Step #1
• Cut a round six inch hole with a jig saw or hole saw at the top of the plastic rain barrel
• Next drill 2 holes with a 29/32 inch bit – one near the top to make an overflow hole and then the second near the bottom of the rain barrel for the faucet hole.
• Twist a ¾ inch NPT pipe tap into the top 29/32 inch hole.
• Thoroughly rinse out and clean your rain water barrel to make sure you rid if of harmful chemicals or old food products that may have been stored in it.
Step #2
• Now back to the top of the rainwater barrel, take a hose adapter and twist the threaded side in the ¾ inch hole.
• Wrap plumbers tape tightly around the threads of the faucet and be sure the threads are adequately covered. Alternatively you could use common plumbing supplies such as adhesive caulks or waterproof sealants.
• Twist in the taped end of the facet into the ¾ inch hold at the bottom of the plastic rain barrel.
Step #3
• At the top of the rainbarrel, cover the six inch hole with a louvered screen to filter debris from the downspout. Install screen side down and louver side up.
• Place a hose in the hose adapter at the top of the barrel which will help redirect water overflow away from property.
• Under your homes’s downspout, place two concrete block to make your rainwater barrel stand.
• With a saw, trim adjust your downspout height to about four inches above the top of the barrel. Install a simple elbow unit and make any necessary miscellaneous adjustments to the spout or stand.
• Attach a water hose to the faucet to use for compost, landscaping, or garden irrigation.
• Tada! You made your first rainwater barrel. Harvesting rain water and conserving our natural resources is simple and rewarding.
The recycled barrel options are slim near me. What do you recommend to change the color of the rain barrel?
Hi Roland. I’d try some spray paint that works on outdoor plastic surfaces to change the color of the plastic rain barrel to meet your preferences. Cheap and effective.
My husband and I made some plastic rain barrels at home. The hubby used a coat of primer on the barrels and then applied a coat of auto paint. The paint looks great and is durable outdoors.
MY son built me a rain barrel system using 3 connecting barrels. He used 1/2 pipe between each barrel and tried to seal it with silicone. the problem we are having is the barrels are leaking around the pipes still. Oh and the pipes are in the lower 1/4 area of the barrel
sorry forgot to add how do we stop the leaking?
Collecting rainwater for my bucket garden is a great way to help conserve water.
I too created a rain barrel using a vinyl trashcan and a few tools. Not as elaborate as yours but it cost about 10 bucks and is working nicely. You can take a look at my step by step pictures if interested.
http://gravitygarden.com/rainbucket/?page_id=46
Gravity Gardener..
Pat you might try replacing your connections with a bulkhead fitting as they are designed to put holes thru things and have rubber washers to seal them from leaking.