Rain Barrels

Recycling Rain Water

2009-03-18T05:03:00.001-07:00

For rain water harvesting rain barrels are a must. This is mainly done by people for storing and using the water for future purposes. In case of incessant rainfall there is that sudden rush of water which irrespective of any hurdles in its path flows rapidly towards the sea. True indeed, there may be a small rivulet of water flowing for a few days as long as the rain lasts, but it is only temporary and would soon disappear. Thus, in order to arrest the flow of rain water rain barrels are placed at strategic places to catch the water falling especially from ones roof top or open areas. It is with the help of rain barrels that the water coming from the roof tops through rain gutters is allowed to be saved rather than be wasted. Sometimes, more rain barrels are placed where the household is big or consumes a large amount of water regularly. Rain barrels are more of individual choice and vary in shape, size and make and it is mainly the family members who decide where the rain barrels should be kept. The rain barrels come in different materials such as wood, clay or plastic. The water thus stored can be used later on for your garden, agriculture, cleaning, flushing toilets, washing clothes, car washing and for a wide variety of purposes.

Rain Barrels Great For Water Conservation

2009-03-05T04:03:00.001-08:00

Owning rain barrels can be beneficial for a variety of reasons. Rain barrels can decrease household expenses. If you are required to pay for town water services where you live, installing a rain barrel to siphon roof run off can supplement your water usage and cause your water bill to be cheaper. In addition, rain barrels can significantly decrease our impact on the environment.

You may be surprised to see know how much water can be gathered with the help of rain barrels. If, for instance, you are using your roof or another similarly large surface from which to divert the run off into the barrels, it is fairly simply to calculate how many gallons of water you can expect to collect. For 1,000 square feet of roof or catching space, you can collect 600 gallons of water per one inch of rainfall. You can see using this formula that if you have a very large roof or catchment surface, you can collect quite a bit of water!

Do not forget, however, that living in a climate where there is often abundant rain will benefit more from this technology. Some places where this could be an especially useful in the United States are the Pacific NorthWest, and the Eastern coast of the United States.

Rain barrels are also wonderful in that they are environmentally friendly. Due to the fact that rain water is a renewable resource, there is no need to have a well or pump water from the ground, which can exhaust supplies and harm the environment. Also, if for some reason subterranean water tables become polluted, your home or business will not be at risk since you are obtaining your water from a different source.

The way that rain barrels function is fairly simple. Basic barrels include a spigot or valve, a straining device, a sturdy lid and a storage tank. The storage tank is the part of the device that most of us would think of as the rain barrel. Rain water flows from the catchment or roof to the gutters, through the strainer and into the storage area. You can get a hose to hook up to your spout in the barrel, or you can use the valve to access the water once your tank is holding some. Using your rain water for gardening, car washing and other activities is very easy with just a basic barrel.

A myriad of various materials, sizes and complexities of rain barrels can be purchased. Wood, clay and plastic are three examples. Often clay and wooden barrels are decorative and easy on the eyes, but can be more expensive than plastic. For outdoor uses such as gardening, these are idea. If you are looking for a barrel that is inexpensive and has a range of uses, plastic is your best bet. As a word of caution, you should not use plastic barrels for gardening due to the fact that they can spawn certain plant specific contaminants if UV rays are exposed to the water inside.

From fifteen gallons to one thousand, you can get just about any size rain barrel. No matter your needs or aesthetic preferences, rain barrels can be used to conserve both water and money.

FAQ: Rain Barrels

2009-02-23T04:02:00.001-08:00

A rain barrel is a simple, low tech way to conserve impressive amounts of water. All you need is a container of the right size, a rain spout, and a spigot. Good rainfall also helps, but even in the desert, the amount of rain a storm produces can fill a 100 gallon rain barrel quickly. If you have wondered whether a rain barrel would be a good investment for your house, here are the answers to a few questions you may have thought of.

What benefits can rain barrels offer me?

In addition to providing a free and self replenishing source of water, barrels also reduce the amount of water settling around your house's foundation, reducing long term structural damage.

How big a rain barrel will I need to get started?

55 or 100 gallons is a good starter size. Many people find that once they get used to using rainwater, they need larger tanks, or start stringing together multiple 100 gallon barrels. If you own a large building, such as a business or an apartment building, you may find that you can use an even larger tank; many public buildings and schools have rainwater collection tanks that can hold 2,000, 5,000, or even 15,000 gallons.

What kind of containers are acceptable as rain barrels?

A barrel can be made out of any material, from old fashioned wood to metal or high tech plastic. If you adapt a container that was not made to be a rain barrel, make certain it will not corrode or leak chemicals into the water. For example, adapting an ornamental copper pot is a bad idea, no matter how attractive it would be, because copper verdigris is deadly at trace doses. Certain plastics have also come under scrutiny for their propensity to shed chemicals, so there is a small but growing movement away from plastic. If you want a plastic rain barrel, buy one made of food grade plastic.

I live in a heavily polluted area where the rainwater is not safe to drink. Should I bother with a rain barrel?

Absolutely! Even if the local rainwater is undrinkable, you can still put it to a number of uses. Watering the lawn takes a considerable amount of water, so suburban expanses of lawn are a major drain on any municipality's water supply. Providing your own lawn water from a barrel is an excellent way to both use undrinkable water and reduce the strain on the local water system. Washing your car is another water intensive task that does not require perfectly clean water. You can also water houseplants and wash floors with collected rainwater. And, of course, the classic use for rainwater is as flushwater for a green toilet system.

Why rain barrels are so helpful

2009-02-09T04:51:00.001-08:00

It may be a somewhat harsh realization, but the fact is that by our very existence, human beings have placed quite a bit of a toll on the environment. With many of the planet's natural resources in danger of being depleted at some time or another in the future, our consumption of water is an increasingly crucial matter. With all the water that each of us uses up on a daily basis, there is a very real threat that there may not be enough left for future generations. This concern is particularly pressing in many parts of the world where water is scarce, and it is a situation that will likely become more and more common as time goes on. It is now more important than ever to take certain steps in order to conserve water as much as possible, and we can do our own small part by installing rain barrels.

Rain barrels perform the basic but very necessary function of allowing you to collect rainwater, which you can then use in a wide variety of tasks. From watering plants to washing windows, cleaning gardening tools and outdoor equipment and many more uses, rainwater is a tremendously valuable resource that we would do well to take advantage of. This water is particularly suited for the irrigation of outdoor plants and lawns, because it is after all coming from a natural source and is typically softer than the water that you can get from your tap.

Rain barrels come in many shapes and sizes, from commercially available models with a host of fixtures and attachments that make it easy to connect to other rain barrels, to homemade ones improvised from gallon jugs. Whatever type of rain barrels you go for will do a good enough job of collecting rainwater, although you will have determine how you want to use it when making your choice of which type to buy. If you want to install rain barrels in an area of your property where there is no ready supply of water available from a mains source, a commercial model may be a better option since it will allow you to attach a garden hose easily. Many commercial rain barrels also come with features that prevent rainwater from flowing over the sides and into the ground below, and instead redirect it to another receptacle.

If your needs are fairly basic however, you may find that homemade rain barrels are more than enough to get the job done. These can be fashioned from anything from plastic gallon jugs to barrels and even large capacity pails. These types of rain barrels are by far the more inexpensive option, and you can easily install one or more of them around your home for only a few dollars.

Take Advantage Of Using Fresh Rainwater, Try A Rain Barrel

2009-02-05T04:48:00.001-08:00

In using a rain barrel to collect and recycle water, there are a variety of different uses that you can benefit from. There are more and more individuals every single year who are taking advantage of the benefits that are to be had in collecting water in these handy containers that are very simple to use. There is an endless amount of ideas that fresh rainwater can be used for such as washing your automobiles, in the sauna you have installed in your backyard, watering plants and a limitless amount of other tasks. You just might be surprised in the dollars that you can save every single month that would generally be spent on high water bills.

There are several of us who have experienced hot summer months where we have received very little rainfall. When this happens it can quickly cause many frustrating problems for those who have decorated landscape on their land, and those that have planted food in gardens. One convenient way that you can solve these frustrating problems is by collecting fresh rainwater whenever you can by using a rain barrel that has been placed conveniently underneath a downspout drain that runs off the roof of your home.

It might be surprising to know that in collecting rainwater, many families can save up to 1,000 gallons during the summer when large amounts are generally being used. In several cases 40 percent of this is water that is being used to tend to such tasks as taking care of the yard and plants. Just imagine the other fun things you could be spending your hard earned money on that these high amounts can add up to each month.

By purchasing a couple of items from any hardware store, you can choose to make a rain barrel yourself and it can be achieved very easily. Some individuals find that it is much more convenient to buy a container that has already been made. For constructing your own container, the Internet has been known to be a very useful place for finding directions and other useful information that are most commonly needed for this type of project. If you plan to use what you have collected over a long period of time, there are filters that you can purchase that help a great deal in keeping the rainwater safe to use for long period of time. This gives you the advantage of using it whenever you need to.

Rain Barrels At Your Home

2009-01-25T05:02:00.001-08:00

Do you know that harvesting rainwater and saving them for your future use is something that you can actually do? Yes, with the use of rain barrels, you can actually use the water for your garden. This will save you about 40 percent of your total water consumption if you are using residential irrigation. Of course it is not only for watering your plants. You can use it for washing your car and cleaning the house. At the same time, the water you save can be used for any emergency should there be a shortage or need of water.

Using rain water is one of the easiest ways of making your home more energy efficient, if you are looking for ways to do so. This is because rain water is one of our most abundant natural resources and the easiest ways to harvest with any of the rain barrels available in many stores around. All you have to do is to get yourself this simple device, place it strategically under your gutter and it will do the rest. It will then collect the rain water which you can use for later need. Consider how much you can actually save for the entire year.

This energy innovation is not something new. Man has actually been saving water in containers and use them around the house since the dawn of civilization. At present, homeowners can also use the same water saving technique in their own homes with only slight improvement from the old practice. What are actually needed are cisterns that will store rain water that falls in the roof of the house. Instead of the storm drain in the lawns of the house, these will then collect the rain water. Usually the cisterns are concrete and are large enough to store large amount of water. But today, there are available barrels or plastic drums that can be used instead of the concrete cisterns. You can use several barrels or plastic containers as cistern by connecting them together with a pipe using a spigot attached on the lower part of the barrel. The last barrel should then have an overflow drain which can direct the extra water on a drain.

After you have decided to have your own rain barrel, what you must remember is that you should always use a tight fitting lid for safety. This will make sure that children and even animals will be safe from accidentally drowning from your collected water. At the same time, algae will not form in your water. To keep out the debris, you should also have a screen cover. You should also check regularly for blockage in between your rain barrels and for any overflow.

Using Rain Barrels To Collect Rainwater

2009-01-22T04:04:00.001-08:00

With water shortage an ever present threat in many parts of the world, the importance of water conservation cannot be underestimated. It seems that we cannot get the water we need when we need it, and we find our needs far exceed the supply. A great solution to this problem may lie in the use of rain barrels around the home.

Rain barrels have a number of clear benefits for people as well as for the environment.You will be pleased to see that your plants will positively thrive with rain water, making the case for rain barrels even stronger.

In certain places around the home where it is difficult, inconvenient or simply impractical to have a ready water source nearby, rain barrels can be of tremendous usefulness. A compost pit would greatly benefit from having rain barrels nearby for example, with the ready supply of water nearby making the task of moistening the compost a breeze. And since rainwater is typically soft and relatively free from minerals, it is ideally suited for watering plants, your garden or lawn, and even washing your cars and windows.

A more long term benefit that rain barrels provide is preventing too much water from seeping into the ground, and possibly pollute the local water table or over stress the sewer system. Around the home, too much overflow of rain into the ground can even cause your home's foundation to weaken over time, which makes having rain barrels almost an absolute necessity.

It is really quite easy to make your own rain barrels with a few commonly available items. Even something as simple as a barrel made out of food grade material would make a good starter rain barrel. You may also purchase a number of attachments for your rain barrels such as spigots or spouts to make it easier for you to draw off water when you need it, as well as to avoid runoff down the sides of the barrel.

If you intend to install more than a few rain barrels around your property, you may want to think about linking them together with a system of pipes. This will allow you to collect more water that you normally would, and is great way to increase the capacity of your rain barrels. With enough rain barrels installed, you may not need to depend on your local water supply as much at all.

Use a rain barrel for recycling rain water

2009-01-12T04:05:00.001-08:00

A century back people would have laughed at an idea of selling packaged water, but today it is one of the most profitable products in the market. In India for instance, various states have moved to the Supreme Court over building dams and seeking more water. We should stop taking the availability of water for granted, people in deserts have to travel miles for a gallon of water, we still have the time to try and make a difference in saving water. Of course, you can not influence the government or make policy decisions but you can start right from your own home by installing a rain barrel. A rain barrel is the cheapest and easiest way to recycle rain water.

The popularity of rain barrel is growing everyday. Instead of allowing the water to flow down a drain, you can install a rain barrel and have rain water flow into it. According to recent reports, quite a few families in the US and in the Europe are installing rain barrel in their home to harvest water for use in gardening, car wash and other activities that the harvested rain water can be used for.

A venture capitalist firm is known to be researching on a new type of rain barrel, it will feature a Reverse Osmosis water filtering system added in between the pipes and the storage tank. If this system is installed in a large building, the water can not only be used for drinking but the rejected water from the RO system can also be used for washing the building or in the toilet flush tanks. Unlike the traditional rain barrel system that collects the rain water and stores it in a tank, this system will provide clean and safe drinking water that is comparable with packaged water. It is a fairly new but a good idea and should catch up fast in towns and countries where water is scarce during some parts of a year.

In some US cities the councils ask their residents to stop using water for gardening if there is no rain for two to three months. This is the time when the water saved in rain barrel can come handy. An inexpensive rain barrel can hold huge quantities of water, depending on the space you may have, you can save water in excess of a 1000 gallons if there is enough rain. Not just a good rainy season, you also need to properly mark areas where water flows from your roof to collect the most you can. These pipes should then lead straight into the rain barrel.

Rain barrel are subsidized but you can also make one of your own from thins lying around your house. For a basic rain barrel, all you need is a tank and some garden hoses to collect and direct the water into the rain barrel. When you are setting up your rain barrel, make sure you have it raised slightly above the ground level by using bricks, cinder or wood. Also, make sure you have the height of your downspouts raised slightly above the level of the drum. Have your downspouts hoisted above the level of the drum too. Another thing you need to ensure is to keep debris and leaves out of the drum, this can be achieved simply by adding a filter on top of the inlet. You can either have a lid on top of the rain barrel or install a tap on the bottom to use the collected rain water.

Why Go For Rain Barrels

2009-01-10T04:03:00.001-08:00

If you have long been wondering about rain barrels and how to go about having a few of them around your home, we have some words of advice for you. The fact of the matter is that rain barrels are really quite simple things at the core, and you really do not need to have a degree in rocket science to have your own rain barrels at home. At their most basic, rain barrels are really just containers that are used to collect and store rainwater. Given that, it does not really have to be any kind of fancy contraption. This is why you will often see rain barrels that are made from nothing more than everyday items that you can find in any home such as steel containers, old barrels, oversized jars and similar receptacles. The inexpensiveness and easy availability of these containers also makes them favorable options.

What you will want to make sure of however is that your rain barrels are made of a suitably heavy and opaque material that does not let any sunlight in. Sunlight entering your rain barrels can cause the quick buildup of algae, resulting in clogged pipes and an unattractive appearance.

So why should you consider having rain barrels at home? Well for one thing, the rainwater that you will be able to collect with rain barrels can be quite useful to have around the house. All of this water can be put to good use thereby lessening your reliance on your mains water supply. The savings that you will realize from this reduced mains water consumption can really add up to quite a lot of money in the long run. Rain barrels will also help protect your home by lessening the amount of water that goes into the ground and can potentially weaken your foundations.

The water that you do collect in your rain barrels can be used in a wide array of tasks such as washing cars and lawn furniture, watering your plants, cleaning gardening tools, bathing pets, and so much more.

Even fairly large rain barrels can be filled up quite quickly by a good strong rain. If you want to collect even more rainwater, you can have more rain barrels around and even link them together.

Finally, you will want to make sure that you have adequate filtration for your rain barrels. This will help you maintain the cleanliness and purity of your rainwater, making it suitable for a wider variety of tasks.

Helping The Environment With Rain Barrels

2009-01-04T04:12:00.001-08:00

In the midst of the worldwide concern for the environment, the issue of water conservation is one that has been brought to the forefront. If you are presently undergoing a water crisis...or even if you have more water than you know what to do with for that matter...rain barrels can offer a number of benefits with regard to your water consumption as well as the environment.

Rain barrels serve to help you collect rainwater and utilize it for your daily needs, which is an important concern with water being quite scarce in many areas nowadays. Aside from helping you significantly reduce your water consumption, the water you collect in rain barrels is also ideally suited for a number of uses. Rainwater is generally free of pollutants and is naturally soft, and plants in particular benefit greatly from watering with rainwater.

By using rain barrels, you can also save a lot of money that you would normally spend on bills for water that you use from the water provider in your area. If you live in a place that regularly experiences water shortages, rain barrels will also greatly decrease your dependence on the local water supply. With rain barrels, you will be able to water the lawn whenever you want and generally be free from the restrictions that so many people in water scarce areas face.

Most people start out with rain barrels improvised from common items such as cans and barrels. Ready made rain barrels that are available from stores do a much better job at collecting rainwater however. 55 gallon sizes are what you will most likely see in the stores, although numerous other sizes are available as well. Many of these commercially available rain barrels also include features such as spouts and faucets for connecting to other gardening implements. To help keep the collected rainwater clean and free from contaminants, some rain barrels may also have screens built onto them. And if you want to have even more rainwater available for use, you can look into rain barrels that are designed to hook up to other rain barrels, increasing the amount of water that you are able to collect.

It is clear that rain barrels can have a greatly beneficial impact on your water consumption...and consequently, your impact on the environment...as well as reducing the amount of money that you spend on water utility bills. Using rain barrels at home will also help educate your children on how to save water, and possibly give them a lesson in water conservation that they will carry with them for a lifetime.

Do I need a rain barrel

2009-01-03T04:07:00.001-08:00

Rain water that is typically lost to runoff, streams or sewers can be collected from your roof and stored in rain barrels. Typically rain barrels are made of a 55 gallon drum, a vinyl hose, PVC couplings and a screen grate. It simply has to be positioned underneath the gutter of your roof and it will collect the rain water while it is pouring.

Rain barrels are a good way to harvest and conserve rain water. Use of rain barrels can help in tackling the problem of water shortage and cut down the costs of water consumption. Throughout heavy rains, if used properly one can store as much as an entire barrel full of water. Rain water collected on your roof can be collected in a rain barrel and put to good use. It can be used for many purposes like watering the plants and the garden or washing your car. In a given year one can save up water enough to last one whole summer depending on the number of rain barrels that are put to use. During peak summer months, a rain barrel can collect about 1,300 gallons of rain water.

The benefits of using rain barrels not only include the cost cutting on water expenditure. The water collected is soft water and is excellent for garden use. Rain water is untreated containing no chlorine, lime or calcium and therefore really good for the garden and washing your car and windows. The use of rain barrels is apposite in places where a convenient spout is not located. Rain barrels can provide you with water when it is most required like in drought months. Not to mention that using rain barrels is a great way to conserve rain water which is one of the most abundant natural sources of water.

The rain barrels should be kept securely covered to prevent the hazard of children or pets falling into it. Also, the water in the rain barrels should not be used for cooking, drinking or bathing. In case any kind or spray or medicine is used on the roof, then the barrel should not be used in the first few rains. The rain barrels should be kept a little elevated to make the spigot easily accessible. For more hoarding ability, more than one barrel can be used. They can be connected with one another to be able to collect and store more rain water.

On a different note, even though rain barrels can be constructed at home some of the tools needed are quite specialized and expensive. Not only is the process lengthy and time consuming, but it also requires a lot of skill to get all the parts right. Contrastingly, it is easier to buy ready made rain barrels as they are readily available and spares one the time and energy required to make one.

Traditional rainwater storage through Rain Barrels.

2008-12-30T04:12:00.001-08:00

Rain barrels are large containers used to collect rain water. Rain water is being increasingly stored for use in gardens flushes and other non potable usage. Water resources are dwindling and one of the methods of preserving water is by conserving and collecting rain water for non drinking purposes. Rain barrels are available commercially made of steel stainless steel plastic fiberglass and concrete. Home made rain barrels out of earthen pots or wood to go with the overall effect of the landscape are preferred by some. Decorative water barrels with faux wood exteriors are also available to give a quaint effect to the exterior of a house. To get potable water a mesh placed around the mouth of the rainwater barrel will filter the water. Collecting rain water through rain barrels is an old fashioned technique of water conservation that never goes out of fashion. Wodden rain barrels

Water Conservation in your own home

2008-12-26T04:06:00.001-08:00

Water sustains life and water conservation is not only necessary for individual comfort but as a service for humanity as a whole. Water conservation begins at home. You should look around your own home for ways to conserve water. You should use low water usage fittings in the toilets and kitchen and install recycling units for water conservation in your own home.

Drip irrigation is the best form of irrigation for water conservation in the garden and watering should be done before 10 am in the morning and after 8 pm at night. For the lawn a variety of turf grass that requires less water than others should be chosen. For water conservation in your laundry you should use the low water setting and turn the machine on only when there is a full load of clothes. You should plug the sink when you wash dishes to rinse dishes rather than rinse them under the tap for better water conservation at home. You need to change your lifestyle to a very small extent and achieve optimum water conservation in your home. see more..

Rain Barrels Help Save The Planet

2008-12-22T04:08:00.001-08:00

More and more people are returning to the use of rain barrels. The most likely reasons for this are drought situations occurring in many parts of the country as well as an increasing awareness of the need for water conservation in general.

The drivers that make people choose to collect rainwater vary. Many see it as the answer to maintaining green lawns and healthy gardens despite watering restrictions in water poor cities and towns. Others turn to rain barrels to keep their water bills down. Water routed from rain barrels and cisterns can be used, not only for watering plants and grass, but for washing, bathing and mostly any water use other than consumption or cooking.

Many people concerned with conservation and maintaining green lifestyles use rain barrels with water conservation as their primary goal.

Rain barrels can be purchased commercially or made from recycled wooden or plastic storage barrels. Regardless of the source of your barrel, you will need the following basics:
1.
Rain gutter and downspout
2.
Barrel or other large container
3.
Screen to block leaves and twigs, etc.
4. Tight fitting lid
5. Distribution device

Your existing rain gutters will take care of the first item needed. If not, installing them will be an important first step. A downspout will divert the rainwater into the waiting container. Materials commonly used for rain barrels are plastic or wood, and although they can be purchased new, recycled barrels are available. If a recycled barrel is used, make sure you know what the barrel has stored in the past to avoid tainting the water with harmful residues. Childproof your rain barrels with tight fitting lids. Rain barrels need a distribution outlet in the form of a spout with a valve or a piece of hose. A benefit of harvesting rainwater is that it has no chlorine or other chemicals which makes it healthy for plants. Recycling rainwater rather than using potable supplies for watering lawns and plants reduces the stress on water supplies to municipalities. Also, when rain fills the drains and gutters, it mixes with wastewater and runs off into rivers and streams. Natural drainage through the soil and rock bed purifies the water before it reenters the ecosystem.

On a personal level, using rain barrels to collect and store rainwater helps your wallet as well as your plants. It is also good for the environment by reducing consumption and improving the quality of our natural water supplies.

Reducing Your Water Consumption With Rain Barrels

2008-12-08T04:08:00.001-08:00

It is estimated that the average rain shower that falls on the typical home results in more than 700 gallons of perfectly good rainwater running off and seeping into the ground. All of that wasted rainwater could have otherwise been used for a good number of baths or showers. Larger buildings with correspondingly larger span roofs of course result in even more rainwater being wasted, often as much as several thousand gallons of rainwater at a time.

Since water is an ever decreasing precious resource, it only makes sense to look into the many benefits that rain barrels can offer you as well as the environment. Besides being wasted, this rainwater also enters the storm drains through the ground where it can deposit various toxic materials and other pollutants, causing further harm to the environment.

Rain barrels effectively address these issues by allowing you to collect and store rainwater for future use. In its most basic form, rain barrels are simply large containers that collect water that comes from rooftops or other impermeable surfaces around the home. In a good rainstorm, rain barrels can collect more than 200 gallons of rain water, so you can imagine that they can be filled quite rapidly. This will then result in you having a considerable amount of water that can be used for various purposes around the home, ranging from watering plants and trees, to car and window washing chores. Not only will this lessen the amount of water that is wasted, it will also reduce the amount of pollutants that enter the local ground water supply and reduce your dependence on the local water provider in your area.

Your options for rain barrels range from commercially available rain barrels to rain barrels made out of materials that can be found around the home or in a typical garden supply store. Many commercial rain barrels have fixtures built in such as hose or faucet connectors, which make them convenient for regular use or for hooking up with other rain barrels in order to collect even more rainwater. Constructing your own rain barrels will take some time, effort and planning, although this will be offset by the money that you will save from having to buy commercial rain barrels. Whichever option you choose to go for, you will want to make sure that your rain barrels are ideally situated to collect as much rainwater as possible.

Your Budget and the Environment Will Love Your Rain Barrels

2008-12-04T04:21:00.001-08:00

We lived in a row house in the city for years and years and did not have a big enough yard to even worry about watering when the weather was hot and dry. We recently moved to a house with a bigger yard that requires more maintenance and attention. My husband is adamant about not watering the grass in our yard, even when we hit a hot and dry patch with the weather. Luckily, the majority of our neighbors have the same opinion. The plants and bushes are another story. We have had an inordinate amount of rain this year. In between those really wet weeks, though, there were really hot weeks. Every time I would turn on the hose outside, I felt guilty that I had not collected some rain from the downpours. I realized that rain barrels were the answer.

I read a shocking statistic once that an estimated 40 percent of household water in the summer months is used to water gardens and lawns. Capturing rain water with a system of rain barrels can decrease the demand on our municipal water supplies significantly. The Maryland Environmental Design Program believes rain barrels could allow a consumer to save about 1,300 gallons of water during peak water usage months. Clean water is one of our precious resources. It should be used wisely. City sewer infrastructures are more frequently overflowing during downpours, due to population increases. Rain barrels can decrease the demand on those systems. In a world where almost nothing is free anymore, rain water is one of the exceptions. Harnessing rain water via rain barrels is the cheapest way to water your plants and lawn. Having a stash of water in rain barrels also allows you to water at your leisure, if your city has any water restriction times. Rain water also does not contain chlorine, unlike public water sources.

Utilizing your existing downspouts and gutters, rain barrels offer a place to store the harnessed water for when you need it. You can find all sorts of rain barrels, depending on your budget and needs. There are basic plastic barrels, or a fancy pottery barrels that will dazzle your neighbors. I recommend child proofing your rain barrels, which means making sure all barrels have a secure top or are too narrow for a child to get inside. Many barrel intakes can be fitted with a filter to help keep mosquitoes at bay. Rain barrels with overflow hoses and a spout are also very handy.

Everyone should be utilizing rain barrels. Even if you do not own your home, get your landlord on board and offer to install a barrel yourself. Help your bottom line and the world by installing some rain barrels. I am embarrassed that my environmentally conscious household waited so long to do it.

The Many Uses Of Rain Barrels

2008-12-02T04:18:00.001-08:00

Rain barrels which are also called rainwater tanks or water butts in the United Kingdom are water tanks that are used for the collection and storage of rain water from rooftops. This water usually passes through rain gutters that are installed on roofs. Similar storage containers also known as rainwater tanks are mainly used to collect harvested rain. Rain barrels are sometimes installed to collect water running off from concrete patios and even driveways.

Rain barrels actually have many uses, not the least of which is the storage of rain water for later use. They can also be used to lessen mains water consumption, which can have significant beneficial effects on the economy as well as the environment. Of course being able to store rain water also results in a certain measure of self sufficiency, since doing so will allow you to be less dependent on mains water to some degree, depending on how much water you consume on a regular basis.

The stored water from the rain barrels may itself be used for garden irrigation and other agricultural purposes, for household uses such as flushing toilets, washing clothes and cars, and in some cases even for drinking. This can be a great benefit in areas where water is less available, cost prohibitive or unsafe to drink. This is one of the main reasons why rain barrels can often be seen in areas with arid climates, wherein water is collected during the rainy season and used later when water is scarce. In any case, water that is collected from rain barrels must still be protected against contamination and filtered if possible.

Some rain barrels can be a bit expensive, but their many uses means that they will pay for themselves in the long run. Some homeowners have even been known to use small rain barrels that have a correspondingly smaller capacity. Rain barrels can even be fashioned from food containers that have been recycled, transport barrels, and even barrels used in the production of wine and whiskey. These types of rain barrels have the benefit of being quite inexpensive. Keep in mind that with these types of rain barrels, it is important to make sure that they are sufficiently sealed in order to prevent the entry of mosquitoes. Even seemingly protected from mosquito entry, these rain barrels can still contain dangerous mosquito larvae, especially if you do not use a filter.

Rain water harvesting through rain barrels

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Rain barrels are containers used to collect as well as store rain water for later use. Rain water collected by these barrels have a number of uses ranging from gardening, washing cars, in washing machines, etc. In times when drinking water is unavailable or expensive, water collected through rain barrels can be used for drinking purposes after proper filtration and cleansing. Waste of precious water to runoffs can be controlled by the use of rain barrels the utility of which is evident. With the use of rain barrels not only would you be conserving the environment but also saving your money.

A rain barrel is a 20 to 100 Gallon Tank, a vinyl hose, PVC couplings and a screen to keep insects and other debris out. It can be kept under a Gutter anywhere around the house.

A rain barrel can be bought in the market where it is easily available. A rain barrel with easy and minimal installation is suitable and preferable for people lacking required technical skills. Rain barrels are available at various rates due to different designs, capacity, material used, style and brand etc. There are various models available which should be seen before a choice is made. Different designs and models are present in gardening catalogues as well. Use of different materials such as wood or plastic etc would alter the cost substantially. Heavy duty material is preferable for longer life as well as efficiency though the price might be higher. The existence of online sellers increases easy availability of rain barrels. The average price of rain barrels ranges from $100 to $350.

With an efficiency of 70 to 90% rain barrels are very useful. 600 gallons of water can be collected from an area of 1000 Sq feet for every inch of rain. The placement of rain barrels can also vary efficiency and thus is important. It should be placed in such a location so that transfer for use in gardens etc, is easily possible. It should also have a heavy duty overflow pipe which drains water away from the building when there is heavy rain.

In today's world where conservation of the environment and natural resources is the talk of the town, harvesting rain water through rain barrels is a grass root level plan for water conservation. The water if not conserved would be wasted in run offs (which also causes river, stream etc. pollution), is used for various purposes which accounts for a large part of the water usage by a household. The use of these rain barrels would reduce pressure on the water table and tap water supply. Rain water is considered more beneficial for gardening purposes as well as it does not contain chemicals found in regular water supply.

It is observable that a rain barrel requires more than just a barrel for functioning. Analyzing and estimating cost for constructing a rain barrel, it would be around $120 while purchasing the same off the market would set you back by around $200. This cost however includes installation as well and the efficiency of the purchased barrel can be guaranteed as it is made professionally while the one constructed at home is most likely to have glitches, which decrease efficiency, such as leaks in the tank etc. considering the amount of water it is being build to hold Also, after factoring the cost of tools required for constructing a barrel the cost increases and thus it can be settled that purchasing an easily available barrel is beneficial. The advantages of purchasing ready made rain barrels over building one which could be a cumbersome task has been emphasized and should be preferred according to this author.

Ecologically Sound Water Usage and the Rain Barrel

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Catching rainwater as it falls is an age old idea. In fact, the idea of the rain barrel has been around for just as long as irrigation has... pretty much as long as civilization. In the last century or so, however, households have increasingly relied on municipal water systems. Unfortunately, using falling rainwater is no longer widely done.

Everyone with a budget and a desire to take care of the environment wants to save energy and reduce their water usage. But most households do not realize the benefits they could receive from using a rain barrel. A rain barrel is a large, specially made container that is designed to catch rainwater. These barrels are placed under your roof's drain downspout. When rain falls on the roof of your home, it is swept into your roofs gutters and out through its downspout. Using this method, you can collect huge quantities of falling water.

How a Rain Barrel Helps the Environment

Reduces storm water runoff. Did you know that, though rain is good for an ecosystem, it can be bad for the environment? When rain falls, it flows through our city streets before being carried to creeks and rivers. In this process, rainwater picks up toxins, such as pesticides, pet waste, oil, etc. If you collect some of that rainwater instead of allowing it to flow away, you can reduce the pollution of our rivers.

Improved water efficiency. Of course, the most significant effect of using a rain barrel is the reduced water usage. In the summer time, up to 40% of a household's water usage goes to watering their garden and lawn. As a result of water shortages, many communities are experiencing water supply problems, forcing water rationing. By catching rainwater, however, you can relive some of the burden on your city's water supply, as well as keep your garden and yard healthy and watered year round.

Energy efficiency. We all know that reducing the amount of energy we use to power our homes is important for the environment. But many of us do not consider the power usage implied by using municipal water. The water that comes from our home's pipes is water that is cleaned and pumped through long pipes to our homes. There are countless processes in water processing that use up energy and, unfortunately, harm the environment.

You can reduce your water usage by thousands of gallons and have plenty of water handy for plants and odd jobs simply by using a rain barrel. The only job rainwater can not fill is satisfying your thirst. Other than that, using a rain barrel is perfect for cleaning your Camaro, watering your camillas... and protecting the Earth.