Econo Rain Barrel 55 Gallon Black Plastic

[rem0230]

The spigot is brass and the barrel is plastic... since those two materials react differently to temperature changes, have you had any problems with leaks?

[ganthonyvr]

UMMMM SORRY FOR BEING IGNORANT BUT WAT IS A RAIN BARREL USED FOR???

[cchanderson]

You need a larger output turbo...your going to flood a ton of basements. There is a reason why a gutter is the size it is.

[drkwngduck]

Well as someone said I am giving the barrel a second life. Would you like to see it in a land fill or saving water in my yard.. I save the water from a swamp cooler, which saves electricity compared to a regular a/c unit. I use the water for doing laundry.

Its better than nothing at all.

[mopperone]

shouldnt you leave some space between the downspout and the screen? What if debris such as twigs,leaves, or those stupid maple helicopter things get caught in h

there? I sometimes see them at the and of my downspouts after a good rain.

[Davidbzm01]

the overflow tube has to be the same size as the downspout... volume out has to match the volume in or it will overflow where the water enters the barrel thus flowing down the sides of the barrel and flooding your basement....

[envirosponsible]

@Davidbzm01 Yes, you're right. Some solutions include adding a second barrel, making the overflow larger and using sump hose, or using a diverter kit. Thanks for pointing that out.

[cyber8000]

@envirosponsible Can I buy a black barrel only? Meaning no pre-drilling or so just a plain one.

[griffrs]

@Davidbzm01

Actually that isn't entirely true... It depends on the volume of water flowing through the downspout. I have never seen my downspouts flowing at their full 4 inch capacity, even in a downpour. The large overflows also significantly reduce the total amount of water that can be held in the barrel. I use a 3/4 inch overflow on my barrels and I have never had any issues.

You may want to start using 3/4 inch bulkhead fittings instead of just threading into the barrel itself.

[scottpoms]

What happens when the inlet screen clogs? - what happens whene the barrel is full and water is coming in faster than the overflow hose can handle ?

[envirosponsible]

The inlet would need to be cleaned out periodically, especially after heavy rains. If the overflow won't handle the volume of water coming in, then a second overflow, or even a larger overflow, can be added. There's also a water diverter kit that prevents overflowing altogether. Thanks, Chad

[dvdsky8]

hmmm...2 inch inlet, 3/4 inch oveflow. I DO commend your efforts, but good luck with the backups. By the way, 55 gallon barrel for my lawn? ~snicker

[ttitanic121]

What about winter, what do u do with it... Plastic BUSTS, u should no that.

[envirosponsible]

Well said. Plastic barrels will rupture if water is left in them during periods of freezing temperatures. That's why you need to disconnect the barrel in the winter and reconnect your downspout. The barrel needs to be emptied, but can stay where it is if the downspout is disconnected and the tap is left open.

[ttitanic121]

I have a wooden & steel rainbarrel that I use IN the garden... as this plastic(new or recycled)rainbarrel fad is not enviromentally responsible...as U know it will not decay-ever...see Jacque Cousteau Jr. documentary on the some hundreds of square miles of plastic remnants in the Pacific Ocean that is effecting the wildlife & Eco system.

[envirosponsible]

@ttitanic121 I didn't make the barrels, I'm just giving them a second life.

[ttitanic121]

Understood & Recycling is 1 way to help the environment 5/5...on ur portable power station, have U thought of (register) patenting it/ shopping it to a large firm?

[griffrs]

@ttitanic121

The fact that the barrel does not degrade is a good thing my friend... You wouldn't want it to dissolve and leech into the ground water, or to rot/rust and require replacement (like yours). Would these barrels serve a better purpose or somehow be less dangerous if they were in a landfill? Your logic is flawed kind sir.

[ttitanic121]

@griffrs Thanks for your opinion, I must say none of my wooden or metal barrels have ever burst...& the very fact that plastic will not degrade is a very bad thing for this planet...research the umteen thousands of miles of floating plastic debris in the Pacific ocean ...flawed,I think not...maybe just better informed.

[griffrs]

@ttitanic121 Sorry for the ad hominem...It just seemed like you were trolling @environsponsible a bit. Water expands roughly 9% when frozen and exerts a force of expansion greater than 100,000 psi. If any closed-head barrel, metal, wood, or plastic is filled with water and then frozen...it will fail. I just make sure to drain my barrels down a bit in the harshest part of winter. Sometimes they freeze solid, but they never burst. I am curious how you get water out of your frozen barrels...

[ttitanic121]

@griffrs I don't use them in the winter, only in the summer for the garden.

[griffrs]

@ttitanic121 I think you are talking about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, or the many other gyres of plastic in the oceans. I agree with you that single-use plastics are a huge problem, but that is why it is a good thing that people re-use polymer barrels...otherwise they could end up in the landfill or the ocean. Glass can replace plastic bottles and small food containers, but I am not aware of an immediate solution to plastic drums...especially for caustics and food grade materials.

[ttitanic121]

@griffrs Well now recycling is good & some other solution is exactly what we are saying here, we should be phasing out plastic. We have to change our reliance on Oil & its derivatives as this resource will inevitably become un-viable.

[griffrs]

@ttitanic121 Who is we? Does that include you? Perhaps, instead of whining about plastics, you should participate in the research on alternatives yourself. After all, you are part of this entity you refer to as "we"... you make it sound so easy and you seem very passionate, I am sure you can solve it in a year or two...

[ttitanic121]

@griffrs "We" would be the living human race. Thank you, I am. This is a Global problem that will confront Everyone & the first step is to recognize that. I solve nothing alone, hence the "We".

[griffrs]

@ttitanic121

Freezing water can burst wood and metal barrels too... You should know that.

[envirosponsible]

I recommend putting a piece of screen on the end of the hose, held on by an elastic or twist tie.

Chad

[dvdsky8]

You said mosquitos can't get into the overflow spot because of the tight fitted hose. What if they just went UP the hose?

[bb33691]

Seriously? They would eventually get to the spout and realize they could go no further. Then when the spout was opened they would be flushed out. Think before you type.

[dvdsky8]

Think before I type? Ummm, what spout? I said "overflow". Do you know what that is? In other words the hose that is jammed into the side. Unless there is a screen on it, they WILL get in and lay their little homies. You can buy "dunks' to kill the larvae, but you will eventually be breeding resistant strains? Think before I type...haha

[envirosponsible]

My store envirosponsible is in Ontario, Canada. Chad

[coastguard1010]

Your last statement on how to contact you was very non-specific. The durham region means the RDU Raleigh NC to me. Check out my 330 gallon rain barrel in RDU. Regards, MD. Where is your Durham?