The Benefits of a Rain Barrel

Using a rain barrel is not only good for the environment, it is even better for your pocketbook. A rain barrel is exactly what it says, a barrel that collects rain, or holds rain water. These were how farmers watered their crops a long time ago. We are slowly getting back to understanding how convenient and earth friendly it is to use rain barrels for watering our lawns and gardens.

Rain barrels are fairly easy to build and very inexpensive. You can buy a rain barrel that is ready to go, or purchase a plastic food grade barrel for around ten dollars. It is better to have a darker color. A clear barrel will allow in sunlight, which will promote algae growth. There are lots of fancy designs that are more attractive and can match your house if you would like.

The rain barrel collects rain water that falls off the roof of your home. You can use a screen to try and keep out the leaves and other large debris that may fall in. A screen is also useful if you have pets or small children that could potentially fall in the barrel. You can also help prevent any foundation damage that may happen from too much water soaking in. You can attach a pump to the barrel to pump out the water, or simply allow gravity to do its job.

At the bottom of the barrel, you will need to have some kind of fitting that a regular hose can attach to. This hose can be a soaker hose or a regular garden hose. If you would like to regulate the flow of the water, you can buy a restrictor to attach to your hose. A soaker hose is great for keeping flowers and trees watered. If you want to run a sprinkler you will need to purchase a pump to get the pressure needed to run the sprinkler.

Rain water is great for watering gardens. It is clean and free of any chemicals or toxins that may otherwise be in ground water or city water. Recycling the rainwater will help preserve our natural resources.