Any Rain Barrels out there?

[Ohiogirl]

Does anyone have experience with installing/using a rain barrel for irrigation? Seems like a no-brainer with all the rain in Florida; however, a brain is needed (at least for me) to figure out how you hook up a drip system, etc. and get the water distributed where you need it. Is there any automatic way to connect it to the sprinkler system to use? Do the sprinkler system people (such as Greenblades, who installed ours) have any experience here?

Anyone?

[graciegirl]

Seems that cellar doors were mentioned too...I challenge you...who knows the words?

[Carla B]

Several months ago the Daily News featured an article and photos about a Villages couple who had installed rain barrels...their landscaping looked beautiful. If I remember correctly they painted the barrels to blend in with the house and plants. I think the county extension service could help with the mechanics.

[RVRoadie]

When you do the math, it doesn't seem very practical. I have a very large yard (9,000 sq ft) and my irrigation usage can be as high as 15,000 gallons a month. Seems like a couple of 50 gallon rain barrels wouldn't even make a dent in my water bill. Even a normal size yard probably uses 5,000+ gallons a month. Check your own water bill for actual usage.

[Taltarzac]

Seems that cellar doors were mentioned too...I challenge you...who knows the words?

http://bussongs.com/songs/oh_playmate.php

[Ohiogirl]

Thanks Carla B - I'll try the extension service - we city girls tend not to think of them as a source. I tried to search the Daily Sun archives for the rain barrel article, but didn't find it.

I looked at my last water bill - 5600 gallons - I have a courtyard villa, so once I figure out how to use the water I collect, I think it might make a difference, at least in the backyard. It's just like recycling - every small effort adds to the cause!

[Jeff Bieberfeld]

i saw some great rain barrels at home depot; made by fiskars, and they were about $ 92.00 each. and very nice looking.
jeff
:a040:

[Ohiogirl]

Thanks Jeff. Interestingly enough, just when I thought this post died, I saw an article in our local (Clintonville neighborhood in Columbus, OH) about a rainbarrel project and emailed to get on the list for a workshop in March. I know Ohio doesn't have the same heat as the yards/landscaping get down in TV, but there should be some crossover. Hopefully I'll hear back and learn some stuff I can share.

I will also contact the extension service in Sumter County this fall when we move down. I think there are also weekly landscape Q & A sessions with master gardeners at one of the rec centers and plan to attend there also, to see what I can pick up. Will do that this April when we are down for a short visit also.

[Pturner]

Seems that cellar doors were mentioned too...I challenge you...who knows the words?

:2excited:
I love old children's songs! Thanks for making the connection.

Oh playmate,
Come out and play with me
And bring your dollies three
Climb up my apple tree

Shout down my rain barrel
Slide down my cellar door
And we'll be jolly friends
Forever more more more more more

Say, say, oh playmate
I cannot play with you
My dolly's got the flu
Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo

Ain't got no rain barrel
Ain't got no cellar door
But we'll be jolly friends
Forever more

[cybermuda]

I looked at my last water bill - 5600 gallons - I have a courtyard villa, so once I figure out how to use the water I collect, I think it might make a difference, at least in the backyard. It's just like recycling - every small effort adds to the cause![/QUOTE]

In Bermuda we catch the rain from our roof and feed it into a large tank under the house. This provides ALL of our water needs. We get 55" of rain a year, spread fairly evenly each month, and have no need to irrigate our gardens as we grow native species of grass and other plants that survive the climate by themselves.

Maybe the solution for TV is to let us replace the current grass with something requiring less attention.

We can also catch the water from our roof and use it to flush our toilets.

[Ohiogirl]

I am signed up for a workshop on rain barrels on April 3rd, will post again after that class. Part of the class is getting a rain barrel for $30 (one per household) which I will use in my Ohio backyard. Plan to ask, if it's not part of the workshop, best way to hook up a drip system from the rain barrel, and how to divert the overflow when there is heavy rain. Then, when we move to the Villages this fall, I'll be informed!

[TrudyM]

A friend had a tank in the attic over her garage. I am not quite sure what the details were. The rainwater fed into it with an overflow that went into a tight line drain to the stormwater system. She had it attached to soaker hoses in the beds around the house. This way she could adjust the sprinklers for the lawn so they didn't hit and stain the house stucco and still have nice shrubs and flowers around the house. I think she had some sort of valve to switch them over to city water during a dry spell. memory fails.

Trudy

[cybermuda]

Quick calculation:

if you have an annual rainfall of 48 inches and you have a 2,000 square foot roof, you have 50,000 gallons of rain falling on your roof each year.

Obviously you can't capture all of that - wind, evaporation etc. - but you can probably get 3,000 gallons a month on average.

As an earlier poster said, you probably need more than rain barrels for storage, but a large plastic tank used for heating oil might be an option. You might not want to put it below ground, as then you would have to pump the water back up to use it, or in your roof as it would weigh a lot when full, but you may have space in your garage or be able to hide it behind a tree. A 5' cube would hold around 800 gallons.

[Hawkwind]

On the way to Altamonte Springs / Orlando via 441 / 436 on the north side of the road on the 436 segment I spotted a place that had very large plastic containers that may have even been plastic cisterns. They would have to be buried and hold a lot of water. Sure it would not provide all the water needed to irrigate the lawn but it sure would help. Next time I am out that way I will stop and check it out.

[TrudyM]

Come to think of it I think my friend who had one in the attic had added a post in the garage so maybe the weight was an issue and I don't think her tank was big.

[batman911]

Weight of water is 8.35 per gallon. 100 gallons would weigh 835 lbs plus the weight of the container. Do not recommend storing in attic.

[glgene]

Seems that cellar doors were mentioned too...I challenge you...who knows the words?

I remember the words, Gracie. Something like...

"Playmate, come out and play with me
And bring your dollies three
Climb up my apple tree

Shout down my rain barrel
Slide down my cellar door
And we'll be jolly friends
Forever more..."

I sang the song, with my sister, in a youth talent contest, when I was about 6 years old. The audience laughed, because part way thru the song...I began to scratch my butt. I guess I was nervous in front of an audience! <g>

Gene :laugh:

[Ohiogirl]

I went to my rain barrel seminar in Ohio, watched an installation, and ordered 1 60 gal rain barrel for my Ohio backyard. Once it's set up, assuming it works well, I plan to order at least one other for my CYV backyard. You can set up 2 with a linking hose at one downspout also. According to the rain barrel guru, drip hoses with automatic battery timers are readily available at Home Depot or Lowe's. The barrel I ordered has 2 spigots - on the lower one I will put a y-shaped adapter for 2 timed drip hoses. Water is automatically diverted back to the downspout after the barrel is full, and one good rain will more than fill one barrel.

This should work for the planting beds in the CYV backyard. I am also going to attend the water workshop that I understand is happening in The Villages on April 22nd (need to check the date), and ask more questions specific to Florida. Once it's set up it should be fairly maintenance free, or at least that's my hope.

Will update again once I get it setup in Ohio and again in the fall if I decide to put one in the CYV, which I fully expect to do. They are covered and said that mosquitoes are not a problem. Best way to control algae is to add goldfish! In Ohio they need to be drained and stored for the winter, but shouldn't need to be in Florida.

[JoeB1]

Go to Woodlanddirect.com and you'll find what ever you need. I had two wood grain brown 50 gal containers side by side. One feeds the second. I obtained the water by cutting out a piece of down spout and adding a Rain Reserve Rain Diverter Complete kit from the same web site. The supplied instructions are very easy to follow and you can do it all in about an hour. I put the containers up on cement blocks so I had some flow. The overflow was drained away to the original down spout.
We did not get the volume of rain we get her in TV. I bet that 100 gallons would fill in just 10 minutes at the rate I've seen here. Then it has a spigot on both containers and you can do what ever you want. I watered my plants in CA, but it would be very easy to set up a drip system or feed a hose and deliver anywhere you want. Hey, it's free water and you can water all you want without worry of anyone making a stink.

[Ohiogirl]

Hooked up the rain barrel here in Ohio this past weekend. Rained overnight (and now). Went out at 7:30 am and rain barrel is full and the diverter is properly diverting excess water to the lower downspout! I planted my little vegetable garden yesterday and the herb and perennial/rose gardens are already in place. Now I won't have to drag the hose around the house when the dry periods come. Here in Ohio, since rain is sporadic, won't bother with a timer, will just handwater with a watering can when needed.

In our CYV in TV, will put either one or two barrels at the backyard downspout by our master bedroom - can't even see that area from the lanai or the side patio. May set that one up with a timer (or not) and soaker hoses going both ways from the barrel(s), which hopefully will take care of all the irrigation needs for the bedded areas. May only use the timer in May and September when we are in Ohio and assume that the rainy season will take care of June, July and August. We'll have a caretaker when we're gone for 5 mos., so if there's an unusual dry spell during the rainy season, can have the caretaker switch the timer back on. Feels good to know that we are both conserving water and saving money. And we did it ourselves!

We still have to dig and plant about 40 feet (finish the back wall and do one of the side walls) of landscaping. Already have about half the back wall done (3 palms and a mandevilla vine), want to extend the bedded area all the way around the CYV backyard. Need to do that anyway to reach the beds that are already planted.

Need to redo the existing irrigation system to move the grass sprayer heads . We are not confident of our abilities to do this and will either use the irrigation installer co. (can't remember which one that was at the moment) or an independent contractor. Anyone know of a good worker for this in TV?

[Ohiogirl]

bump (not sure if I'm doing this right)

[patriciathorney]

cute song! they mention the rain barrel! this is absolutely great!