Rain Barrel Page 2

8) Now attach both support blocks to the outside of the rain barrel as indicated in the pictures, using screws drilled into the blocks from the inside of the rain barrel. You will have to taper the support to fit the curvature of the rain barrel. See illustration G. Place the short pipe through the upper support block and into the rain barrel, and then softly hammer on the union piece. This holds the short pipe into place. Then softly hammer on the 90 degree elbow. The short pipe should now be wedged between the union piece and the elbow. See illustration H.

9) It is now necessary to determine where you are going to place the rain barrel. Some homes have an underground rain water hose that is located at the side of the house just under the downspout. With this configuration the downspout is attached to the underground hose and the rain water is taken away from the house foundation via the black plastic hose. If this is the type of configuration you have, than you must remove some of the downspout and place the rain barrel just next to the underground hose opening. Get an appropriate adapter that will adapt the long pipe on the barrel to the underground hose opening. See illustration I. Cut the long pipe to the proper length to get it to fit the underground hose opening.

This can be a trial and error procedure, so don’t cut too much pipe and be patient. What you are trying to achieve here is to get the overflow water from the barrel to go directly into the underground pipe, thus channeling the overflow water away from the house foundation. Each situation is different, so study these pictures and adapt your barrel accordingly. See illustration C.

10) The final assembly is with the barrel top. We must add a heavy duty screen inside of the top to prevent mosquitoes from getting into the barrel. The screen will allow water to enter the barrel, but keep the mosquitoes out. We have found it best to acquire a heavy piece of plastic screen, the type that is more or less indestructible. This is a very heavy screening and will last for many years. Take a piece of wood that is between 7 to 8” in diameter and drill a 5” hole in the center of it. Test fit the wooden piece to the underside of the barrel and remove any portion that prevents the top from sitting flat on the top of the barrel. Paint the wood first and then tack nail or staple the heavy duty screen to the top of the wooden piece so that it fits between the wooden piece and the metal top. See illustration J. Affix it to the top of the barrel using screws from the top side of the barrel. Again, refer to illustration J.

11) Now secure the PVC long pipe to the side of the barrel by using some heavy duty three inch clamps and one inch screws. See illustration L. Locate a proper place for the two lid handles, drill the proper holes and secure them using nuts and bolts. See illustration K. Paint the inside of the barrel with epoxy paint and the outside with semi-gloss enamel (Rustoleum). Be sure to sand the PVC pipes with a rough sandpaper before painting, or else the paint will come off within one year.

With some patience and basic reasoning, you should be able to complete this project successfully. Don’t rush, read these instructions carefully and go slowly. Although this is a rather difficult project, the rain barrels will reward you with years of service and save you money by storing rain water IN A RAIN BARREL!