Hi Alison!

I got two 55 gallon food grade barrels from the Pepsi bottler off 5th avenue two years ago to make rain barrels. They are still sitting by my potting bench not hooked up! Lee swears that they will get plumbed and hooked to the downspout this year. I'll let you know!

~~Mimi

I made two last October and am already running low on rain water (and my entire yard with house on it is only 1/10th of an acre!). I wish I had room for more rain barrels to catch more water from my roof. All of a sudden it got really hot in my location and the grass is already drying out from the surge of heat. It hasn't rained more than 5 minutes in 2 weeks. I fear the same pattern of rain dumping on Lexington and missing me to the east is going into the same cycle as last year. At least the rain barrels buy me a little extra time before I have to resort to city water (except for the lawn). I can't believe I went through 50+ gallons in the last 2 weeks though.

If you'd like to construct your own rain barrel, see video link below. I went through the trouble of noting the Lowes part numbers. Should be around $15 in parts if you can find a 55-gallon plastic drum for free. I was recently out in Draper, Utah and interestingly the Wal-Marts out there sell 55-gallon drums for $49.96. They don't come with a spiggot.. just a large siphon thingy and the rain barrel.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Build a Rain Barrel

Rats! I can't access YouTube on my computer.

I was sharing the brochure from our intern with a co-worker, and he said he'd prefer something more organic looking -- like actual wine barrels. I realized I'd actually appreciate something a little more home-made looking -- especially if it came with the home-made savings!

Mimi, did you just call the bottler and ask about the barrels?

And I wonder why you simply couldn't use really big trashcans from the big box store?

A friend who thought all rainbarrels detracted from the look of her home, simply built a wood lattice surround painted the same color as the house siding, and voila! Hidden water.

Here's a link to directions on how to make a rain barrel.

Here's the address of the Pepsi bottler I used:
1241 Gibbard Ave, Columbus, OH
(614) 253-8771

I called before I went and they were happy to sell me some very cheap. I like the idea of making a more decorative "box" to hide the barrels. Wooden barrels come with all kinds of problems.

Keep us posted on what you do!

~~Mimi

Here is a link that might be useful: how to moke a rain barrel

Many county extensions offices are offering rain barrels at a discount. You might want to check.

I wonder if Wal-Marts in Central Kentucky will ever start offering to sell rain barrels, like the one I went to in Draper, UT. I even took a photo of them being sold:

I need to get the details, but my neighbor told me some group in Columbus is selling rainbarrels for $30. She's going to work on our landlord as well -- so we might get them this summer!

We had one for several years and got rid of it...mosquitos love them!

Mosquitoes are not a problem if you make a closed system such as the gutter emptying into a form-fit entry inlet and having an overflow pipe with screen cap on the other side. This makes it impossible for mosquitoes to get inside to use the water to use as a habitat for reproduction.

The water went directly into the barrel. We had the downspout going into the top, form fitted and it was secured. There was an overflow "cutout" which we had a screen over, but yet we still had the problems with mosquitoes.

Did you try mosquito "dunks"? Can't remember exactly what they're called, but you can get them fairly inexpensively at the garden center, to control mosquito larvae in ponds. Seem to work pretty well.

Several years ago, my upstairs neighbor was interested in putting in a garden on the front porch. Water was a real problem, so we put a large plastic garbage can in the corner, and every 5-6 weeks we'd haul the hose up fom the ground floor and fill the can full of water; then she could fill the watering can from that every morning.

Every time we'd fill the can I'd drop in another mosquito dunk (I think they came in packages of 3-4). We usually had the lid on the can, but it wasn't a particularly air tight seal. We never had mosquitos, and I credited the dunks.

Here's an online calculator for rainfall harvested.

Here is a link that might be useful: rooftop rain calculator

I installed one this spring. It was great and I hope to do more next year.

I couldn't find a free one. I got mine for $20 at a carwash.

I kept a few fish in mine also.

i'd love to have several, but our town requires that downspouts drain into the road and from there to the storm sewers. you have to go to zoning board to put in a dry well-- neighbor had to do this since the level of the street
blocked the drains from his downspouts at the curb

diggerb

I'm going to the Maker's Mark Distillery this weekend and seeing if I can't get one of their oaken whiskey barrels.

Well, the Maker's Mark tour was great but no oaken barrels. Apparently they send them all off to Ireland when they're finished with them to make Scotch Whisky.

So if anyone knows where I can get oaken whisky barrels in Kentucky please let me know.

I know there is a farm near heartville that I pass occasionally that has a sign saying plastic barrels 8$ I should do this but I need to convince my husband.
I also have heard of the dunks and plan on buying them this year anyway for the horrible drainage problem I have for a yard. I dug my own ditch to help out this year and I will use them there. Also my dog was bitten by a mosquito carrying heart worms this summer and is now undergoing treatment. Anything to keep the population down since I know there are carriers in my yard.

We have a closed barrel that is fed thru a gutter system off the greenhouse roof. I siphon the water into 2 large garbage cans for easy watering. This year we've had 4 squirrels jump in and drown. Never happened before in the 7 years we've been collecting water. There are many other sources of fresh water in the yard, can't figure this one out!

Ack having said all that I forgot to ask if anyone knows how I can price check available rain barrels in OH. When you say rain barrel do you mean the whole set up or the plastic barrel? Maybe I should do more looking online. How do I get the number for the county extension office?

It cost me around $30 in pipe fittings, the spigots and flexible gutter piece at Lowes to make two rain barrels.
Here's the Lowes part numbers for those pieces to use with a plastic 55-gallon drum:

212957, 22690, 22681, 22682, 22034, 25010, 21516, 20992

Just get a 55-gallon plastic barrel to use with these parts (easier said that done unless you live in Utah apparently).

I used rain barrels for about 10 years. I had two set up with a sump pump for transferring to the garden. They worked great for times when you only go a week without rain. When you had an extended dry spell, they were useless. I ended up replacing them with an automatic irrigation system using soaker hoses, which uses very little water, and I do not even wonder if it is going to rain. This year, we had an extended drought and I still got a good harvest.

John

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal

I imagine rainbarrels couldn't be a complete water source in some parts of the country, but they're a good supplement for most places. And it's "found" water -- a free back-up you would waste otherwise.

I'm still looking forward to setting some up when I get my own place!

I've always used rain barrels. Somewhere,my wife found this thing that folds...well, you cut your down spout, and a chute folds down to allow the water to flow into the barrel. When the barrel is full, you simply fold the thing up and the water goes down and out to the street. In Ohio, we get hot summers. Many years, I was very happy to have rain barrels. They are also nice to use in washing your hands before coming into the house.

If you want to buy a system that will hook up any which way you need to your rain gutters, check out Columbus' own rain brothers. I met them through local goddard guild community garden.

http://www.rainbrothers.com/index.html

My DH and I are commited to keeping the rain out of the sewers and the rivers. We installed rain barrels made from pickle barrels from a local pickle factory. The barrel in the picture is not hooked to the downspout, we siphon the water from the barrels on the other side of the fence that are under the downspouts into this barrel so we can easily water this section of the garden. The barrels allow us to have free water for watering the plants, mopping floors and washing windows. Along with the rain barrels rain gardens also are a great way to help the inviroment and give you a great garden besides.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rain Garden and Rain Barrel

My DH and I are commited to keeping the rain out of the sewers and the rivers. We installed rain barrels made from pickle barrels from a local pickle factory.
The barrel in the picture is not hooked to the downspout, we siphon the water from the barrels on the other side of the fence that are under the downspouts into this barrel so we can easily water this section of the garden. The barrels allow us to have free water for watering the plants, mopping floors and washing windows. Along with the rain barrels rain gardens also are a great way to help the inviroment and give you a great garden besides.
{{gwi:1072215}}{{gwi:1072217}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Rain Garden and Rain Barrel

Rainbarrels work. I've linked four in series.I added a sump pump but I only get approx 5 gal /min flow I'm thinking now of a way to add chem fertilizer to the tanks using a closed loop thereby using the same pump to mix the solution..
and distributing through 1/2" lines to each plant out there and returning the flow to the tank.
Then ( ya still with me ?)-- maybe a jetpump inline to sprinkle the lawn.

Hello all just found this Ohio Valley forum
Got two biggies trucked in from Tank depot. I( believe each is 300 gallon. Bought the real nice valves locally ( ta local company ordered for me good price short time to get too) They are dark green.
Also put tanks up on concrete blocks 2 high. Bought the aluminum "y" downspout connector.(about $40 a piece) can open and close which side I want. Like rainwater , go to the barrels or tanks or out the regular downspouts to yard when tanks are full .
Put Panty hose over the outlet overflows or where it goes into another barrel. Also Put a old Green T shirt over the "screen openings on several of my barrels. Mosquitoes can get thru close knit fabrics....
Just chiming in here yall
Jean

Hello all just found this Ohio Valley forum
Got two biggies trucked in from Tank depot. I( believe each is 300 gallon. Bought the real nice valves locally ( ta local company ordered for me good price short time to get too) They are dark green.
Also put tanks up on concrete blocks 2 high. Bought the aluminum "y" downspout connector.(about $40 a piece) can open and close which side I want. Like rainwater , go to the barrels or tanks or out the regular downspouts to yard when tanks are full .
Put Panty hose over the outlet overflows or where it goes into another barrel. Also Put a old Green T shirt over the "screen openings on several of my barrels. Mosquitoes can get thru close knit fabrics....
Just chiming in here yall
Jean