Rain Barrel

Materials Needed: One or more 55 gallon metal barrels with detachable lids 3 1/2" hole saw (optional) 5” hole saw (optional) One saber saw with metal cutting blade (optional) Five feet of 3” PVC pipe One or more 90 degree PVC elbows for above pipe One or more union connectors for above pipe Numerous three inch straps for above PVC pipe (two for each barrel) Several pieces of thick wood Outdoor screws about 1” long Two handles for each barrel plus four nuts and bolts for the handle

1) Acquire one or more 55 gallon metal barrels with detachable lids. Sand all loose rust and then sand both inside and outside of the barrels, allowing the new paint to stick to the barrels.

2) We must now cut the overflow hole in the main 55 gallon tank, which allows excessive water (during a downpour) to be channeled away from the house foundation. If you don’t have an overflow hole, all water during a downpour will overflow the barrel and flood your foundation, possibly causing leakage into your basement, the last thing that you want. Your rain barrel MUST have an overflow hole, allowing excessive rain water to be diverted AWAY from your house foundation.

Now cut a 3 1/2” overflow hole using a hole saw, or, optionally, a saber saw. See illustration A. This is a somewhat difficult task, but be sure to use oil on your hole saw and go slowly. The biggest danger is if the hole saw should stop and bind in the hole, allowing the saw to bind and spin, causing the drill to twist (and causing you personal injury). So go slowly and be careful. Using a saber saw prevents this from happening, but doesn’t create a perfectly round hole. One options is to use a hole saw to start the hole, and to finish it using the saber saw. Use your best judgment here, but always go slowly and be very careful.

3) After you have drilled the overflow hole you must drill the water entrance hole in the lid. See illustration B. This is a 5” hole that allows the water to enter the rain barrel from your downspouts. Why not simply have the water enter the rain barrel without the lid? The reason is one word: mosquitoes. If you have a rain barrel with no lid, mosquitoes will lay their eggs in the standing water, and you will have one million mosquitoes in your yard in no time. You must prevent the mosquitoes from entering your rain barrel, and you do this through the 5” hole that contains a mosquito net over it (later explained).

4) Now place the rain barrel where it will be located on your property and determine the location where the gutter will enter the barrel. See version 1 of illustration C. You will have to re-do your downspouts so they are just above the hole in the lid. It is best to save your old downspouts and custom fabricate new ones for your rain barrel. If you change your mind, or move, you can quickly reattach the old downspouts and take your barrels with you. Keep in mind where the overflow pipe will go.

On some homes you can simply use a 1 1/4” plastic hose to divert the water away from the foundation as shown in version 2 in illustration C; while on others you will want to connect the overflow pipe to an existing gutter drain opening. Our home uses a combination of both methods.

5) The downspouts must be just ABOVE the opening in the top lid, just above the 5” hole in the lid. See illustration D. The reason for this is that you must remove the lid to get at the water, and if the downspout goes INTO the lid, you will have a difficult time removing it from the barrel. Mark the location on the lid where the downspout water will enter the barrel and mark it with a magic marker. Then cut the 5” hole using either a hole saw or a saber saw. Again, be careful and go slowly, and when you have finished file all of the hole edges as smooth as you can.

6) Now you must fabricate the overflow support blocks, an upper one with a hole in it and a lower one for support only. See illustration E. Use a thick hard wood at least one inch thick. Standard three quarter inch lumber is probably not thick enough and will split in time. Use solid lumber, not plywood or particle board. If you cannot find lumber thick enough, glue two boards together using outdoor glue – polyurethane (Gorilla) glue.

7) Now acquire some 3” PVC pipe and cut one piece about 5 inches long, which his is called the short pipe. Cut another piece about 20 inches long, which is called the long pipe. Now cut in half a piece of PVC pipe that is used to join two 3” pipes together, called a union. Each union should now be about one and one half inches long. See illustration F. Now obtain two 90 degree elbows. The kind shown in the pictures have an extra hole in them for a drain plug, but this is not needed.