Going to use rainwater

[cmeg1]

Well since I moved to my home,I have been concerned with the municipal water ,so I have decided to collect rainwater from my downspouts.
I bought a couple diverter kits to use in a couple sealed 50 gallon drums.I especially like how the diverters control overflow when the barrels are full to go back down the rain spouts.
I have stainless steal mesh gutter guards that even block roof sand,so that should help from not clogging the diverter.
I have unlimited supply of plastic drums at work,so this is a pretty affordable acquisition.
Do these fill up quickly?
I have about 1000 square foot roof with 2 barrels,one on each downspout.

 

[sorce]

Get more!

It sucks to watch rain go away!
Collect it all!

Sorce

 

[jriddell88]

Watch out for them skeeters!!!

 

[cmeg1]

Get more!

It sucks to watch rain go away!
Collect it all!

Sorce

If I use 5 gallons a day that is 20 days........yea maybe double it in case a drought comes along.

 

[cmeg1]

Watch out for them skeeters!!!

My new place is loaded with them,I don’t know what it is....maybe the nearby resevoir.
The drums will be sealed though

 

[jriddell88]

Yes they are awful here in the summer . I must have sweet blood

 

[cmeg1]

Yup,I literally cannot mosey around the yard comfortably without getting attacked during summer........I need to get a nice screened gazebo.

 

[jriddell88]

Ceiling fan on high, covered porch, little bastards can’t hang ??

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I have about 1000 square foot roof with 2 barrels,one on each downspout.

231 cubic inches per gallon.
144,000 square inches of roof.
623 gallons of rain water per 1" of rainfall That's 12.5 x 50 gallon barrels per 1" of rain. Better buy more barrels!

 

[sorce]

I always see them big caged reservoirs for free on the list, offer up, etc...
Usually dyes, oils, or some other pain to wash out stuff was in em to begin with....

But at el permanoso I'm putting a few in the ground.

Hell...a few in the air too...

Get more barrels!

I got a 220 gl capacity with 3 direct and one daisychained for overflow collection of another.

I had to use tap water once last year!

You oughta be double that capacity down there at least!
Sooner in spring, later in fall, winter water?
Likely less rain to begin with...

Consider not redirecting back to the downspout when full...

A well planned rain garden utilizing the overflow can bring a multitude of beneficial creatures....
And provide a wonderful spot for them BC growouts!

Sorce

 

[cmeg1]

231 cubic inches per gallon.
144,000 square inches of roof.
623 gallons of rain water per 1" of rainfall That's 12.5 x 50 gallon barrels per 1" of rain. Better buy more barrels!

Then I will have to get flood insurance

 

[Anthony]

5 to 6 feet of water per inch per year on an 85 x 65 approx. foot roof
The tanks we use - http://rotoplastics.co.tt/index.php/product/water-tanks/tuff-open-tanks

400 gallon and 1000 gallon.

400 gallon can be emptied in 4 to 5 days, watering Bonsai by 1.5 gallon watering can.
Move about 1000 lbs of water daily during the dry season ------------- says with pride.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[cmeg1]

5 to 6 feet of water per inch per year on an 85 x 65 approx. foot roof
The tanks we use - http://rotoplastics.co.tt/index.php/product/water-tanks/tuff-open-tanks

400 gallon and 1000 gallon.

400 gallon can be emptied in 4 to 5 days, watering Bonsai by 1.5 gallon watering can.
Move about 1000 lbs of water daily during the dry season ------------- says with pride.
Good Day
Anthony

Wow!
I may go with 4 drums

 

[Anthony]

Or add aged compost [ holds 20 times it's weight in water ]
to the soil mix.

 

[atlarsenal]

I like using industrial grade trash cans. You can get in to clean it. I have three screens on this one. Two medium and a fine and still get debris that have to clean out every couple of months.

 

[Clicio]

I have three screens on this one.

As I am not collecting rainwater at the moment, but will do in the near future (I have never done that), question is:
How do you guys filter the water from leaves, dirt, etc? Screens inside the container or external ones?

 

[atlarsenal]

I have mine in the pipe work going into the barrel from the down spout.

 

[plant_dr]

Be sure to check if there are regulations for collecting rainwater your area. Here is a link to a site that lists state by state. It hasn't been updated in about a year and a half but it should point you in the right direction anyway.
http://www.enlight-inc.com/blog/?p=1036

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

I use 150 liters (40 gallons) a day in growing season and double that in peak summer. I have a rain collection of 1000 liters (265 gallons). I'll upgrade to 4000 gallons (15000 liters) this year. Looking forward to that.

 

[Anthony]

@Clicio ,

rule number 1 [ from the Colonial British ]

No tree should be near enough to your house to drop leaves on the roof.
This is also a factor in how to effectively shield your house from
the sun in the West. Not heat up your western walls.

Idea probably came from the Bungalows in India, as did the 14 to 16 foot
minimum for the first branch of tree, to allow light from early morning,
to late evening.

[ 2 ] After that the piping [ ours is about 4 inches / 10 cm wide ]
flows through a colander [ plastic ] and easy to replace.

[ 3 ] The dirt ends up at the bottom of the barrel and when the tank
has been emptied, can be stirred up and then use a hose to siphon out
the muck.

Or just take off the pipe and tip the tank, wash out with a hose.

With the tanks we use that is like every 10 years +

It is an extremely simple situation, and our Water and Sewage company
cannot charge for rainwater.
So you save $$$$$.

No mosquitoes either.
Good Day
Anthony

* Use a composting toilet and watch the water and sewage company squirm .:-}