowing runoff to flow toward your home instead of away from it. Erosion also causes the foundation to settle.