# Rain Barrel set ups?



## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

So I'm picking up 3x55gal blue water drums today for $10/each, would like 5 but I don't think I'll be able to fit 5 in my truck and they're a half hour drive each way. What I have in mind is to set them up on the dark side of the house just outside the window of where my fish room is, you can't see this side of the house from the front or the back... It's really closed in and hidden. Then link up all the barrels, connect a line from the gutter and have an over flow line to drain overflow back to the drain of the gutter. Then when I do my weekly water changes (probably close to 150g) I can drain it into the barrels collecting water that can be used for the gardens. Then at the end of the year drain the barrels down best I can to stop them from freezing and damaging the set up during the winter. Right now I'm just draining my tanks out this window and I'm rather a little concerned about the water I'm draining doing damage to the house.










Here's the best idea I can think of as to setting them up, and I'm wondering if anyone has a rain collector set up or anything like this or anything I should take into consideration, tips, ideas, ext ext, thanks for looking and the input.


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## Impossibles (Mar 3, 2011)

Where are you getting those barrels for $10 each?

I'm planning on doing a similar setup to collect rain water, but not for fish water. You'll want to build some sort of platform to raise the platform level to be able to use a tap to fill a watering can. Princess Auto has some very inexpensive vinyl tubing and plastic barb fittings that would work well for this project. My long term goal is to use a solar panel to charge a battery that powers a pump to pump the water to a raised tower in the back of my yard which would drip irrigate a garden...but I digres...

My biggest question is why you don't have a python for water changes?


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

Found them on UsedNanaimo.com, someone in Chemainus has a wack load of them (black,white,blue) $15/each or 10/each if you get 5 or more.

I do have a Python for water changes, and the barrels aren't for collecting rain water to use in my tanks. The main purpose of the barrels is because right now I dump the water from my tanks out the window of my fish room onto the ground where I plan on having the barrels and used tank water is really good for plants/gardens cause of the nitrates and we easily use 20g of water a day for the plants not including the lawn. I ended being able to fit 5 barrels in my truck today so I for sure plan on hooking it up to the gutter to increase the amount of water collected, and I also saw a video or a photo on the net where someone uses a pond pump so they can connect their system up to a sprinkler to water lawns. I just want to make sure I get the system set up right/cheapest so I don't run into any problems down the road as to why I seeked here to see if anyone has a set up and has anything to point out/look out for, from personal experience.


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## richbcca (Apr 21, 2010)

I have sort of the same setup. I bought one of those 250gallon containers from craigslist. Built a 30" flat form so that it is elevated. I pump the water to the container when I do water changes. Then use gravity to water the lawn.


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## hondas3000 (Apr 22, 2010)

I want to have the setup to collect drip water from my tank but then my tank is on the ground and there is no elevate for the water to auto drip in the container.


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## big_bubba_B (Apr 25, 2010)

u should do a charcoal filter coming out of the barrel . will be lots of contaniments in the barrel and from the roof


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

Yea, one of my lady's co-workers at the garden nursery suggested some short of charcoal filtering as well, so I do have that in mind it's just trying to come up with a function-able way to make it work.

Right now I have the 5 barrels all cleaned (power washed in the inside) and rinsed them with bleach. I set up the area where they'll be going by stacking/leveling some cinter blocks that the barrels will sit on. Drilled all the holes to connect them to each other as well as a hole for overflow. I would of almost had it all together by tonight but I'm short 2 connectors, a on/off value and a hose splitter. I'll pick up the peaces I need tomorrow after work and will begin back on the project when the weather is nice enough to work outside. 

I still need to come up with a function-able way to make a charcoal filter as well as a way to collect water from the gutter and be able to turn it off in the winter.

I'll post photos of the project once it's actually really getting done and what not.


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## mikebike (Sep 8, 2010)

You can make a charcoal pre filter by using an old plastic gallon milk jug or other plastic jug.

Put the charcoal in a net (nylon stocking) and rinse it off then place in in the jug on the barrel inlet and the downspout into it.

Om may rainwater collection systems they use a teeter-totter filler .
the downspout comes down into a section of gutter which pivots so the first amount of water goes onto a jug with a 1/8" hole in tied to the other end of the gutter section.
As it fills the weight tips the gutter so it now fills your barrel.

The wast water from the first few minuets carries away the bird crap and other debris that may be on the roof.


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

Interesting Mike, do you by any chance have a photo of your teeter-totter filter and set up?

And good call with the milk jug for a charcoal pre filter, I have lots of netting from my fish room supplies.


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## mikebike (Sep 8, 2010)

Hello Hgi,
I learned about the teeter-totter system in a book, now out of print:
The Boy Mechanic I had the post war editions, a 3 volume set from about 1921 growing up in the 1950.
I described the system based on articles in the book:
The Mother Earth News published in the late 1960.

The term "Foul Flush" is used to describe the disposal of the first volume ow water.
See:
Green Pages · The Global Directory for Environmental Technology › Editorial

This site has some good illustrations of other ways of doing it:
Sourcebook of Alternative Technologies for Freshwater Augumentation in Some Countries in Asia

Another term used is "First Flush:
First Flush | Rainwater Harvesting Guide

This site has some good information:Harvested Rainwater

There is a lot of information on Google using the search terms:

"rain water collection foul flush"

I'm not currently collecting my rain water.
I need my gutter replaced first and a gutter added to my sunroom.
More projects<G>


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## Impossibles (Mar 3, 2011)

great thread!


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

So I've been plucking away at this project very slowly over the last few days, have a head flu right now and the weather can't make up its mind if it's going to be sunny or poor rain.

Yesterday I picked up the 2 missing connecters and glued them all in, added some tape (pink hockey tape) to make sure they didn't move while drying if accidentally bumped and threw the tarp over them to keep them dry.

Today I moved them all to their final resting place, still need to make sure they're leveled best I can make them, I also drilled air holes on the top and covered them with 2 lairs of window screen mesh to keep the bugs out.

I would of kept going but I'm really not feeling to great, though I noticed one of my challenges is to come up with a way to stop the hoses from looping downwards between the barrels or this will cause freezing problems over the winter.


















After reading about the first flush stuff and what not I'm leaning more towards not hooking the system up to the gutters and just using them for used aquarium water, then when we go to sell the house I'll hook it up to the gutter since the chances of the next buyer having big tanks is pretty slim.


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## mikebike (Sep 8, 2010)

go to home Depot or similar hardware store and buy a 'heat tape' used to prevent gutters and pipes from freezing and put a wrap around the bottom of the barrel and a couple of wraps around the connecting pipe the the next barrel and do the same to all connections barrels.

or because it is watter proof feed it through the first barrel, the connecting pipe the next barrel and pipes.

Also add a piece of furnace filter cloth over the screes to keep particulate matter out.

If you end up using a pump to move the water to where you want it/watering, get a carbon filter assembly at the hardware store to go in-line to clean/polish the water.


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## steelheadbc (Dec 8, 2010)

check barrplastics .com they have rain water collection systems you should be able to find what you need


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## ninez (Apr 21, 2010)

I've got 12+ of these barrels (used for malt) if you guys are interested.
I am located in Vancouver (49th/Oak).









PM me for detail


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

steelheadbc said:


> check barrplastics .com they have rain water collection systems you should be able to find what you need


...... welcome to bca?


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