building instructions
Material procurement
You need:
- large plastic barrels (capacity at least 200 liters)
- a 3/4 inch faucet
- a 3/4 inch coupling with a suitable screw connection
- a 3/4 inch screw-in adapter with hose connection
- a 3/4 inch nut
- four metal sealing rings
- Teflon sealing tape
- Silicone sealant
- an S-shaped downpipe (same material as the existing one)
- Fly screen made of aluminum
- Concrete blocks
also read
- Build a base for the rain barrel yourself
- How to build your own rain barrel
- This is how irrigation works via a rain barrel and without a pump
Note: You can get the plastic barrels either on the Internet or on request from numerous companies. In the case of decommissioned specimens, you must ensure that there are no more oil or lubricant residues in the containers before use. Rinse them thoroughly with soap.
Prepare the location
So that there are no water losses. because your rain barrel tips over, you should set up a stable platform. At best, this is right next to the downpipe on the house wall. You can find detailed instructions at this link.
Mount the overflow
- Drill a hole 10 cm below the top of the rain barrel.
- A 3/4 inch connection is recommended here.
- Draw a circle of silicone around both the inner and outer edges.
- Put a sealing ring on the adapter.
- Push the adapter through the hole from the outside.
- Insert a sealing washer into the hole from the inside.
- Wrap Teflon tape around the thread.
- Screw the nuts onto the thread and tighten them.
- It is now possible to connect a garden hose to the adapter from the outside.
Complete construction
In addition to overflow protection, a functioning rain barrel also includes a drain tap and a lid. You may also want to connect two rain barrels (€ 149.95 on Amazon *) to store even more water. We have also put together instructions for you for these procedures.
