Rain Barrel Pictures

[Joel7Cantu2]

[s30lee]

I'm still new to the rainwater barrels, but it looks like a project you made on your own? Did you put a filter of sorts to keep leaves/bugs etc out of the barrel?

Otherwise looks cool!

[Joel7Cantu2]

No, I have a mosquito donut in it which helps prevent the growth of mosquitos. Otherwise since I am only using it for landscaping, I didnt think I needed to put a filter on it. I can detach everything and wash out the barrel if it starts getting mucky. I try not to leave the rain water in it for more than a week or so. I figure that if I regularly use the water it won't stagnate.

[Joel7Cantu2]

By the way, I purchased everything for about 50$ at Home Depot. The barrels were given to me from a car wash place. I washed them out really well before using them.

[jcoffman]

Are those like barrels they use for soap and stuff? Thats a good idea. I am looking around for a few to put at different areas around my home seperate from my primary system. I never thought of car washes. I will check into that.

[Joel7Cantu2]

Exactly. I just went up to the owners of the car wash and asked if they had any barrels that they wanted to get rid of.

[BlackCross]

I've heard that you can also get barrels from soda bottlers. I bought mine with the hardware and screen included for $40 including delivery from a local group whose mission is to protect the Cumberland River watershed. I have no pictures, but mine looks like the one on their website.

[wyndwalkr]

The wood surrounding them is very attractive! We have 2 barrels (not covered with wood) that the Darling Hubby rigged lying on their sides. About 6" X 6" openings were cut and he covered them with screen. The downspout just rests over the openings. As your picture with a strip of wood removed shows, our barrel is the same type and the round thingy on the top (like a reinforced circle manufactured on the top of the barrel) is where DH installed the spigot and it sits in the down most position. When the barrel gets full, it just overflows, as it is sitting surrounded by rocks and plants. Both of these are uphill from our 2 main gardens and there is enough pressure from gravity to water the veggies there, one with soaker hose and the other an actual small sprinkler.

Barrels were free from a friend and DH got the cheapie plastic spigots from the hardware store, like $2.96 each.

We have 2 more barrels acquired for a buck each at an auction and DH is thinking of plumbing one to another in tandem.

We easily put them away in garage for winter, here in arctic Wisconsin, and DH puts longer piece back on the downspout.

We have a 2 HP well pump, and any savings of electricity is a bonus!

[Sje]

A rain barrel downspout filter - a barrel topper - can be had from downspoutFilters.com

[SgtMaj]

I really like the wood slats... adds a nice finish to it. Might consider doing that with mine.

[Rr_Salamander]

Also, in my neck of the woods, at any rate, a local parks group sells rainbarrells throughout the year: Herring Run Watershed Association. I'm sure others do the same elsewhere--it might behoove the interested to googlesearch.

Baltimore is my neck of the woods....

[greenTmom]

For more rain barrel ideas and to see pictures check out SgtMaj's rain barrel project. It is fantastic! Here is the link because the pics are too big to post on this forum for some reason: http://www.greenearthfriend.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=23

[David Balch]

That's what I'm planning on doing with my rain barrels
I have 5 barrels I think, I'll have them in 4 different locations eventually
I was thinking of the wood slats - looks nice

[gissele]

Hmm very nice and interesting. I too liked the wood slats and over all nice finishing. I will also try this at 3 or 4 places.

[SgtMaj]

By the way, does anyone know what that flower is in the picture?