i know that these aren't as common in the states compared to other countries heavy in drought. but with everything green, i was thinking about installing a small water tank on the side of my house to collect rainwater. does anyone have any experience with these?

they seem to start at about $100 for 50 gallon tanks, or i could build one relatively cheaper but not as nice looking.

any thoughts?

 

My dad built one, it was a standard plastic round trash can and the downspout went directly into the can lid. Not the greatest looking thing in the world, but it worked. Don't know how much he spent, but it wasn't anywhere near that.

My mom then won one from work (WTF?), and it was white. Mom and dad painted it to look like a banded wood barrel, it actually came out quite nice looking.

I might work on one, now that our governor has pussed out.

 

my cousin has four 15,000 liter tanks sitting in his backyard in Oz to catch the rain because of their drought... and i seen his garbage can rig which is 50 gal capacity he used to catch their laundry wastewater... so i could def build one out...

online they say you can get 50 gal drums/barrels for $20 and under but i can't source one... seems like they jumped on the bandwagon and converted them all to water barrels and sell them for $100 now... wtf?!

 

Way to go green. If I could find one that wasn't an eyesore, I would consider it. Since it needs to catch the runoff from the roof, I don't think I'd have a good place to put it without it sticking out.

 

Same here. The roofline on the back and sides of my house are perfectly straight. The only good places for one would be right in front of two windows on the front side of the house, and that's no good. Have you ever thought about diverting your rain gutters or piping the gutters into a barrel? From a plumbing standpoint it shouldn't be that tough.

 

they do have a few designs now that you could possibly integrate into your landscaping... with areas on the top to plant pots and plants that could cover the barrel...but obviously don't want to spend more than a few hundred bucks... u figure that in the states where we aren't really in a shortage of water, when the time comes that there is a drought due to low supply, the gov't would implement tax rebates and this would kick into higher gear...

i only have one spot that this would work perfectly on as it is low traffic location and i would just 'hide' the water collecting trash bin/barrel amongst the rest of the trash and recycling bins...

i looked on craigslist for some barrels but they are all pretty far and have been used for oil/hazardous substance...

 

Could you bury it 1/2 way, and then use a hand pump to get the water out when needed?

Might be less of an eye sore and/or easier to conceal with a shrub.

 

They're not for me. My lot slopes from front to back (look-out basement in the rear) so to be useful they'd need to be in the front, where it's really hard to hide a large barrel. Plus I'm not about to spend $100 to save pennies per year on water.

 

They actually have a system which does that. It's a simple insert which goes onto the downspout of your gutter and diverts the flow into your barrel. When your barrel is full the water drains as normal through to the exit of your gutter. My brother-in-law just installed one at their house for ~$120 total (barrel, spigot, and gutter insert).

If we stay we're actually going to install one that we can then use to water the potted plants we have as we have 2 downspouts in the back of the house where they would be pretty hidden. We'd also either find a green one, or paint a white one green which would really help it blend with the landscaping.

I'll email my sister and bro-in-law to see if they have a link they can send about the insert...

 

It's not all about saving pennies. It's also very useful in areas with drought conditions where watering is severely restricted. I know that a couple of years ago it was really, really bad here and water was being monitored and restricted. They also implemented a different pricing table during the drought which basically changed the tiers and made water more expensive. Luckily we have a drip which was not regulated, but many people do not and lost thousands of dollars in landscaping.

If you had a rain barrel (or two) not only could you still water some of your plants, etc., but you would be saving more then pennies when the drought billing table was in effect since you'd be using much less water in general. Plus, over time... the savings add up much more considerably.

 

i think that is the problem with our mindset... living here the shortage of water isn't common but does happen... but when you go and take a look at how other countries have droughts, it make you appreciate a bit how valuable something like water becomes... think about not being allowed to wash your car or water your lawn because the gov't monitors your usage and will clamp down your supply if you overuse your allowance per person in the household...

JB: would appreciate the link if u can get it...

 

There's no doubt they might make sense in some areas (but you'd still need to use a lot of water to pay for the barrel). Chicago isn't one of them.

In a months-long drought, you'd also need a fair number of barrels to collect the water needed to last through the drought.

 

A 32g can could keep a prized plant watered throughout the summer. It's all about what you need.

 

My water rate is $2.26 per 100 cubic feet, or $2.26 per 748 gallons. For a $70 55 gallon rain barrel to pay for itself, I'd have to completely fill and empty it 420 times.

That won't happen in my lifetime.

 

Water is as cheap, or possibly cheaper here.

But the barrel is still cheaper than a $500 fine for outdoor watering. Which I can sense coming again.

 

I emailed them, so we'll see if they have any online resources.





I didn't even mention/factor in fines in my original reply.

 

thanks JB

if not, i think imma just go to lowes this weekend and pick me up some supplies... i'll prob end up using the trash bin and post a cheap diy...

 

Like I said, they may make sense for some areas.

We haven't had those extraordinary restrictions or cost increases here so buying one in this area is more an exercise in feel-good than practical in any sense of the word.

 

^ Yeah, can't imagine Chicago has the type of restrictions we see down here every few summers. Still, never hurts trying to help Mother Earth a bit


Here is the link for the insert: http://www.composters.com/accessorie...kit_173_20.php. That site also seems to have stuff for the DIY person.

Of course my bro-in-law also mentioned a DIY with a standard barrel if you do not want to pay $100 or so for a "rain barrel". I'm guessing all you need is anything that will hold the hold water, then cut a hole and install a hose spigot.

I'd have to imagine you can make your own pretty cheap (minus the cost of the insert).

 

Cool idea. I know during the hurricanes we got pickle barrels like the ones pictured below to hold water for the horses (mom has a well so no pump when the power goes and didn't have the back up generator at the time). We picked up 5 or 6 for under $10 each so keep looking

 

that is exactly what i need... just need to find them for that kind of price... everyone wants like $40 for used barrels mostly because of shipping costs... nothing is local...

 

Used to live in south jersey and I'm trying to remember a place up north Jersey that would have them. I don't know if you you have any feed stores near you but I would call them and ask. I know in Ocala most feed stores have a few laying around. Worth a few phone calls

 

just a brief update... about a month ago, i managed to source some plastic drums which were used by EMTs to transport saline solution... perfect as i rinsed them out...

i spent an addt'l $15-20 in hardware to build two rain barrels and have been collecting rain for about 3 wks now... with all this rain in NJ, they have been full for over a week now... im guessing i may need a third if i can find another deal... but ill have a pic up soon...

 

How do you keep mosquitoes and other stuff from growing in the rain barrels?

 

it is completely sealed unit... so no chance of any mozzies getting in... i have a diverter from rainreserve system which pipes water into the barrel...

http://www.rainreserve.com/

and i use the water every day... so it isn't really sitting for long periods of time... i need to get a pump to see if i can tie it into a sprinkler for the lawn...

 

Kam: (this is NOT MY AD - just saw this on CL and thought of the thread)

http://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/for/1956172118.html

I have (40) GREEN open top 55 gallon steel drums with tops & a mixture of bolt rings & clamps to seal the lids
These are one time use drums that were used to ship Apple Juice from China. Some dings/scratches - but ultimately perfect for WVO collection & they're green!
My plans have changed - I no longer need them - offering them for less then I purchased them for.

I'd love to get rid of them all at once...

$4/each
$3/each for (20)
$2/each for (40)

I'll even help you load them.

Located in Ringwood NJ
Feel free to call - 201.725.1069 (PETER)
Thanks!

 

thanks!!! i got two of them already but was looking for more... going to add maybe two more at my house and build my dad a few... it gets addicting harvesting the water, i want to keep it all!!!

 

sorry for the delay... current setup... will be improved next spring with a better base, prob another barrel or two and a cover...