Our county has a program that costs $20 and you go to an hour long class on rain barrels, then the hands-on portion is where you put most of the setup together. Then you get to take the entire barrel project home!
@@ibeattheleaves5005 they taught the legality of rain capture, and how to utilize captured rain on your property. Then, just putting the barrel together and tips for winter storage
I do believe that a "how to" video should give all the details. I called my local recycling center for a barrel, they said they do get them in but they don't give them out but they would sell me an already assembled rain barrel for 40 bucks. So save yourself the time drilling, buying looking for a hole saw and call the recycling center! Also: so many comments about horrible "toxic roof water " all the plants are getting run off from the streets, decks all the rooftops in the neighborhood as well as the pesticides you neighbor sprays. Just one roof sounds pretty good!
I don't know who the producers are who choose which homeowners get on the show, but time and time again, they have proven that they are excellent at their jobs.
It is worth pointing out that a light-colored or translucent barrel will grow algae in most cases. This will be aggravated when fed directly from a roof/gutter.
Algae will still grow even with the filter. It's a microbe that grows. Also, white or natural plastics will also degrade and get brittle over time. It's best to put some gardening cloth around it to shade it from the sun rather than paint it. It should keep it cooler than painting it.
Feeding troth from tractor supply. Lid is an old screen door. Tarp over top when it's not raining. Troth comes with a hose and drain valve built in. $50
Make sure the tape goes on the same way the threads run on the boiler fitting, so when you screw the 1” threads in, the tape stays on:-) Also, a one inch fitting with a washer screwed tight on to the inside will help the boiler fitting not leak :-)
@@angelastanislowski8862 Most are like that. On PVC type barrels you have to cut the entire top off (level) then screen it, or what I’ve done is turn the top you’ve cut off upside down and set it back on the barrel for a bird-critter watering spot..Then you have the run-off from the gutter go into either the bird bath on top, or you’ll have to cut another hole into the edge of the top that drains the downspout to on top of the screen..Then drill a hole on the side that accepts your hose Bibb for watering..I always put a quick release-connector for the Bibb and hose in case I need to take it loose to go elsewhere :-)
Great to see this install and saving rainwater! See comments below on putting the diverter just below the top of the barrel to automatically prevent overflow, see product instructions. We have installed a few of these and work great.
Barrel will overflow. The inlet pipe should come in from the side about 2 inches down from the top. The diverter outlet elevation should be 1 inch higher than this so the water can flow to the barrel but when the barrel is full the excess water will backflow to the gutter.
You can see water seepage on the wood deck from the great installation of the lower valve, after he fills the barrel with water. She covers the leak with the watering can before the camera pans down. Needs a bulkhead for the bottom valve installation to prevent water from leaking around the imperfect cut, Teflon tape alone won't slove this problem.
I have one I use to keep my fish pond water fresh & topped off. I installed a spigot at the top and run a hose into the pond. Every time it rains the overflow goes into the pond. In the winter I move the hose to the bottom spigot and leave that open. That way the barrel remains empty and can't crack from freeze up.
Two tips. If you have a barrel of this size you’ll perhaps want a larger diameter out flow…. And two, you may want to consider painting it black to help block out the sunlight to reduced the growth rate of algae.
Where I live, Washington state, I started making something like this and was seen by my neighbor. They told the authorities and I was contacted by them. They told me I'd have to pay a 20% tax on the water I collected and forced me to put a meter on it. It upset me so much, I started using vodka to water my plants because it was cheaper. So I had to ask, what is the 20% tax based upon, and they said it was based upon the amount of water I stole from them which would have otherwise fallen into the "system." I'm much happier now that I better understand how our system works. I contribute more to the system by giving them my waste water which would have gone into the sewer then be transported to Indonesia for processing, thus reducing outsourcing. I think all Americans should have a government like ours, because they do so much for us!
You can do this on a much larger scale by using 250 gallon food grade tanks...around $25 used. And a downspout to 2inch pvc converter and run pvc pipes to the tanks. Fot larger gardens of course...best part you can always buy a tank for $25 and add it since you already having piping done, just use an elbow.
I don't recommend doing this if you have Asphalt shingles. Chemicals from the Tar in the shingles can mix in the water. Especially on hot days. I would not use this water for ANYTHING. If you have a rain barrel with water from an asphalt shingled roof, Fill a White 5 gallon bucket at least half full and see if it has a light brown color to it. If so, most likely it's from the Tar. If you have a metal roof no problem. .
It will need a pre bucket filled with floss and a screen/ possibly a carbon mat (like for a fish tank). Then for drinking it will need additional filtering as you drain water from it.
We have three water barrels connected to our roof. Here's the issue.....I recently watched a video that talked about the hazards of retrieving water from your roof as the materials they use are hazardous. Even if you use it to water your garden, you are putting toxic water on the food you and your family will be eating. I would like This Old House to respond to this as I can't find anything to the contrary and feel as if I have wasted time and money on these barrels. (I know it's been 6 years since this post, but I'm hoping someone sees it.) Thanks so much.
@@AStanton1966 True, and we are on a well, but we have a filtration system that filters the water coming from the well into the house. I am truly confused what to do.
@@alicemaggio8854 Maybe, start by getting the rain water tested and see if it does contain any toxic substances. I use rain water for my garden and power-wash projects around my house. I have 3 Tractor Supply livestock containers for a total of about 375 gallons that get filled from a shed roof. Then I have a 1,100 gallon tank that gets filled by my house roof. Even though we had a pretty good drought here some years back, I've never run out of water. I harvest rain water cause I'm on a well also.
I don’t know if any you guys notice but when he cut the downspout if you look closely in the bottom one it was shoved under so all the water is just going to go on the outside of the downspout not the inside
I've done roofing and yeah I wouldn't drink that water if it touched shingles. They are made of tar fiberglass and other hazardous composites (literally says it on the packaging). If it was a metal roof or clay tiles I'd just filter out the dust/dirt, you'll be fine.
It would have been nice if you explained what you did to the top of the barrel. What did you drill into? Where did you get that piece that you screwed into the top of the barrel? Was it a complete kit with that diverter? Otherwise, nice video!😉
That piece usually comes with the barrel and I believe it's called a bung/filler hole and he hole sawed the 1'' hole for the hose from the gutter diverter.
I like using 275 gallon Intermediate Bulk Container or IBC. Sometimes these are also called Totes or a bottle in a cage. The beauty of the IBC is that there is a butterfly valve in the bottom and you can get an adaptor to connect a garden hose. The other benefit of an IBC is that it will hold 275 gallons in the space of 4 barrels. They typically sell for about $50-75 on craigslist.
Find a place where they get ingredients in plastic barrels and go dumpster diving after hours, typically they just throw these away. Or leave them out for whatever person to snatch them up and resell them on Craigslist
I noticed the bottom downspout was inserted into diverter instead of diverter flange being inserted inside bottom downspout. I’m thinking that will leak.
When he attached the bottom of the diverter to the downspout below he placed it OVER the downspout. This will cause leaking. Having installed miles of spouting in my life, you ALWAY place a piece of downspout inside a lower piece so water can't hit the joint and leak out. The way this was done is incorrect. I know I'll hear it could be sealed with gutter seal etc. These sealants all expand and contract with temperature variation and will eventually fail. Bottom line, this installation is incorrect.
My rain water system cost me nothing, I took an old plastic trash can and placed it under the gutter, whenever I want water I dip a bucket in and the barrel and viola.
My only dis appointment with rain barrels is that theres not enough pressure to hook a soaker hose to it. Pretty much gotta fill a bucket and lug it out to what ever you're watering. Don't get me wrong, I believe in harvesting rain water 100%. Now if the barrel(s) could be placed up high, 10 foot or so, more pressure would be created. But thats not acceptable in most cases. Love This Old House. My gosh, I've been watching since Bob Vila was doing it!!
Dash, this persons water barrel was up on a deck, so she would have enough pressure to do watering through a soaker or even a sprayer. My brother has one mounted just 6' and will shove water 30' to his garden so don't get disappointed, just make a small platform 6-7' high. You can do it.
OK rain barrel sit to low so use 2 more cinder blocks to lift it up further. Also the rain water split unit should had been sit higher to begin with so that the 1" small hose only run's down and not like in this video demonstrated uphill before it goes into the barrel.
I'm going to say wrong right off the bat. Unless you are screwing together a 2 piece bung or threaded union you are screwed if the hole to put the spigot in fails.
My system is much easier... a RAIN CHAIN replaces my down spout, and fills up a large sized garbage can. Then we use Homer buckets to move the water to the garden. This video reminded me to shot off this system in fall :-) Thanks for the ideas.
How do I pry off the lid of the barrel without cutting it. About 2 ins under the lid is a line and every 5-6 ins is a notch. How do I loosen the notches to take off the top?
Not to be picky but only the top gutter piece should be fit inside the black diverter device. While the bottom of the black plastic diverter output should have been put inside the lower gutter section. Tommy did not do that. So when it rains extra water will run outside the lower gutter section because it was not funneled correctly to be carried down from the inside of the black diverter section.
Check with your local Pop bottler. Otherwise if you have large food plants. Snack foods, fish etc. Alot of times they get so many barrels they'll give them to you just to keep them from piling up.
I can't help but notice the bib has a handle that is in the same direction as the connector. Overtime, turning the handle will loosen the bib. Seems to me an easy solution is just use a bib to have a horizontal handle.
Did you notice the proposition 65 label on the rain barrel? Do you know that rain barrels are known to cause cancer in the state of California? I'm so glad they are so educated that they can inform the whole country of the dangers of almost every material used in every day life. Way to go California.. idiots
@@condor5635 Did you notice a joke flew past your head? I’m so glad you’re educated on sarcasm and take every moment to vent out your opinions. Way to go...you know the rest....
In the UK I have two water butts designed for the purpose. The diverter on the downpipe still lets water flow through and is at the same level as the top of the containers so they won’t overflow.
Vertigo Studios Put a black layer on first to block sunlight, then decorate it with a white layer. The white outside even would heat up less than black so that’s even better.
Mos people that I know bury them in the ground. or they encase them so there is no sunlight, however you should always add an air stone to keep the water from getting stag net.
I finally got a barrel like the one in your video. My problem is that we don't have rain gutters. Can you think of a way that I can catch the rain water? Maybe a giant funnel? I really need your help.
If you have a sloped roof, just install some gutters. If it’s a flat roof, i’m quiet sure that there is something that gets the water off it. A giant funnel should be the size of a roof to get something productional going..
fruitfast777 No it will not leak if the threads where tight enough into the plastic. I assume This Old House wouldn’t upload this if it was such a fail.
Every little bit helps with runoff reduction. You aren't going to do much with a 55 gallon drum capacity, when there are stormwater retention ponds that hold acres worth of rainfall, but if you want to reduce your impact, and the impact of your neighbors as well, it is a great option.
