Building your own Rain Barrel
Tools : |
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7 / 8 ” to 1 ” spade drill bit |
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Electric jigsaw |
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Hacksaw |
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Electric drill |
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Utility knife |
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Marker |
Supplies : 1 — 55 gallon plastic barrel 2 — 3 / 4 ” plastic faucets 1 — 3 / 4 ” female coupling 1 — skimmer basket 1 — roll of Teflon tape 1 — all purpose caulk or plumbing sealant 1 — 12 ” x 12 ” piece of fiberglass window screen 2 — 4 concrete cinder blocks 1 — downspout flex elbow
55 gallon barrel
Skimmer basket
STEP ONE : TOP HOLE 1 . Use skimmer basket to trace template on barrel . 2 . Pre-drill a small hole using spade bit . 3 . Make sure to drill inside the line . 4 . Use a jigsaw to cut out hole following the inside line .
STEP THREE : BOTTOM DRAIN 1 . Mark holes at least 2 ” from bottom of barrel . 2 . Use drill bit to drill hole . 3 . Screw plastic faucet into hole . Use utility knife as needed to alter hole . 4 . Remove faucet , wrap threads in tape , caulk threads , and replace faucet . 5 . Caulk area where faucet and barrel meet to reduce leakage .
STEP TWO : UPPER DRAIN ( OVERFLOW ) 1 . Mark holes at least 2 ” from top of barrel . 2 . Use drill bit to drill hole . 3 . Screw plastic faucet into hole . Use utility knife as needed to alter hole . 4 . Wrap 3 / 4 ” coupling threads in Teflon tape and caulk and screw onto faucet inside the barrel .
THE UPPER DRAIN SHOULD ALWAYS BE LEFT IN THE OPEN POSITION TO KEEP THE BARREL FROM OVERFLOWING .
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