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The Rain Barrel Project
by
Dave Sacerdote
Calificación: 4.0
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%20%20For%20another%20thing,%20there's%20no%20good%20way%20to%20thread%20in%20a%20spigot%20in%20a%20wooden%20barrel,%20so%20we%20resorted%20to%20dipping%20a%20ladle%20or%20pan%20into%20the%20water,%20just%20the%20way%20Maryanne's%20grandparents%20did%20so%20many%20years%20ago.%20%20Not%20very%20convenient%20-%20it%20would%20have%20been%20much%20easier%20to%20just%20attach%20a%20hose%20to%20a%20faucet%20and%20then%20run%20out%20the%20hose%20to%20where%20it%20was%20needed.%20%20And%20then%20there%20were%20the%20mosquito%20larvae.%20%20I%20had%20to%20keep%20a%20supply%20of%20bacterial%20%22cakes%22%20on%20hand%20to%20inoculate%20the%20water%20and%20kill%20off%20the%20swarms%20of%20larvae%20that%20would%20otherwise%20infest%20it.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20found%20my%20answer%20in%20a%20pair%20of%20USDA-approved%20food-grade%20plastic%2055-gallon%20drums%20that%20I%20bought%20from%20a%20seller%20on%20Craigslist.%20%20The%20construction%20took%20most%20of%20the%20day%20on%20Sunday,%20but%20it%20was%20well%20worth%20it.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20started%20off%20by%20building%20a%202-foot-high%20platform%20for%20the%20barrels.%20I%20wanted%20them%20off%20the%20ground%20so%20we%20could%20access%20spigots%20set%20near%20the%20bottom,%20high%20enough%20to%20work%20comfortably%20with%20them%20and%20have%20a%20place%20below%20to%20stash%20watering%20cans,%20clay%20pots,%20and%20so%20on.%20I%20built%20the%20platform%20out%20of%20sistered%202x6%20and%202x4%20pressure%20treated%20lumber,%20held%20up%20by%20stout%203x5%20landscape%20timber%20legs.%20The%20decking%20is%202x2%20red%20cedar%20deck%20railing%20pickets%20salvaged%20from%20a%20friend's%20deck%20replacement.%20%20This%20construction%20should%20be%20able%20to%20hold%20the%20combined%20weight%20of%20the%20two%20filled%20barrels.%20%20We'll%20see,%20but%20the%20worst%20that%20can%20happen%20is%20they%20tip%20over%20into%20the%20yard%20and%20spill%20some%20water.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETo%20fill%20the%20barrels,%20the%20downspout%20on%20the%20back%20of%20the%20house%20goes%20into%20a%204-inch%20black%20downspout%20extender%20which%20is%20fitted%20to%20the%20top%20of%20the%20first%20barrel.%20%20The%20hole%20and%20the%20diverter%20are%20the%20same%20diameter%20to%20prevent%20insects%20and%20other%20nasties%20from%20finding%20their%20way%20inside.%20%20A%20few%20inches%20below%20the%20lid%20of%20the%20barrel,%20I%20cut%20a%202-inch%20hole%20and%20fitted%20it%20with%20a%20PVC%20pipe%20that%20connects%20to%20a%20similar%202-inch%20hole%20in%20the%20second%20barrel.%20When%20the%20first%20fills%20up,%20the%20overflow%20will%20enter%20this%20second%20barrel.%20%20The%20second%20barrel%20also%20has%20an%20overflow%20hole,%20directly%20opposite%20the%20filler%20hole.%20%20When%20both%20barrels%20are%20filled%20to%20capacity,%20excess%20water%20will%20run%20out%20this%20overflow%20and%20travel%20down%20a%202-inch%20PVC%20pipe%20just%20as%20though%20it%20were%20coming%20directly%20off%20the%20roof.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBecause%20the%20fit%20is%20fairly%20tight%20on%20all%20of%20these%20connections%20(and,%20in%20fact,%20I%20sealed%20the%20connections%20with%20silicone%20caulk%20to%20keep%20them%20that%20way)%20there%20needs%20to%20be%20a%20vent%20to%20allow%20air%20out%20as%20water%20comes%20in.%20%20So%20in%20the%20center%20of%20the%20second%20barrel's%20lid,%20I%20cut%20a%20opening%20large%20enough%20to%20receive%20a%20standard%204-inch%20coupling.%20With%20that,%20I%20put%20a%20plastic%20grate%20with%20a%20fine-mesh%20aluminum%20screen%20behind%20it.%20%20The%20grate%20will%20keep%20out%20leaves%20and%20twigs%20and%20so%20on,%20while%20the%20screen%20will%20block%20the%20mosquitoes.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFinally,%20I%20used%20a%20spade%20bit%20to%20drill%20a%201-inch%20hole%20near%20the%20bottom%20of%20each%20of%20the%20drums%20-%20the%20perfect%20size%20to%20accept%20a%20threaded%20hose%20bibb.%20%20The%20brass%20bibbs%20screwed%20directly%20into%20the%20relatively%20soft%20plastic%20of%20the%20barrels,%20tapping%20the%20threads%20as%20they%20went%20and%20providing%20a%20spigot%20on%20each%20one%20without%20a%20lot%20of%20complicated%20plumbing%20work.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBecause%20I%20had%20most%20of%20the%20tools%20for%20this%20job%20on%20hand%20and%20almost%20all%20the%20wood%20for%20the%20base%20was%20either%20salvaged%20or%20leftovers%20from%20other%20household%20projects%20%20(there's%20a%20lot%20to%20be%20said%20for%20being%20handy%20around%20the%20house)%20the%20job%20was%20quite%20affordable%20-%20$50%20for%20the%20two%20barrels%20and%20about%20$20%20for%20other%20materials%20-%20and%20I%20have%20double%20the%20rainwater%20storage%20that%20I%20once%20enjoyed.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}