Water shortage is a major problem in many nations. Even the monsoon regions have started experiencing more and more water problems. In many nations, water is a paid civic amenity, and it is getting more expensive. Here, the process of building a rain barrel has been elaborated upon.
Rainwater harvesting in your home, is a very good option to combat the rising problems of water supply. One of the best ways to harvest rainwater is to make your own rain barrel. This is one of the basic remedies that you can easily implement in your own home.
If you have a house that has sloping roofs, then it proves to be even more advantageous, as the displacement of water in such cases is faster and more efficient. The rain barrel is usually placed beneath the down spouts of the gutter.
In cases of houses that have flat roofs, the quantity of water that accumulates in the barrel would be generous but not overwhelming, as that in the case of sloped roofed houses.
Building a Rain Barrel
Many people end up buying costly rain barrels, when it is also possible to make your own rain barrels, according to your own dimensions and requirements.
Requirements
The requirements that are needed to make your rain barrel, are as simple as the process itself. Firstly, you will need a simple barrel, it is always advisable to use plastic or barrels with light weights.
We would recommend that you use the food grade barrel, that has a capacity of about 50 gallons. You will also require a basic tool box, which includes a drilling machines, gum, and large-sized washers.
The most important requirement is a faucet or tap. This is essential in order to let out the water that has accumulated in the barrel. You can also make use of rain barrel kits that are available in most of the hardware shops.
Steps to Build your own Rain Barrel
The procedure is straight forward and simple. It is very essential to follow the instructions systematically, to have a perfect and fool-proof rain barrel.
Step 1: In the first step, take the barrel and clean it using water and soap, or a cleaner. This is done to ensure that there is nothing contagious and poisonous in the barrel, that may spoil the water that accumulates.
Step 2: The actual process of building a rain barrel starts in this step. First, take the faucet and place it on the position where you want it to be located. Trace a light outline around the faucet on the barrel, with the help of a chalk or a marker pen.
Step 3: Drill a hole within the outline that you have traced. Ensure that the hole does not become too big. After you have made the hole, paste the large-sized washers on the inside and also on the outside the barrel, so that the hole becomes, uniform.
Step 4: Tape the threads of the faucet and then insert it in the hole, and tighten the washers if you want. Another very good option to make the faucet a hundred percent waterproof, is to tape the hole from all the sides. Using gum along with tape also helps.
Step 5: In this step, place the rain barrel below the rain gutter. You might also need to modify or install the rain gutter according to the barrel. If the hole that is present on top of the gutter is small, then enlarge it by using a hacksaw.
It is advisable that you use the water that is accumulated in this barrel for purposes like gardening, washing your yard, or to give your car a car wash. The best barrel that you can use for this purpose is the plastic rain barrel, as you can easily move it from one place to another.
This procedure will not require more than half an hour, if the steps are systematically followed and the material used in the appropriate dimensions. To make the device look attractive, you can also make use of painted rain barrels. One must bear in mind that rainwater barrels are the first step to rainwater harvesting.