{"id":879,"date":"2014-03-19T13:09:42","date_gmt":"2014-03-19T20:09:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ext100.wsu.edu\/skagit\/?page_id=879"},"modified":"2025-11-19T14:26:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T22:26:07","slug":"rain-barrel","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/skagit\/mg\/rain-barrel\/","title":{"rendered":"Rain Barrel Setup"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What is a rain barrel and why use them?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A rain barrel collects water from your roof and stores it to be used later to water your garden.  Rainwater is free, just the right temperature for your plants and lacks any added chemicals.  Rain barrels also reduce storm water run-off.  Rain barrels are inexpensive, relatively easy to assemble and there are many ways of setting them up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"RainBarrels\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These examples are on display at the Discovery Garden, located at WSU NWREC, 16650 State Route 536 (Memorial Hwy) in Mount Vernon, WA.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Rain<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Detailed plans to build your own below<\/h3>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Rain Barrel Set\u2010Up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Supplies: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most supplies are available at your local hardware stores.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Two 55 gallon food grade drums with bungs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • One \u00be\u201d hose bib (faucet)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Teflon tape (to wrap pipe threads)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Window screen to cover reducer to keep mosquitoes out and avoid potential for West
    Nile virus<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Bench, PVC cement<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • One ABS 4\u201d to 3\u201d reducer (looks like a black funnel) with 4\u201d hose clamp holding on
    window screen<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Two \u00be\u201d hose clamps<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Two \u00be\u201d male adapters with barb (MPT x barb)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Three \u00be\u201dmale adapters (MPT x S)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Three 90 degree \u00be\u201d elbows (S x S)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Standard \u00be\u201d PVC pipe<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • One female adapter (FPT x S)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • One conduit sleeve for \u00be\u201d PVC pipe<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • One 6\u201d nipple (MPT x MPT)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Two 3\u201d nipples (MPT x MPT)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • One \u00be\u201d polyvinyl tube<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • One \u00be\u201d PVC tee (S x S x S)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Earthquake straps (not used here) or plumber\u2019s tape (3\/4\u201d wide, 22 gauge for securing
    pipes) <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Please Note: the length of the \u00be\u201d I.D., 1\u201d O.D. PVC pipes to be determined by installation and location of rain barrels; PVC fittings are either: S=Slip (socket or nonthread), FPT=female pipe thread, MPT=male pipe thread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Instructions: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    For equipment you will need a drill with a \u00bd\u201d drill bit, \u00be\u201d and 1\u201d spade bit, PVC pipe cutter, box cutter or saw or knife of your choice, pencil, tape measure, level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Select the \u201cbung\u201d (threaded plug) you will be using for the piping, making sure it has the
      correct size threads to match the PVC pipe (3\/4\u201d in this case). Use a \u00be\u201d spade bit and
      drill out the hole. Do this for each barrel. Insert 3\u201d nipple, then \u00be\u201d male adapter (MPT x
      S), then standard \u00be\u201d PVC pipe, then \u00be\u201d PVC elbow (S x S), then \u00be\u201d PVC pipe. (Image 1)
      Do this for each barrel. Turn the barrels upside down (the bottom will now become the
      top) and place on bench (Image 2). Attach both PVC pipes to \u00be\u201d PVC tee (Image 3).
      Then insert \u00be\u201d PVC pipe (Image4) (image5), then female adapter (FPT x S), then
      standard \u00be\u201d hose bib (Image 6). Secure nipple to underside of bench with conduit
      sleeve (Image 7).*<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Cut or drill inlet hole so it\u2019s centered under the downspout (Image 8). Make the hole 3\u201d
      in diameter to fit the ABS 4\u201d to 3\u201d reducer (Image 9). (A pencil was used to trace the
      hole, then a \u00bd\u201d drill bit was used to make holes inside of the tracing and then a box
      cutter was used to trim the hole.) Insert ABS 4\u201d to 3\u201d reducer (looks like a black funnel)
      (Image 10) with 4\u201d hose clamp holding on window screen (Image 11) (Image 12).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Drill 1\u201d hole near top of each barrel top, both holes facing each other. Insert \u00be\u201d male
      adapter with barb (MPT x barb) into each hole. Place hose clamps over \u00be\u201d polyvinyl
      tube and apply to adapters. To make polyvinyl tubing more pliable over adapters, you
      can dip ends in hot water for a few minutes before applying.
      Tighten hose clamps over tubing, over adapters (Image 13).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Drill 1\u201d hole near top of one barrel for overflow pipe. Insert \u00be\u201d male adapter (MPT x S),
      then \u00be\u201d PVC elbow (S x S), then standard \u00be\u201d PVC pipe to be used for overflow (Image
      14).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      *If both PVC pipes were connected to a tee and connected to one hose bib, as in step #1, then step #3 can be completely eliminated because both barrels were already combined in step #1. Step #3 was included to show how each barrel would need to be attached to each other in case someone wanted to have a hose bib attached separately to each barrel. One hose bib was used in this case to reduce costs. Either set up allows you to connect multiple barrels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Safety Concerns:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      For added safety, apply earthquake straps to each barrel and apply to wall of building. This was not done here. A barrel full of water weighs over 450 pounds! Never store drinking water in these barrels, use five-gallon containers specifically designed for this purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Most moss killer is a poison. After applying moss killer to your roof, wait for at least three heavy rainstorms to start collecting roof rainwater, but be cautious and test on a few plants before using on all plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Rainwater should not be collected from new roofs or roofs where any preservatives were applied. Waiting one winter season is recommended in these cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      As stored rainwater contains a host of contaminants, do not let children play in it or drink from it. Only under the most extreme disaster conditions should rain barrel water be consumed by humans, pets or livestock. Rainwater passing through your gutter is exposed to bird droppings (E. coli) and decaying plant and animal mater. If there is no other source of clean uncontaminated drinking water, strain the collected rainwater through tightly woven fabric such as sheeting and boil for five minutes (rolling boil) prior to consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Finally, although the barrels are rated as food grade quality, they may have had solvents and\/or chemical cleaners used to clean them and other products may have been stored in them before you obtained them. Keep in mind these barrels are a recycled product and are not sterile.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      What is a rain barrel and why use them? A rain barrel collects water from your roof and stores it to be used later to water your garden.\u00a0 Rainwater is free, just the right temperature&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"parent":112,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_expiration_date":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"cahnrs_clean_page_nonce":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/skagit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/879"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/skagit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/skagit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/skagit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=879"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/skagit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/879\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26984,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/skagit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/879\/revisions\/26984"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/skagit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/skagit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/skagit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/skagit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}