The growing season is coming to an end, the grass is going dormant, the leaves are dropping from the trees and there really isn't much need for outdoor watering in the winter. So, what now? What about all that rain water I collected in my beautiful rain barrels? Face it, it's time to start thinking about cold weather and preparing your rain barrel for freezing temperatures.
If you live in a climate where it rarely gets below freezing during the year, you probably won't need to worry about your barrel freezing into a giant ice cube...er...ice barrel. Honestly, I leave my barrels setup all year long to test various configurations and the integrity of all the components I sell.
If you are like most people, you will need to winterize your barrel.
- Drain all the water out and divert the downspout away from the barrel so that it does not refill.
- Once the water is completely drained from the barrel it is the perfect time to clean the inside of the barrel. If you put up a white or "natural" colored barrel, you most certainly have algae growing on the inside. (If you don't, consider yourself lucky.) You will also have a small amount of sediment that did not wash out the overflow or through the spigot. Spray it out with a garden hose or use a light bleach solution.
- White/Natural barrels tend to break down faster in the sunlight than colored barrels do. Inspect your barrels for cracks.
- Inspect all the fittings for wear. I have noticed more problems out of the brass fittings that are left out all winter than the plastic ones. If your spigot is threaded directly into the wall of the barrel or is sealed with caulk around its threads, now is the perfect time to retrofit your barrel with a bulkhead fitting. This easy update can save you a lot of worry in the future.
That's about it. You should be done is 30 minutes or less and you will be ready to go when spring rolls back around.
For more information on rain barrels or rain barrel parts, visit my webstite: www.AtlantaRainBarrels.com
Friday, October 2, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Bulkhead Fittings for your Aquarium, Pond or Rain Barrel
I still continue to use bulkhead fittings in all of my rain barrels. They are simple to install and work every time.
I have discovered that many people use these fittings in other things such as aquariums, pond liners and farm tanks. The availability of an affordable bulkhead fitting has left may people to design their own out of PVC parts from the local home improvement store. Sometimes they work and sometimes you end up with more caulk than PVC.
I found a great USA manufacturer and now offer bulkhead fittings in many sizes including: 1/2", 3/4", 1", 1-1/4", 1-1/2", 2" and 3". These are all made out of polypropylene and are threaded to accept pipe thread (NPT) in those corresponding sizes. As of now I do not carry bulkhead fittings with interior slip threads.
If you need a watertight seal, do it right. You might save $1-$2 buying your own caulk, glue, PVC, washers, etc. and then gamble on whether it will truly seal the hole on your barrel. You really need something that will stand the test of time.
You can see all the fittings here: www.AtlantaRainBarrels.com
I have discovered that many people use these fittings in other things such as aquariums, pond liners and farm tanks. The availability of an affordable bulkhead fitting has left may people to design their own out of PVC parts from the local home improvement store. Sometimes they work and sometimes you end up with more caulk than PVC.
I found a great USA manufacturer and now offer bulkhead fittings in many sizes including: 1/2", 3/4", 1", 1-1/4", 1-1/2", 2" and 3". These are all made out of polypropylene and are threaded to accept pipe thread (NPT) in those corresponding sizes. As of now I do not carry bulkhead fittings with interior slip threads.
If you need a watertight seal, do it right. You might save $1-$2 buying your own caulk, glue, PVC, washers, etc. and then gamble on whether it will truly seal the hole on your barrel. You really need something that will stand the test of time.
You can see all the fittings here: www.AtlantaRainBarrels.com
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
How do I keep mosquitoes out of my rain barrel?
Another common question/concern I hear from people with rain barrels is about mosquitoes getting into their rain water, breeding and spreading disease, particularly the West Nile Virus.
There are over 150 different species of mosquitoes in the United States. The life cycle of a mosquito (from egg to adult) can take as little as 4 days and as long as one month. An average life cycle is from 10-14 days.
Of course, the best way to keep mosquitoes out of your rain barrel is to have a completely closed system. If mosquitoes can't get to the water's surface, they can't breed. In most cases, this is not practical. If you feed your downspout directly into the top of your rain barrel or rainwater collection system without any type of debris filter in the line, you will end up with leaves, pine needles and all other sorts of mess down in the bottom of the rain barrel. (That is a topic for another discussion.)
The next, non-chemical, way to keep mosquitoes from breeding in your rain barrel is to use some sort of screen separating the water in the rain barrel from outside pests and insects. Simply wrapping the downspout in a piece of window screen before placing it into your barrel will filter debris but will clog easily and become ineffective.
I have seen many different solutions to this problem. I have seen people using a simple piece of window screen with a bungee cord holding it onto the barrel, pool baskets, yard drains and almost anything you can think of that can be used as a filter. These things can get expensive.
The best thing I have found (and use every day on my own rain barrels) is a screened basket. This basket simply drops into a hole cut into the top of the rain barrel. It is suspended above the water level and creates a barrier between the rain water and the mosquitoes.
I don't have any gutter covers on my gutters. The basket I use is large enough that it won't clog during a rain storm, no matter what washes down the downspout. It can also be easily removed from the barrel for cleaning when I see that it has been collecting leaves.
If you are still nervous about mosquitoes getting into the barrel, I would suggest using the basket with a piece of window screen around the bottom of it. The basket is sturdy and will catch the heavy debris while the window screen will act as a backup to the screened basket.
I have also seen products called Mosquito Dunks and Mosquito Bits in the home improvement stores. This is a product that is advertised as safe for plants and fish and creates a floating barrier so that any mosquitoes that find their way to your rain water are not able to breed on the water's surface.
As a final note, I would like to add that, given the average life cycle of a mosquito, it is likely that you will use the water you have collected in your rain barrel faster than any mosquito eggs can hatch and grow to adult mosquitoes. If it is 1-2 weeks between rain storms and you use the water you have collected during the dry periods, you shouldn't experience any problems.
For questions or more information, I can be contacted through my website: www.AtlantaRainBarrels.com
There are over 150 different species of mosquitoes in the United States. The life cycle of a mosquito (from egg to adult) can take as little as 4 days and as long as one month. An average life cycle is from 10-14 days.
Of course, the best way to keep mosquitoes out of your rain barrel is to have a completely closed system. If mosquitoes can't get to the water's surface, they can't breed. In most cases, this is not practical. If you feed your downspout directly into the top of your rain barrel or rainwater collection system without any type of debris filter in the line, you will end up with leaves, pine needles and all other sorts of mess down in the bottom of the rain barrel. (That is a topic for another discussion.)
The next, non-chemical, way to keep mosquitoes from breeding in your rain barrel is to use some sort of screen separating the water in the rain barrel from outside pests and insects. Simply wrapping the downspout in a piece of window screen before placing it into your barrel will filter debris but will clog easily and become ineffective.
I have seen many different solutions to this problem. I have seen people using a simple piece of window screen with a bungee cord holding it onto the barrel, pool baskets, yard drains and almost anything you can think of that can be used as a filter. These things can get expensive.
The best thing I have found (and use every day on my own rain barrels) is a screened basket. This basket simply drops into a hole cut into the top of the rain barrel. It is suspended above the water level and creates a barrier between the rain water and the mosquitoes.
I don't have any gutter covers on my gutters. The basket I use is large enough that it won't clog during a rain storm, no matter what washes down the downspout. It can also be easily removed from the barrel for cleaning when I see that it has been collecting leaves.
If you are still nervous about mosquitoes getting into the barrel, I would suggest using the basket with a piece of window screen around the bottom of it. The basket is sturdy and will catch the heavy debris while the window screen will act as a backup to the screened basket.
I have also seen products called Mosquito Dunks and Mosquito Bits in the home improvement stores. This is a product that is advertised as safe for plants and fish and creates a floating barrier so that any mosquitoes that find their way to your rain water are not able to breed on the water's surface.
As a final note, I would like to add that, given the average life cycle of a mosquito, it is likely that you will use the water you have collected in your rain barrel faster than any mosquito eggs can hatch and grow to adult mosquitoes. If it is 1-2 weeks between rain storms and you use the water you have collected during the dry periods, you shouldn't experience any problems.
For questions or more information, I can be contacted through my website: www.AtlantaRainBarrels.com
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Bulkhead Fittings make the Perfect Watertight Seal
If you already know about bulkhead fittings and are looking to purchase one, you can see them on my website: Atlanta Rain Barrels
I have received many questions from people who are making their own rain barrels or who have problems with rain barrels they bought. One of the questions that seems to come up often is, "How do I attach a garden hose or a spigot to my rain barrel?" or "The spigot on my rain barrel is leaking. It is sealed with caulk but that is not working. What should I do?"
First, I would like to talk about some of the ways I have seen spigots connected on different rain barrel designs.
Rain barrels are becoming more and more popular as people explore water conservation. That has lead to more and more people selling rain barrels around town. Some of the designs are well thought out but most are designs that are adequate at best and clearly not tested by the manufacturer.
The most popular way that people connect garden hose spigots to their rain barrels is simply to drill a hole and manually thread a brass spigot into the barrel. Sometimes these spigots are sealed with some type of caulk. The main problem with this connection is that it won't stay sealed. The barrel wall is flexible and the spigot will get pulled and twisted as you use it, leading to cracked caulk and a leaky connection around the threads. This type of connection is easy and inexpensive but you will be disappointed as soon as you start having problems with it and have to drain your rain water to fix something that could have been done right the first time.
Another popular option is to use PVC parts and o-rings or washers to create a seal from both sides of the barrel. Honestly, this is a good option if you are going to rely on home improvement store parts to make your rain barrel. The problem with this type of connection is that you often still have to use caulk around the seal because the PVC connectors are not made wide enough to properly seal the barrel and are prone to coming loose. If your only other option is to thread the spigot directly into your rain barrel, the use of PVC connectors is a decent alternative.
The single best way to connect a garden hose, soaker hose, spigot, or anything else to a rain barrel is to use a bulkhead fitting. A what? Yep, that is what I said the first time I ran across one of these. Bulkhead fittings are used in aquariums, pond liners, or on any tank wall that needs a hose or pipe passed through it. They are designed to give a watertight seal and will not leak, even under pressure. A bulkhead fitting usually has 2 washers, a sealing washer and a friction washer. One goes inside the rain barrel and one goes outside the rain barrel for a good double-whammy against leaks. They either have internal slip fittings or threaded fittings, depending on what you are trying to pass through the the tank wall. For my rain barrels I use the bulkhead fittings that are threaded inside. A 3/4" spigot or hose bibb can be threaded directly into a 3/4" threaded bulkhead fitting and will not leak. The bulkhead fitting can be purchased inexpensively and will outlast your barrel. They are available in most common sizes from 1/2" up to 3" (for those really big projects).
The cost savings using PVC parts over a bulkhead fitting is very minimal. You will probably spend $2-$4 for PVC parts, washers and caulk and can do it the right way with a bulkhead fitting for around $5.
For more information, email me or see my website. I also offer free instructions if you want to build your own rain barrel and have many different rain barrel parts if you want to design one yourself.
I have received many questions from people who are making their own rain barrels or who have problems with rain barrels they bought. One of the questions that seems to come up often is, "How do I attach a garden hose or a spigot to my rain barrel?" or "The spigot on my rain barrel is leaking. It is sealed with caulk but that is not working. What should I do?"
First, I would like to talk about some of the ways I have seen spigots connected on different rain barrel designs.
Rain barrels are becoming more and more popular as people explore water conservation. That has lead to more and more people selling rain barrels around town. Some of the designs are well thought out but most are designs that are adequate at best and clearly not tested by the manufacturer.
The most popular way that people connect garden hose spigots to their rain barrels is simply to drill a hole and manually thread a brass spigot into the barrel. Sometimes these spigots are sealed with some type of caulk. The main problem with this connection is that it won't stay sealed. The barrel wall is flexible and the spigot will get pulled and twisted as you use it, leading to cracked caulk and a leaky connection around the threads. This type of connection is easy and inexpensive but you will be disappointed as soon as you start having problems with it and have to drain your rain water to fix something that could have been done right the first time.
Another popular option is to use PVC parts and o-rings or washers to create a seal from both sides of the barrel. Honestly, this is a good option if you are going to rely on home improvement store parts to make your rain barrel. The problem with this type of connection is that you often still have to use caulk around the seal because the PVC connectors are not made wide enough to properly seal the barrel and are prone to coming loose. If your only other option is to thread the spigot directly into your rain barrel, the use of PVC connectors is a decent alternative.
The single best way to connect a garden hose, soaker hose, spigot, or anything else to a rain barrel is to use a bulkhead fitting. A what? Yep, that is what I said the first time I ran across one of these. Bulkhead fittings are used in aquariums, pond liners, or on any tank wall that needs a hose or pipe passed through it. They are designed to give a watertight seal and will not leak, even under pressure. A bulkhead fitting usually has 2 washers, a sealing washer and a friction washer. One goes inside the rain barrel and one goes outside the rain barrel for a good double-whammy against leaks. They either have internal slip fittings or threaded fittings, depending on what you are trying to pass through the the tank wall. For my rain barrels I use the bulkhead fittings that are threaded inside. A 3/4" spigot or hose bibb can be threaded directly into a 3/4" threaded bulkhead fitting and will not leak. The bulkhead fitting can be purchased inexpensively and will outlast your barrel. They are available in most common sizes from 1/2" up to 3" (for those really big projects).
The cost savings using PVC parts over a bulkhead fitting is very minimal. You will probably spend $2-$4 for PVC parts, washers and caulk and can do it the right way with a bulkhead fitting for around $5.
For more information, email me or see my website. I also offer free instructions if you want to build your own rain barrel and have many different rain barrel parts if you want to design one yourself.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The only thing better than a Squart is a Thermosquart!
When I was in college the QuikTrip Corporation (QT) had an insulated, refillable, 32 ounce (Squart) drink bottle called a Thermosquart. It was similar to the current squart bottles they carry in stores now, except it was wrapped in an insulated, squeezable koozie-like jacket. The copyright date on mine is 1988.
thermosquart: 1. a cylindrical, refillable cold drink container with a capacity of 32 fl. Oz. made of flexible, unbreakable plastic encased in a space-age thermosqueasy wrap. 2. Just like the squarts, thermosquarts are found only at squiktrip stores.
Since I first got my thermosquart it has faithfully accompanied me around the country and has been refilled hundreds (maybe thousands) of times. Unfortunately, last summer my companion fell out of my truck. I didn’t realize that he was missing until I got home. I immediately issued an Amber alert and went to work organizing a search party. I slowly retraced my steps and discovered it in pieces on the side of the road. How could I have been so careless with such a faithful friend? I picked up the pieces and returned home. This was my all-time favorite drink bottle. I was truly heartbroken. I have not ever had a sport bottle that compared to this one. The insulated jacked survived, as did the plastic bottle. The screw-on cap, however, did not. I raced to the nearest QT store and found a squart bottle for sale. They no longer carry the insulated bottles but maybe I could use their new squart bottles in my old insulated thermosquart jacket. The new bottle fits, but not like the old one. It is an adequate substitute that will never replace the original.
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