connected rain barrels - which to use?

JustMe 6/19/2013, 12:19 am

We will be connected a rain barrel to our existing one and possibly a third. We only have two gutter downspout options that are not in the front of the house and that are not on a hill. The second downspout option has a small roof area.

If we have three rain barrels lined up to one downspout, then is there a particular rain barrel that we should be using first to use up the water? So we have rain barrels 1-2-3 and #1 is connected to the downspout.

What if there are only 2 rain barrels? Does the order of water usage change?

Thanks.

happycamper 6/19/2013, 1:10 am

I really depends on how you have them set up. Technically, you don't want to save water for longer than 10 days in your barrels according to the city where I live, but I do. I have two barrel systems setup, one on the West side of the house and one on the North side.
North side barrels are (4) 60 gallon and one 55 connected so that they fill from the top. (First one fills and then it starts spilling to the second and so on down the line).

My (4) West side rain barrels are connected at the bottom so that they are either at the same level or I remove the connecting hose and move it to another barrel to fill or use. I use the oldest water first so I am not giving mosquitoes a home even though they all have lids.
Here is a picture I found of my West side setup from last month.
connected rain barrels - which to use? Img_2010

connected rain barrels - which to use? Img_2010

slimbolen99 6/19/2013, 1:14 pm

Why not link them together, so that they act as one large water barrel; that way you are drawing from all three, and thus filling all three when it rains?

I use a product called a Uni Seal. You buy them based upon the size of PVC pipe you will use to connect the barrels; I'd recommend 1 1/2" at least; 2" is better (but the seals and PVC pipe are more expensive)

Here's the basic concept (ignore the pipes on top -- these are in my fishroom but am doing the same deal outside):

connected rain barrels - which to use? DSCN2515

connected rain barrels - which to use? DSCN2515

Uniseals connected at the bottom of the barrel (you will need a hole saw that corresponds with the size of pipe/Uniseal you are using).
connected rain barrels - which to use? DSCN2509

connected rain barrels - which to use? DSCN2509

Hope this helps or at least gives you an idea.

JustMe 6/19/2013, 8:40 pm

Thanks for these posts. Hubby was thinking of connecting them at the tops because the rain barrel has circle on side near the top, where you'd drill a hole. I really like the connecting them at the bottom idea better so that they fill/drain together.

jross 6/21/2013, 6:45 am

I use the Rain Brothers rain barrel system because mosquito's cannot get into the barrels and it is relatively inexpensive. Search Rain Brothers.

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connected rain barrels - which to use?

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