Rain Barrel Workshop

Robert E. Harvey from Forest, VA wanted to know if I could make him a water barrel to replace his “60 year old concrete water collection box which is now leaking.” Here is an image of the new spring water barrel and the natural spring with Robert’s words:

Here’s the rain barrel that has replaced the 60+ year old water box at the farm. I still have to replace some of the old iron pipe, but it is functioning quite nicely.

Here’s a photo of the spring. It’s on a hillside about 3/4 of a mile away from the farm house and the water is gravity fed.

Robert would also like a replacement top for the springs collection chamber, he is currently using a tin that blows off. Making a nice concrete top with a handle would work to keep the the top on, the critters and debris out. Thanks for the great pictures, fun project! -Aaron

Jeff Lyons asks: Is there anything I can put in my rain barrel to kill mosquito larvae that wont hurt my garden? I’ve heard stories about dish soap or corn oil to float on the top but don’t trust anything yet.

Hi Jeff, I suggest trying a product called mosquito torpedo in rain barrels. I also use this great product in my water garden and the mosquitoes never reach adulthood. The good thing about this product is that you just pop one in the water and it starts to work immediately. It will also not harm humans, animals, fish and most importantly…vegetation!

The way Mosquito Torpedo works is that it slowly releases an insect growth regulator into the water that prevents adult mosquito development for two months or more (per torpedo). Below is list of places where you can use a Pre-Strike® Mosquito Torpedo®:

• Bird baths
• Water Gardens
• Roof Gutters
• Old Tires
• Pool Covers
• Ornamental Foundations
• Flowerpots or planters
• Urns
• Unused swimming pools and spas
• Tree holes
• Rain barrels
• Garbage cans
• Wheelbarrows
• Privately owned ponds
• Flooded areas
• Animal watering troughs
• Man made depressions
• Standing water anywhere!

Toss one in and your mosquito problem is solved, you could also purchase a fully enclosed rain barrel (like the ones I make) and have no need to kill mosquitoes. Hope this helps, -Aaron

Mike in Mendota Heights, MN wrote:

This picture is of the rain barrel my wife and I put at the top of a rock wall. About 20 shrubs and a small vegetable garden are watered from the barrel. Putting it on the top allows gravity to work in our favor. We rerouted a downspout from the roof to put more water in the barrel. That also helped a drainage issue in the backyard.

We put another barrel in front of the house to collect the discharge from a sump pump. More free water. We are big fans.

Thanks,
Mike

The Lynch Family from Bulverde, TX bought several barrels to be connected together. They were very specific as to how they wanted them configured to be hidden under their deck, here is what Bob Lynch requested:

In this configuration, I would like the barrels to connect to the left as you face the front where the water spigot is located. The first barrel will have the opening at the top for the gutter downspout and it will connect to the second barrel to the left. The second barrel will connect to the third barrel, again to the left. The only barrel with an overflow (1 ½”) will be the third barrel, and it will overflow to the left.

The pair I ordered a few weeks ago worked great. I have them on a level platform of concrete blocks under my deck. I could not believe how they filled to the brim and overflowed with less than an inch of rain! This new set will go under the other end of my deck.

As you can see from under the porch there was ample room for the rain barrels to fit on top of concrete blocks. The only change I made to the configuration was that I connected each rain barrel together down low with PVC. The barrels will fill and empty at the same rate. This configuration should add more pressure to the flow from the spigots. Nice work Lynch Family and thank you for putting your trust in me! -Aaron

James Mercer Commercial Project Manager from Ken Neyer Plumbing Inc. contacted me to look at a schematic for a 3 rain barrel system which uses 4″ connectors and has first flush capability for rooftop debris separation. My job was to supply the barrels to the specifications given within the schematic. This unit is to be installed on the Dater Montessori Renovation Project which is looking at achieving the first LEED Silver certified renovated school in Ohio.

What makes this system different than my ordinary multiple barrel configurations is the roof washer extension (click image above to view). From top to bottom it shows a rainwater leader, which is basically a 4″ pipe from the rooftop catchment area, where rainwater is diverted. The rainwater then runs down a roof washer extension that has a hose bib installed on the side to let water out and pull debris downward (so it doesn’t flow to the barrels). At the end of the tube is an end cap that can be unscrewed for maintenance purposes (to remove sediment). There is also a splash block below to catch drips or flow from the hose bib spigot. This is good, basic debris removal for LEED certified systems.

The barrels connect end to end with 4″ PVC pipe, the overflow spills into a storm hub with air break. Do ordinary rain barrels need debris removal like this? Not really because they can be hosed out a couple times a season BUT multiple barrel systems that are to be left in place do require some sort of roof washer extension or first flush capability. If you have a rooftop catchment area that collects lots of bird droppings and other debris you might also want to consider this system. Open the hose bib further and dirty water will flow out the side of the washer extension within the first few minutes of a sizable rain storm. If you plan to store water in rain barrels for long periods of time removing as much sediment as possible can only help.

Interested in having me make you this complete system or a slightly modified unit? Talk to me, I would enjoy seeing a few of you out there with more advanced systems on your homes.