Hello everyone...

First time posting here, but not new to usenet.

I live in Southern California, and while rainfall is rare, it does
happen (today for example).

For a number of reasons, I'd like to install a rain barrel. I've
started to look at them online and I'd love some insight from any of you
that have one.

I want to find a flat backed version, as my downspout is on my driveway
and I want to minmize footprint.

Thanks in advance!

Jennifer

For a number of reasons, I'd like to install a rain barrel. I've
started to look at them online and I'd love some insight from any of
you that have one.

Well, the bigger the better (the more ambitious versions would have a
scavenged RV water tank, a series of rain barrels chained together, an
underground tank, etc). Of course there is nothing wrong with working
with the space you have, testing the waters, etc.

Our 65 gallon rain barrels fill up with any moderate rain (by east
coast standards - maybe a quarter inch to an inch, not that I've tried
measuring closely). We fill up our watering cans with them, and
depending on how much watering we are doing, a full barrel might last
us a week or a few (which is roughly the time period between rain
here).

You'll want some kind of mosquito screen (most commercial barrels have
them).

Ours has a spigot to get the water out, at the bottom of the barrel.
That means putting the barrel on a cinder block or some other
platform, so there is room for the watering can under the spigot.

It can be helpful to have a guage to see how full it is (although we
don't, and just make do by tapping it, guessing, and/or unscrewing the
top).

Any other questions? I'm not sure other parts to talk about.

Jim Kingdon wrote:

For a number of reasons, I'd like to install a rain barrel. I've
started to look at them online and I'd love some insight from any of
you that have one.


Well, the bigger the better (the more ambitious versions would have a
scavenged RV water tank, a series of rain barrels chained together, an
underground tank, etc). Of course there is nothing wrong with working
with the space you have, testing the waters, etc.

Our 65 gallon rain barrels fill up with any moderate rain (by east
coast standards - maybe a quarter inch to an inch, not that I've tried
measuring closely). We fill up our watering cans with them, and
depending on how much watering we are doing, a full barrel might last
us a week or a few (which is roughly the time period between rain
here).

You'll want some kind of mosquito screen (most commercial barrels have
them).

Ours has a spigot to get the water out, at the bottom of the barrel.
That means putting the barrel on a cinder block or some other
platform, so there is room for the watering can under the spigot.

It can be helpful to have a guage to see how full it is (although we
don't, and just make do by tapping it, guessing, and/or unscrewing the
top).

Any other questions? I'm not sure other parts to talk about.


Thanks Jim...

We get so little rain here, in the spring/summer it can go 3 - 4 months
without a drop. I was looking at the 40 - 50 gallon size.

Did you make your own or did you buy one? Can you connect a hose to
your spigot? Do you have it "anchored" to you home... for example what
keeps it from blowing away in a strong wind if empty? I'm assuming I
will have to cut my drain pipe, any hints on that?

Jennifer

Jennifer wrote:

We get so little rain here, in the spring/summer it can go 3 - 4 months
without a drop. I was looking at the 40 - 50 gallon size.

What you're looking at is about 1 liter a day, you don't need any
stinkin' barrel. I pee more than that, I'm sure you do too. It's not
worth the trouble and the mosquitoes for so little water over so long
a period.

Where does your downspout water go otherwise? With so little rain
then the only real benefit you can possibly derive is to plant
whatever it is you want to water in the area about the terminus of
your downspouts. I get a heck of a lot more rain than you, my
downspout water is directed to my lawn and nearby trees... my
downspouts enter a buried 4" plastic pipe that runs below ground that
surfaces where the grade permits some 30' away. Planting something at
that spot then that's the only benefit you can hope to derive from so
little rainwater. In 3-4 months you'll lose more water from
evaporation than you can hope to derive over that time, in other words
if you save and ration you'll lose about all... you've come full
circle and are back to peeing on your coleus.

"Jennifer" wrote in message
...
We get so little rain here, in the spring/summer it can go 3 - 4 months
without a drop. I was looking at the 40 - 50 gallon size.


This might help water one pot plant. What did you have in mind that you
would do with this much water? If you have a garden a tank 10 times as big
might start to be useful, 50 times would be better.

Did you make your own or did you buy one?
Can you connect a hose to your spigot?

This is only useful of there is fall from the barrel to where you want the
water. A bucket may be much simpler for this volume.

Do you have it "anchored" to you home... for example what
keeps it from blowing away in a strong wind if empty?

Depends what it's made of, the shape and where it is

I'm assuming I
will have to cut my drain pipe, any hints on that?


Depends on what the drain pipe is made from and how it is connected to the
roof plumbing. Consider also that it will not take much of a shower to fill
your barrel (depending on how much roof area drains to that downpipe).
Where will the overflow go?

Jennifer


Your questions suggest that your experience is a long way from basic
plumbing or even the fairly simple concepts behind it. Perhaps there is
somebody around who is of a more practical frame of mind who could have a
look at your house and garden and give advice to get you started.

David

We get so little rain here, in the spring/summer it can go 3 - 4
months without a drop. I was looking at the 40 - 50 gallon size.

Yeah, 40 gallons over 4 months is a quart a day. So you're not really
going to be watering your garden for 4 months off of that kind of rain
barrel. A house-sized cistern will often be thousands of gallons:
http://rainwaterconnection.com/rainw...g/how_much.htm
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AE029

Having said all that, the rain barrel is an easy way to get started
with this stuff. Just don't expect it to store what a big cistern
would.

Did you make your own or did you buy one?

We bought them, although it turns out it wouldn't have been especially
hard to make them (we have a local Pepsi plant which gives away, or
sells cheap, empty plastic barrels). Our local hardware store was
reasonably able to advise on things like spigots, which we ended up
adding to the barrels we bought as it turns out.

Can you connect a hose to your spigot?

Our spigots are the right kind, but you'd only get any decent pressure
if the elevation of the barrel is noticeably above where you want to
use the water. I've heard of people putting the barrel up on a tall
platform, or the slope of your land might allow this. But you'll
empty a 50 gallon barrel through a hose awfully fast, so at this size
I'd think in terms of watering cans.

Do you have it "anchored" to you home... for example what keeps it
from blowing away in a strong wind if empty?

Our barrels are heavy plastic barrels (used to ship olives before they
were rain barrels). They also probably keep some residual water in
the bottom. So I haven't noticed a tendency to blow away (at least,
not yet). Depends on the barrel, I guess. At least you don't need to
worry about winter freezing (if I remember right where you are).

I'm assuming I will have to cut my drain pipe, any hints on that?

We used tin snips which didn't make a very clean cut. A hacksaw might
be better.

There are a variety of diverters (which are designed to let you switch
between the rain barrel and having the water go down the downspout).
Either you'll do that or have an outflow from the rain barrel (and it
*will* overflow in heavy rains). Since you said that yours is on a
driveway, maybe it works for you to just have the overflow flow onto
the driveway (or whereever the downspout had been going).

"Jennifer" wrote in message
...
Hello everyone...

First time posting here, but not new to usenet.

I live in Southern California, and while rainfall is rare, it does happen
(today for example).

For a number of reasons, I'd like to install a rain barrel. I've started
to look at them online and I'd love some insight from any of you that have
one.

I want to find a flat backed version, as my downspout is on my driveway
and I want to minmize footprint.

Thanks in advance!

Jennifer


Gonna piggyback, if you don't mind, Jennifer.

My front yard was nonexistent until this year. Front elevation is severely
sloped naturally away from the house. Using topsoil, I managed to decrease
the slope somewhat, and has Bermuda grass growing on it now. I had to
install rain gutters in front of the house as the rainwater off the roof was
severely eroding the new soil. The downspouts are at each front corner of
the house. Downspout is standard 10' section. One terminates about 4' and
the other about 5' above the ground. Got one of those rollout thingies to
convey the water the rest of the way to the ground. Both eventually fell
off the gutter downspouts. The soil erosion just below the downspout is
awful. Hasn't rained here for awhile. So, all is hunky-dory below the
downspouts for now.

Live in same region as Jangchub. We have our severe rains, and our
droughts. Not any regular rainfall per se. When it rains, it usually
pours. Was thinking of using rainbarrels on both corners at the front of
the house. I know I'll need a pad of sorts, and have to work the ground to
get it level for a pad. I do have many spare cinder blocks. Are there any
specific parts needs like adapters from the downspout to a pipe that fits to
the rainbarrel? Or, do you run the downspout directly inside the
rainbarrel? A spigot kit for the rainbarrel?

A related problem due to the slope from the house. The fertilizer I
introduced to the front yard has somewhat washed to the gravel driveway in
front of the house. Last application of Roundup was good for 2 months on
the gravel driveway. Weeds are coming up again.

On a happy note, my daughter, 2 grandsons, and I planted some St. Augustine
plugs about 2 years ago. Area is under canopy of Live Oak and Juniper Ashe
trees. My bets would not grow due to the Juniper Ashe. I was wrong. All
the rain this year was very beneficial. The area is almost covered in St.
Augustine.
Dave

g'day jennifer,

we set up some of those plastic 55 usa gal drum under our downpipes,
we ahve pictures on our site to show how we did it, and we use a
battery run inline boat bilge pump with a battery booster pack for
cars to pump water from them, works well for us.



On Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:10:47 -0700, Jennifer
wrote:
snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len & bev

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/

Sheldon wrote:

Jennifer wrote:

We get so little rain here, in the spring/summer it can go 3 - 4 months
without a drop. I was looking at the 40 - 50 gallon size.


What you're looking at is about 1 liter a day, you don't need any
stinkin' barrel. I pee more than that, I'm sure you do too. It's not
worth the trouble and the mosquitoes for so little water over so long
a period.

Where does your downspout water go otherwise? With so little rain
then the only real benefit you can possibly derive is to plant
whatever it is you want to water in the area about the terminus of
your downspouts. I get a heck of a lot more rain than you, my
downspout water is directed to my lawn and nearby trees... my
downspouts enter a buried 4" plastic pipe that runs below ground that
surfaces where the grade permits some 30' away. Planting something at
that spot then that's the only benefit you can hope to derive from so
little rainwater. In 3-4 months you'll lose more water from
evaporation than you can hope to derive over that time, in other words
if you save and ration you'll lose about all... you've come full
circle and are back to peeing on your coleus.


The main reason I would like a rain barrel is that my downspout drains
onto my driveway, which is not properly graded. When I does rain, as it
did this week, much water collects at the foundation of my house. It
would be impractical to add to the downspout to direct it into the
street (about 100feet away), and I would no longer be able to use my
driveway.

And an estimate to regrade the driveway, which would be a big deal, is
more than I can afford right now.

So I felt a rain barrel would fix this problem... and lower my watering
bill.

Jennifer

len garden wrote:

g'day jennifer,

we set up some of those plastic 55 usa gal drum under our downpipes,
we ahve pictures on our site to show how we did it, and we use a
battery run inline boat bilge pump with a battery booster pack for
cars to pump water from them, works well for us.



On Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:10:47 -0700, Jennifer
wrote:
snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len & bev

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/

Thanks Len!

Jennifer

On Sep 23, 3:48?pm, Jennifer wrote:
Sheldon wrote:
Jennifer wrote:

We get so little rain here, in the spring/summer it can go 3 - 4 months
without a drop. I was looking at the 40 - 50 gallon size.

What you're looking at is about 1 liter a day, you don't need any
stinkin' barrel. I pee more than that, I'm sure you do too. It's not
worth the trouble and the mosquitoes for so little water over so long
a period.

Where does your downspout water go otherwise? With so little rain
then the only real benefit you can possibly derive is to plant
whatever it is you want to water in the area about the terminus of
your downspouts. I get a heck of a lot more rain than you, my
downspout water is directed to my lawn and nearby trees... my
downspouts enter a buried 4" plastic pipe that runs below ground that
surfaces where the grade permits some 30' away. Planting something at
that spot then that's the only benefit you can hope to derive from so
little rainwater. In 3-4 months you'll lose more water from
evaporation than you can hope to derive over that time, in other words
if you save and ration you'll lose about all... you've come full
circle and are back to peeing on your coleus.

The main reason I would like a rain barrel is that my downspout drains
onto my driveway, which is not properly graded. When I does rain, as it
did this week, much water collects at the foundation of my house. It
would be impractical to add to the downspout to direct it into the
street (about 100feet away), and I would no longer be able to use my
driveway.

And an estimate to regrade the driveway, which would be a big deal, is
more than I can afford right now.

So I felt a rain barrel would fix this problem... and lower my watering
bill.

But the amount of water you describe is far less than I pee each
month, a 1 liter urinalful each day, even if 4 months worth all in one
fell swoop, can't possibly be any kind of flooding problem

I'm sure that there are a multitude of other remedies that require no
more than a little sweat labor and no money. Naturally when you call
a contractor for a fix they will make a mountain out of a molehill.

Sheldon wrote:

But the amount of water you describe is far less than I pee each
month, a 1 liter urinalful each day, even if 4 months worth all in one
fell swoop, can't possibly be any kind of flooding problem

I'm sure that there are a multitude of other remedies that require no
more than a little sweat labor and no money. Naturally when you call
a contractor for a fix they will make a mountain out of a molehill.

Sheldon...

You're looking at this as though rain is averaged over the year. It
doesn't rain a tablespoon every week, it either rains or it doesn't.

But when it rains... it rains! It doesn't happen often but when it
does, as it did last week, a good two inches of water puddles at my
foundation.

Thanks for your thoughts. I'll be looking into a local rainbarrel.

Jennifer

On Sep 24, 12:40?pm, Jennifer wrote:
Sheldon wrote:
But the amount of water you describe is far less than I pee each
month, a 1 liter urinalful each day, even if 4 months worth all in one
fell swoop, can't possibly be any kind of flooding problem

I'm sure that there are a multitude of other remedies that require no
more than a little sweat labor and no money. Naturally when you call
a contractor for a fix they will make a mountain out of a molehill.

Sheldon...

You're looking at this as though rain is averaged over the year. It
doesn't rain a tablespoon every week, it either rains or it doesn't.

But when it rains... it rains! It doesn't happen often but when it
does, as it did last week, a good two inches of water puddles at my
foundation.

Thanks for your thoughts. I'll be looking into a local rainbarrel.

That's like sticking your finger in the dike. A rain barrel will do
absolutely nothing to remedy your foundation flooding... how long do
you think in that kind of rain it will take for a 50 gallon barrel to
fill from roof downspout and overflow as though it were never there...
probably under a minute.... now what? You'll still have only about 1
liter a day to allot.

That kind of rain pattern (a very occasional torrent) is all the more
reason that a rain barrel will be useless. I once lived in So. Cal...
50 gallons meted out over a few months is so very little, hardly worth
the schlepping, and soon as it's poured goes right through with such
desert-like sandy soil as is typical there. Unless you're willing to
install like a 1,000+ gallon cistern it's not worth collecting very
occasional rain water... rain barrels are advantageous only where it
rains often even if only sparse amounts... then they can collect that
50 gallons every few days, and even then so little collected water is
only meant to suppliment spot watering, potted plants and such. Most
folks where you reside who are interested in gardening install drip
systems.

Dave wrote:
Gonna piggyback, if you don't mind, Jennifer.

Me too, for the same reasons. Here in Northern Utah we get the same kind
of rains you do: none, until the semiannual "monsoons" come. Rains like
a *******! ****es down like mad, then it's gone. My garage, with a
sloping driveway fed by a rain gutter and lower lying than the
surrounding yard, would be overwhelmed if it hadn't been for the french
drain we had put in. It's just a shallow trench with a perforated pipe
as a drainway, the pipe surrounded by small rocks to keep it concealed
but allow for water to seep down. We put the french drain in a few
inches downhill of the downspout, and aimed it away and into nearby very
poorly placed storm drain (and I mean very poorly placed, six feet away
from the problem!) A french drain could solved your periodic problem.

"Jennifer" wrote in message
...


Sheldon wrote:

But the amount of water you describe is far less than I pee each
month, a 1 liter urinalful each day, even if 4 months worth all in one
fell swoop, can't possibly be any kind of flooding problem

I'm sure that there are a multitude of other remedies that require no
more than a little sweat labor and no money. Naturally when you call
a contractor for a fix they will make a mountain out of a molehill.

Sheldon...

You're looking at this as though rain is averaged over the year. It
doesn't rain a tablespoon every week, it either rains or it doesn't.

But when it rains... it rains! It doesn't happen often but when it
does, as it did last week, a good two inches of water puddles at my
foundation.


Jennifer, we have the same problem - ****-poor drainage.

The short term solution was to go buy some lengths of ugly black
plastic irrigation pipe. During the winter we put it on the downspouts and
make the water exit on the lawn, far away from the house. I can live
with some ugliness in the yard to have a dry basement and I don't give
a damn what the neighbors think.

For the long term you have to put in a sump pump, in a well. Put
holes in the bottom of the well so the well will drain slowly into the
soil. Make sure you screen the drains going into the sump pump
so that a bunch of soil doesen't go into the well when it rains. Put
the pump on some bricks in the well so that as the dirt level rises
in the well during the season it does not plug the pump intake. And
put in an overflow so that if the power goes out and the well
floods, the water overflows somewhere away from the foundation,
even if it's only a few feet away. Also, make doubly damn sure
that the float on the pump that actuates it cannot come off and
make the pump turn on and run while dry. That happened to our
first pump, fortunately under warranty. For the second one I
drilled holes in the plastic friction adjustment shaft and put in cotter
pins so the float is fixed in place.

The downside is you will have to clean it out once a year since soil
will get into it. But if the driveway is lower than the street you will
have no choice but to use a pump unless you can duct the water into
the sewer (illegal in most jurisdictions nowadays). Water does not
run uphill.

Ted