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From: london1817
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  • i have a home made rain system at my camp i used a 40 gallon plastic barrel free up on a wood stand free used some abs pipe 10$ to connect it to the free gutter then a garden hose tap 4.65$ then a 1$ hose splitter then some plastic pipe to the used sink and taps and old garden hose used it to watter a small hot house all summer and to do dishes wash hands never went dry the best 15.65 i spent on that place it wold have been more if i hadn't garbage piked most of the stuff

  • @MrCinimod93 thats right! you did awesome..sounds like a really useful campsite!

  • @london1817 love it their it was an old camp cabin that was way back of our we talked to the guy that owns the lands grand son that owns it now he gave us the go a head to use it we fixed it up a lot i wold say 97 percent of the stuff used to fix was reused free or gut fore free there is a video of it on my channel the vid was fore a school project so its in French if you want just turn off the sound .

  • pretty cool.. too bad i dont live in a rain forest

  • @7Rafe7 too bad...but them sasquatch do.

  • Thank God you did this video it will save me a ton of cash!

  • @jeagerdog1 I am happy to hear that! Thanks!

  • Why wouldn't you cut the hole in the trash can closer to the bottom? That way you don't have to wait for the can to completely fill with water before it starts transferring to the garden...?

  • @NostalgicLink I think the point is to have the storage, but if your garbage can is full then the hose is for runoff. I'm guessing that you either siphon out of the tank or dip a bucket in and take the water out. Not sure I'm into this setup, but it's a start.

    What I can't figure out is that why the overflow tube is way smaller than the inlet tube.

  • THIS IS BRILLIANT...THANKS FOR SHARING.

  • @quest33613 You are welcome!

  • one of the first things I ever did as a kid and adult was build sunroof passive solar powered showers. more or less same thing, use one or two or more 55 gl. drums, hook one line to come down, one line to fill up (yes, with the regular housewater) paint it all in black, enclose if you wish, and you got hot water 99% of the time in hot countries.

  • @malanga13 Thats a really easy & great way to do it!! it would work here in the summer very well. It was over 100 degrees all summer.....how did you regulate it if it got too hot?

  • put some screen in the black tube so you catch debris just put it over the end and it will be easy to clean

  • Plastic trash cans make a very inexpensive rain collection system. This video shows just how easy and inexpensive it is. It made me feel empowered to do it myself. On Craig's List there are always the white plastic food grady syrup containers for sale too for a larger unit. Wood wine barrels are pretty to use too. Any way you do it, rain collection is wonderful!!

  • Can I highlight this video on my eco website since its going to save people a lot of money?

  • @visitlothian send me the website address and I will reveiw it first.

  • I put some cheese cloth where the water enters to keep out trash, etc. Don't want it to get filled up with leaves and junk...or mosquito larvae.

  • @nickg491 Thats a great idea!

  • Great idea, thanks so much! In addition to the outflow at the top of the barrel, I also put in an outflow at the bottom, attached a long hose and then a "weeper" hose, and serpentined the weeper hose back and forth across my garden, so the water from the rain barrel goes directly to the garden. I used an on/off connector if I ever want to store the water.

    Dude, you saved me a lot of money. Thanks!

  • @flyingbeta Thats sounds like you have a great system !! good job! and thanks for the comment! maybe you should do a video...I would love to check out your work!!

  • great idea only one thing I see you could have done different.Instead of putting your water out let at the top.How come you didnt put it on the bottom

  • @mogges1 I didn't want it to leak.

  • Anyone knows where I can get used food barrels from?

    

  • @PJExpressions Just do like I did and beg at the pepsi plant.

  • @london1817

    Thanks, I'm in Atlanta so it probably will be Coke rather than Pepsi. Matter of fact, I have a Coke plant about 8 miles from me.

  • @PJExpressions Good....I only drink diet coke...you lucky dog!.....lol

  • @london1817

    Actually, I have never been able to acquire a taste for "diet" products. However, Coke, as in rum & coke served me very well during my younger days. ;)

  • Anyone knows where I can get used food barrels from?

  • I wouldn't put a screen on the gutter itself because the water will start backing up if it gets plugged. The screen across the rain barrel is a better idea i think. but i am no expert. the original idea is great, i did it and it works...

    If anyone knows how to make a pop up rainbarrel i would be really interested in this.

  • @50hellkat2 Thats true bro....plus you would have to get out a ladder.....better to have a screen in reaching distance.

  • @london1817 oh g.d.! i just HATE IT when i have to get out a LADDER! oh gosh! bro...

  • @HeatherHell666 me too! think your moving up but not really! haha.(on ladder)..:)

  • I put some screen across the top of the barrel. Used garden hose to divert water and it works like a charm. Automotive glue is great. What a discovery.

  • Cat: Feed me human! ... i also rush things up if my cat is calling me,haha!

  • @gtaraya haha...happens to me all the time...lol

  • So you have no way to trap the leaves and varied debris from collecting in your water? This needs some tweaking.

    Thanks

  • @1timby I put a screen in the gutter ....works ok...needs one at the bottom as well.

  • Was interested in his cat to see what kind of cat he had....sounded like a Siamese.

  • @Najma202 1 is just an orange cat the other black & 2 maine coons.

  • @Najma202 Me too, sounded like he had something important to discuss with him :P

  • @MsGreenAtheist it most likely had something to do with fancy feast! lol

  • @london1817 Haha, sounds about right.

  • I went to home depot and bought a 32 gallon can for my garden, lay 2 layers of mesh screen to filter debris,and the water just fall straight on top from the gutters,poor man version to collect rain,lol.

  • @WestcoastMusicals Thats what I need to do...filter would be good.

  • I would disagree that a garden hose is good enough for overflow. It has a too small inner circumference and in a moderate to heavy rain fall won't be able to handle the overflow. A thicker vacuum cleaner hose or PVC pipe works much better.

  • Two more tips for this make sure the container is dark in color because a lighter colored container will allow light to pass through and will allow algae to grow in the water and make sure it is covered because if you do not it will be  a mosquito larvae breeding ground.

  • Dude sounds like Oswald (Diedrich Bader) from The Drew Carey Show.

  • Comment removed

  • @LoraFleming

    What makes you think he's not really interested in saving water? Was it the fact he bothered to make a video about saving water?

    You don't "need" a spigot. To answer your question about how to get water out of a barrel, you should do a google search about "how to use a dip bucket" or "siphon power really sucks" or "dump it over."

    The overflow hose is just there to control where the excess water ends up (typically used so as not to form a big mud puddle near the barrel).

  • @deasttn Thnaks! I like the way you think!

  • Comment removed

  • Amazing! A bucket to catch water in. So ingenious.

  • Guys, no such thing as food grade plastic, its a lie, all plastic leaks toxins period. The worst plastic is the cellophane that you wrap your food with. Just heat it up in the microwave and watch it all drip into your food. mmmmmm

  • @ve3tru I work with a guy who heats his lunch in a semi melted cool whip container every single day .. and he cooks it for like 7 minutes...way to long !,, whenever he takes the bowl out he goes ""ohh hot hot hot ! " ... you can smell the plastic every time he eats lunch... what an idiot.. I tried to tell him one day how unhealthy it is ,, but he's so stupid he just looked at me funny ... must be too late

  • @stymye I work wiith a guy that has done the same thing with the same container fro nine years!!! can't tell him shit he knows freakin everything! piss on um!

  • Yea it isn't healthy to drink out of that trash can because it's lined with chemicals.

  • @47Indigo47 yeah its terrible! I just water flowers.

  • @47Indigo47

    Why would you drink out of it? It's for water run off and irrigation to keep water from ruining the house foundation

  • He needs to address the problem with breeding mosquitos! A screen or other way of keeping the little buggers out should be included.

  • Wha? Does anyone else see the stupidity of this cheap solution? How do you get the water out of the trash can?

    Duh.... "just bore you a hole there in the side, just cut you a hole w/ somethin', and then you have a barrel full of water that'll never be empty! It'll just fill up with this cool gutter contraption and grow all the algea you'd ever want and then you can feed your rooster or your cat, Toby, a mess o' cheep cheep cheap green stuff..."

    All rain barrels drain from the bottom. Why?

  • i was just wondering if you put a water purifier on the tubing

  • @hawkdlb06 of course not.

  • Asian ladies online  lushfmlk.info

  • You can make a big box, and put some thick tarp in it, too.

  • Depending on what you are doing with the water trashcans might not be your best container. The release agents the makers use to make pulling the cans of the hot moulds easier is usually toxic. Has some nastinesses like benzene and toluene. If you are just washing the car with it, no biggie... well.... it is if you think benzene in the ground water is bad but I think we can all agree, benzine in the garden is a bad thing.

    Use food grade barrels if you can find them.

  • @WurledPeas Thats a good point. I use them for watering flowers. I have food grade for the garden.

  • This is a good idea - but honestly - if you live in just about any area with manufacturing or farming you can get free barrels and other plastic containers for free. They are happy to have people pick them up. There is a cookie factory south of us that gives away their barrels. And they are clean as they are required to disinfect / sanitize them before they can dispose of them. So essentially if your town has a bakery,factory, chemical plant you can get plastic containers of all sizes free

  • @dieselplow Thats awesome! but not many factories here. I will have to look though. Thanks

  • @dieselplow That's a great idea! If I remember right, we have a Pepsi bottling plant in our area. I may have to see if they have any barrels/drums to give away.

  • This is the first year that I have taken some time to plan out a serious backyard garden. I'm working two 12x12 plots of land and two 3x12 strips of land on both sides of my garage. I have had tremendous success with everything I've put in the ground so far. Thanx again.

  • I took your advise and built one just like you did. I even connected a an overflow trash can to give me a 64 gallon max. A big Chicago urban farmer thankx.

  • @obastan That's awesome! Do you do alot of farming there?

  • i just found out that my local brew and grow shop sells 50 gallon barrels for $20.. They contained malt extract..

  • @RMCrowley Was there any more beer in it ?  I love beer.

  • sweet, you can connect a whole mess of trashcans to eachother so when it runs off it goes into other barrells. screw buying a fancy 200$ barrell lol! thanks brother!

  • @LaRezNar you are very welcome bro!

  • Awesome thanks!! I was wanting to do something like this, but couldn't figure out how! :)

  • @Shareallicu Thanks for the comment!

  • don't you think the hole should be lower

  • I wish I would have watched this video before I bought a dollor general trash can with wheels to collect rain. Its now a converted compost can.

  • @Allen2045 Hahahahah......I did the same thing!!!

  • I got lucky and got a free old style 45gal pressure tank in which I grinded a square on the top to fit the downspout into, at the bottom of the tank is a valve with a hose--not set up for runoff as it's on a remote building away from main house. Excellent free water for plants.

  • LOL that dude is really cool. I'd love to see his set up.

    I wonder if he is a survivalist?

  • @Crutchcor Thank you! I inspire to be a survivalist most the time. Thanks for the comment......Rick.

  • You should cut your out flow hole at the bottom of the barrel (Not the top)and add a ball valve to turn it on and off. This way you can use all the water that is sitting in the barrel.

  • @jonf1023 My first one was like that even with a screen the little garden hose size faucet got clooged & I got tired of cleaning it out.

  • yeah yeah yeah this is his favorite word. good video though

  • @zeroturn03 You like to hear....No no no no no no. hahaha!

  • green power? plastic plastic plastic you know how its made right?

  • HE PUT THE THE DRAINER TO HIGH MUST BE AT BOTTOM.

  • @MrHblanco No..thats the overflow.

  • the guy has a very unique accent. totally hot.

  • @twn78705 That's a N.C. accent.....Thanks for the comment...

  • OK, so where's the video with the starring kitty "Toby"? lol. If you have time give him a cameo!

  • @jjlynn40 Haha...Toby moved next door and lives with my mom now......Hes a trader. I go see him every now and then.....He likes their food better.

  • Look around the town where you live. If there are any food manufacturers or distributors they will likely have excess plastic barrels. I was able to get two 55 gallon barrels from a local food manufacturer for free. While a $20 trash can is definitely a cheap alternative to the $100 - $200 prefab rain barrels some people sell, a free drum is even better. I would also think that a trash can could lead to mosquito problems.

  • @pyrobryan Thanks for the info...I am always looking for those huge barrels. I have a video on my page with my 4 huge coke barrels you need to check out! Thanks for the comment.

  • @pyrobryan are the worms in the barrells harfull or good ? mine is full of all kinds of wiggleys dos it matter?

  • @kinghotep I'm actually not sure. I don't have mine set up yet. However, I did leave a bucket outside and it filled with rain and I've seen some tiny, almost tadpole like worms. I'm not sure what they are.

  • @kinghotep that my friend would be mosquito larva.

  • One addition. When you're putting the black flex pipe in, put it through long enough so that NEW water is entering the barrel at the bottom, rather than the top. That way you constantly get fresh water pushing the old water up and out the overflow pipe. We have a barrel that fills at the top, and the water gets stagnant. I'm going to add the black pipe and put it down through to the bottom of the barrel.

  • @marybahai9 Yeah, also I would put the barrel on cinder blocks or something as high as I could, and add a spicket with a valve for a water hose at the bottom of the barrel.

  • @london1817 - Great video and great idea. I'm thinking of doing something similar with all my gutters, but I have a question. I noticed you are putting the outflow hole at the top of the can. Wouldn't you theoretically be able to collect more water if you put the outflow hole closer to the bottom of the can? Especially if you intend to chain several cans together, as I have you seen you do in other videos.

  • @PaulChapola The other ones already had the holes in it.

  • I am tiring to set up my rain barrel with a free pool filter holder that a friend gave us. It does hold water. I just have not seen any good videos of the pool filter as a rain barrel.

  • @757K That is a great idea! You should make a video on it when you are done.. Thanks.

  • @london1817 I am still getting the parts and figure out where it all is going to live. I found one part at lowes and now i need to make sure it the right size.

  • @757K Well, you know . Take your time.

  • @london1817 thank you!!!!

  • ok, what about stuff from the roof getting in there and mesquitos?

  • my kinda price..!!

  • I'm amazed at the prices people are quoting here for city-sold barrels...I bought one today (mosquito grate, tap, hose, connectable to other barrels) for only $36. Any city that charges $110 is not helping.

  • hey u can put the can up some then get a second one put a hose to it connecting the two another guy on here did it works. good idea cheap to

  • plz some won tell why wood you need a Rain Barrel System

  • Thanks for saving us $113 for our city-sponsored rain barrel!

  • ROFLMAO!! Dude, that's genius!! Ive been looking at $55 dollar rain barrels but I can't afford them right now. Thanks a bunch!! You're a lifesaver!!

  • @vibrantlight1103 Right on man....happy building!

  • Great vid-we're posting this on tomorrow's blog (April 14th, 2010) @ DiggersList-a free on-line home improvement classified-come check it out.

    Thanks for the info.

  • @skyknocks Killer!!! I will check it out......thanks.

  • @london1817 The overflow should probably closer to the size for you downspout. I would expect in a heavy rain, the top of your your barrel to blow off and water may flow over the top of the can.

  • @Bravo19A Never a problem.......yet.

  • never buy something you can't make yourself

  • Great idea. Used food barrels are safer and can be found sometimes for $5 or $10 each. The type of plastic used for garbage cans will release toxins into the water. Food grade plastic, HDPE won't release toxins into the water.

  • @envirosponsible I don't know ...I turned it over and there was a #1 on it. Just kiddin.....Its just for watering flowers right now.........Hahha

  • @envirosponsible where can we get them at that price? I could swear they are closer to $100, i always thought that'd it'd make the project price not worth the savings. If I can get them for $10 I'd feel a lot better about it.

  • you forgot the valve at the bottom for the hose tho. good vid tho. people can save about a 150 bucks by being a little creative.

  • @sndd0138 Yeah I know ...everybody says that....I do just fine the way it is....A valve would have been nice though.

  • your voice is ridiculously soothing. wow.

    also thanks for the tips!

  • @niki3002 Thanks! that is very nice of you to say! Thanks for the comment.

  • Cheaper way still is make a raised bed, then dig a trench 2 fill the raised bed then line the trench with cheap plastic sheet then get drain pipe from roof to fill the trench.

  • Put a cover over the barrel, or you will give birth to mosquitos...bzzzz...bzzz.

    OH! you did....smart.

    Find a large piece of plastic dig a large hole deep as you can.

    Put plastic in. Put inside it milk crates, then seal the plastic. This will hold the form.

    Put soil back over. reroute a drinking water line to the container and fill it. run a line from that to that which feeds the house. ta da you have circulating fresh water and lead time if there is a shortage.

  • and make sure to put a proper backflow preventer to any drinking water line or you could contaminate the drinking water supply to the neighborhood.

  • This is great! It's exactly what I needed! thanks! My friends already think I'm nuts with my indoor vermicompost bin and outdoor compost bin... now i'll collecting rain water... they better take care of my set up when they lock me away.

  • Some of my projects ...you would think I am insane......That's good though ...making things work without buying stuff.

  • lift it up about 4ft and connect a spigot near the bottom so you could have gravity feed water pressure and you dont have to open the lid or scoop water out of the top.

    you could even connect a soaker-hose to it and just turn on the spigot for 3-5 minutes to water your plants. ya dig?

  • That would be great.

     You should make one then video it.

  • I assume thats not drinking water. You using it for other things?

  • Just watering plants & putting out fires!

  • Now cue the rain.

  • That's the only problem!

     haha

  • dude...you are a genius...I've been telling my husband I want to buy a rain barrel and he was like "I'm not paying that kind of money when it's real easy to make one" but....he never made one...I can do this...yay.

  • thanks a million! I've been wanting to do this for a few years, not able to convince my hubby to buy a few barrels. I can do this on my own, and this will totally do the trick!!!!

  • Good for you!! Make it happen.. Thanks for the comment!

  • this may sound like a dum ? but how you going to get the water out of the bottom?

  • I just get the water out with a watering can.

  • Id love to see the bong rips you took before gettin to work lol

  • No man ..I am sober...wishful thinking marcoze.

  • haha i met no offense, you just sound ultra chilled out hahaha

  • Haha...I thought it was funny...back in the day I tore it up. Now i am just burned up. LOL. Thanks...rick.

  • you grow your owe own pot?

  • Oh no ..not me ...maybe you?...you big meanie!!! JK.....Ahh thats all kids stuff to me..sorry.

     I plant food.....and a few flowers. Thanks for the comment....

  • Wow you look like Neo from 'the matix'

  • Coool! that was the nicest comment ever!!!!!!!!!! thanks..

  • man you gat a good woman!!!!

  • Now I wanna make some! Thanks! Someone commented that a banana peel is a great fertilizer--I'm gonna do that, too!

  • Hey! Thanks for the comment!

  • nice,quick n dirty solution.

    putting window-screen or something above at gutter downspout will keep out leaves/debris,so it doesnt clog up or rot inside and attract bugs.. some 55gal plastic drums have sealed tops with bunghole plugs,helps to keep mosquitoes from breeding int there.you can find them free at car-washes. and they're much stronger.just rinse the soap out good.

  • You could add a several alternating layers

    of sand charcoal sand charcoal. That way

    run through a particlate filter.

    Then you could it for taking showers and drinking water. Just make sure your not using the rain that hits the roof. If you think its crazy. Just watch the episode of the colony where they set up their own drinking water system?

  • Hmmm..sounds like a great idea. I will watch the episode...thank you! Thanks for the comment..

  • Good idea! Thanks for posting.

  • Just for you friend!

  • You need to put the dispensing hose at the bottom of the barrel or you will only be able to get water out of the barrel while it is raining.

  • @libertyinmo That's not for dispensing, it's to give the overflow a place to go, so it doesn't just spill out of the can and muddy up everything. It looks like he just scoops it out.

  • wow that cheap, I loved the simple idea.

    we are running a professional solution project to make a 2500 liters system to backup a 1800m² pleasure garden irrigation and a small plants erbs free of chemicals. Of course all the system will be under the ground out of eyes, and pumped , filtered, and recicled automatically. So much expensive... LOL.. despite of size and beauty, the same..hahah Nice.

    Hi Toby

  • I thought you liked simple idea ...you said?  Toby said "hello" back.

  • Yes I do but (hate but) the site have some annoying(sic) construction issues( architectural aproval) and a huge descent slope between upper and lower spots. It's a 1200 meters altitude little winter home. Tks.

  • thanks for the vid (:

  • You can make a large mesh interior strainer by using some hardware cloth [rat wire], just scrub it down first, to get the machine oil off.

  • U could buy more cans as you go and hook em up on down hill. I like it these could be used with a container house and you could use the can for outdoor shower. You might buy a lil piece o land and not have the funds for drilling a well just yet this might proide h2o. There are places that will give you land if only you build a house there and enroll a kid in the school system. Sounds to me like you could have a place under 5k off grid.

  • thats a great idea.

  • TY I have other ideas too like taking an old oven replacing the door with a glass seal all air leakage build a collctor and you have a great solar oven ready insulated. Take a fridge freezer use a saw to cut it to shape use the coils to be your heat sync build a solar air heater. You could use an old freezer to recirculate your solar heated water if you rather not buy another expensive hot water heater. These are thrown away all the time and have great thermal properties you can adapt cheaply.

  • Use the freezer/hotwater container hook it to a radiator in home it might radiate enough heat to warm house all night. You could get a 12 volt boat pump to recirculate the water with a battery and a solar panel.

  • i would just run the gutter down tube into the barrel less stuff to buy

  • As long as it works...sounds cool to me.

  • He omitted a filter, so the small hole with the hose or valve will always be at risk of blockage. Easy to retrofit and easy to include if you build one.