Rain barrels

Daleo8803

Daleo8803

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I'm wanting to put together a small rain system. 2 or 3 55 gallon barrels. Where and what kind of barrels do I need? How often do I need to empty the barrels? If I filter the water it should be good to drink correct? Any advice?
 
I have one system. I bought it from a fundraiser event basically. It's a 55 gal. food grade drum with lid and screened hole for downspout to empty into. I just drop a bit of bleach into it periodically, though it's primary use is for watering the yard, mixing weed killer etc. In a pinch it could be boiled and / or filtered. If nothing else water for the dogs, washing items, toilet etc.

I don't ever empty it I just occasionally use the water and just just keep some bleach in there to keep the inside from getting slimey.

I have a separate 55 gal. drum with spout that I keep filled with fresh water and a bit of bleach. I partially drain it about once a year and ad in fresh water etc. So between that drum, the downspot drum and 5 Military Water Cans I'm pretty set for H2O
 
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Just remember what that rain water is running over, under and throught to get into your barrel. Unless you are distilling it, I wouldn't suggest it for animals or humans.
 
Thanks guys. Where is a good place to look for barrels? If I where to just store water in them straight from the hose pipe how long would be good for? Would I need to treat it?
 
Daleo8803 said:
Thanks guys. Where is a good place to look for barrels? If I where to just store water in them straight from the hose pipe how long would be good for? Would I need to treat it?
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That's what I did with one was use it for direct storage...I added a bit of bleach and then sealed the top lid. I drain it down every so often and ad in fresh water with a bit more bleach. Most local garden shops and even Lowes/Home Depot sell them. Also check Craigslist. It doesn't hurt to treat the water before sealing it and it just takes a bit of bleach. You can research on-line for ratio.

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rintintindog68 said:
That's what I did with one was use it for direct storage...I added a bit of bleach and then sealed the top lid. I drain it down every so often and ad in fresh water with a bit more bleach. Most local garden shops and even Lowes/Home Depot sell them. Also check Craigslist. It doesn't hurt to treat the water before sealing it and it just takes a bit of bleach. You can research on-line for ratio.

.
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@Lawless has a great thread about water purification and how to go about it in the "Survival" sub-forum. I printed it out and stuck it in a folder.
 
If you want new barrels you can order from Uline, pretty pricey though. I got 6 barrels from a laundry company that had soap in them. Washed them out real good and set them up.
 
Check with your local car dealerships..Sometimes depending on the detail dept venders offer their liquid products in plastic 55 gallon barrels. When empty, they sit near the dumpsters until someone carts them away..
 
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I use 4 barrels for rain water reclamation to water my berry plants fed off the gutter of my house instead of well water when rain fall is scarce. One gutter feeds a barrel with a cut off top but has window screen stretched across the top as a filter and to keep mosquitos out. Went to Lowes and bought facets with a nut of the back side. Drilled a hole 1 foot up from the bottom of each barrel and attached a faucet, one in and one out.. Took an old garden hose and cut them into the lengths I needed to attach one barrel to another using 2 female ends ( Lowes again). Now, one barrel feeds the other and at the last barrel I have a section of hose long enough to drag around to water all the blueberry and black berry plants when needed. Its does not take much of a rain storm to fill all the barrels with 200 gallons of water, just from one gutter outlet. Just remember to drill an 1/8 inch hole in the top of each storage barrel to allow for venting.
 
"David the good" has some good info on harvesting rainwater. If I recall, colored barrels are less prone to anything "growing" in the unit vs the clear ones. No light, no photosynthesis.
R
 
I have two rain barrels, each made from a 60- gallon black polyethylene barrel that originally held pickles. I used this diverter to connect to the downspouts. No moving parts, one diverter can supply two barrels if you want, and if the barrel gets full the overflow just goes down the downspout.
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http://www.rainharvest.com/rainreserve-basic-rain-barrel-diverter-system.asp

A 3/4 inch ball valve will discharge water a lot faster than a cheap faucet (much better for filling a bucket) but they are more costly.

https://www.amazon.com/RAINPAL-Barrel-Quarter-Bulkhead-Fitting/dp/B00NX697C0
 
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Daleo8803 said:
Thanks guys. Where is a good place to look for barrels? If I where to just store water in them straight from the hose pipe how long would be good for? Would I need to treat it?
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There is a fellow in Concord that has barrels. PM me and I will give you his number. I texted him when me and a buddy bought barrels. He did have the black pickle and the smaller terracotta olive barrels and the square totes/aluminum framed.
 
waxhaw said:
There is a fellow in Concord that has barrels. PM me and I will give you his number. I texted him when me and a buddy bought barrels. He did have the black pickle and the smaller terracotta olive barrels and the square totes/aluminum framed.
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That's probably who I got my second one from. I made a slight detour on the way to Charlotte for a business meeting.
 
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