Comments on: Got Rain Barrel Questions? http://www.rainbarrelguide.com How to use rain barrels for rain water harvesting Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:06:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=5865 By: steve http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/got-rain-barrel-questions/#comment-48 steve Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:06:57 +0000 http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/#comment-48 @John, The best way to increase water pressure is to raise the height of the barrel, however to water a lawn with a sprinkler you will not be able to raise it high enough. You can use a water pump like this one, (http://www.cleanairgardening.com/electric-water-pump.html) however unless you have a rather large rain barrel or multiple barrels linked together I doubt you will have enough water. The best use of a rain barrel is to water flowers and shrubs around the house. I hope this info helps. @John,

The best way to increase water pressure is to raise the height of the barrel, however to water a lawn with a sprinkler you will not be able to raise it high enough. You can use a water pump like this one, (http://www.cleanairgardening.com/electric-water-pump.html) however unless you have a rather large rain barrel or multiple barrels linked together I doubt you will have enough water. The best use of a rain barrel is to water flowers and shrubs around the house.

I hope this info helps.

]]> By: John http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/got-rain-barrel-questions/#comment-43 John Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:50:47 +0000 http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/#comment-43 I want to use my rain barrel to water my lawn. What is best to increase the pressuse so I can use the water through my sprinkler? A pump of some kind? Does anyone have any experience with this? I want to use my rain barrel to water my lawn. What is best to increase the pressuse so I can use the water through my sprinkler? A pump of some kind? Does anyone have any experience with this?

]]> By: lars http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/got-rain-barrel-questions/#comment-37 lars Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:01:06 +0000 http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/#comment-37 @Laura The EPA recommends using bleach to treat water for drinking, so I'm sure it would be safe for showering. I don't think you'd need to treat it to drinking water levels, so it probably wouldn't require as much bleach. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/emerg.html I also found this interesting link, but I can't vouch for accuracy. http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/better-than-bleach-use-calcium-hypochlorite-to-disinfect-water/ @Laura

The EPA recommends using bleach to treat water for drinking, so I’m sure it would be safe for showering. I don’t think you’d need to treat it to drinking water levels, so it probably wouldn’t require as much bleach.
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/emerg.html

I also found this interesting link, but I can’t vouch for accuracy.
http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/better-than-bleach-use-calcium-hypochlorite-to-disinfect-water/

]]> By: laura dahl http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/got-rain-barrel-questions/#comment-36 laura dahl Tue, 29 Jun 2010 05:08:06 +0000 http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/#comment-36 a burning question. I have a cabin in the woods that has electricity but no running water. I want to be able to shower so... I recently connected a rainbarrel to a downspount on one side of my roof and put a submersible sump pump in the bottom of the rain barrel with a hose that leaves the pump and connects to a shower head and stall inside my cabin so i can take a shower( albeit a cold one) i put screen filters in the downspout an d in the gutter. i plug the sump pump in and the water comes out of the shower head nicely . however , shouldnt i have some kind of filter or chemical in the rainbarrel as it is beginning to smell after a month or so i noticed as the shower runs. the rainbarrel is covered but doesnt water get stagnant in the rain barrel . i only go there on weekneds for the summer and the water is sitting in the rainbarrel for a long period . what kind of filter or additive should i add to my rain barrel or what kind of filter should i use so that the water that i shower with doesnt smell or harm me. thankyou. a burning question. I have a cabin in the woods that has electricity but no running water. I want to be able to shower so… I recently connected a rainbarrel to a downspount on one side of my roof and put a submersible sump pump in the bottom of the rain barrel with a hose that leaves the pump and connects to a shower head and stall inside my cabin so i can take a shower( albeit a cold one) i put screen filters in the downspout an d in the gutter. i plug the sump pump in and the water comes out of the shower head nicely . however , shouldnt i have some kind of filter or chemical in the rainbarrel as it is beginning to smell after a month or so i noticed as the shower runs. the rainbarrel is covered but doesnt water get stagnant in the rain barrel . i only go there on weekneds for the summer and the water is sitting in the rainbarrel for a long period . what kind of filter or additive should i add to my rain barrel or what kind of filter should i use so that the water that i shower with doesnt smell or harm me. thankyou.

]]> By: steve http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/got-rain-barrel-questions/#comment-35 steve Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:37:58 +0000 http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/#comment-35 @Jane Sweet, Even though the roof is flat, it still has to drain. Either check to see where the majority of the water falls and put some gutters there, or have gutters installed all around. Either way, capture as much as possible and this will help with your lack of water. @Jane Sweet, Even though the roof is flat, it still has to drain. Either check to see where the majority of the water falls and put some gutters there, or have gutters installed all around. Either way, capture as much as possible and this will help with your lack of water.

]]> By: Jayne Sweet http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/got-rain-barrel-questions/#comment-34 Jayne Sweet Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:16:42 +0000 http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/#comment-34 I have recently planted a school garden in a site used privously for a garden. There is no water source.....rainbarrel! The roof is flat and no gutters - what do I do to collect water for the waterbarrel? I have recently planted a school garden in a site used privously for a garden. There is no water source…..rainbarrel! The roof is flat and no gutters – what do I do to collect water for the waterbarrel?

]]> By: steve http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/got-rain-barrel-questions/#comment-31 steve Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:02:16 +0000 http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/#comment-31 @Raymond, We suggest a pump that pumps at around 5 to 10 gallons per minute. Any where in between should be suitable. Here is a link to a quality pump so you can compare: http://www.cleanairgardening.com/electric-water-pump.html @Raymond,

We suggest a pump that pumps at around 5 to 10 gallons per minute. Any where in between should be suitable.
Here is a link to a quality pump so you can compare:

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/electric-water-pump.html

]]> By: Raymond http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/got-rain-barrel-questions/#comment-30 Raymond Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:44:31 +0000 http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/#comment-30 hello, we are looking into putting in a rain barrel. we would like to install one with a small pump so we can use a garden hose and water anywhere in our yard. i found some pumps at the hardware store that are used in the plastic yard ponds. how many gph would be enough for gardening purposes. a 50ft hose will probably cover most of what we will be watering. thanks, Raymond hello,
we are looking into putting in a rain barrel. we would like to install one with a small pump so we can use a garden
hose and water anywhere in our yard. i found some pumps at the hardware store that are used in the plastic yard ponds. how many gph would be enough for gardening purposes. a 50ft hose will probably cover most of what we will be watering.
thanks,
Raymond

]]> By: steve http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/got-rain-barrel-questions/#comment-29 steve Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:14:30 +0000 http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/#comment-29 @Patty Meadors, Fitting the downspout into the barrel is one option; however you will not be able to screen out the debris coming down from the roof. A screen helps keep out leaves, bugs, etc. Many people use the downspout diverter like this one; this allows water to continue down your downspout once the barrel is full. http://www.cleanairgardening.com/gawadoat.html @Patty Meadors, Fitting the downspout into the barrel is one option; however you will not be able to screen out the debris coming down from the roof. A screen helps keep out leaves, bugs, etc. Many people use the downspout diverter like this one; this allows water to continue down your downspout once the barrel is full.

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/gawadoat.html

]]> By: Patty Meadors http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/got-rain-barrel-questions/#comment-28 Patty Meadors Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:03:00 +0000 http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/#comment-28 why not just put downspout in top of barrel sealed up. why open and with a screen on top? why not just put downspout in top of barrel sealed up. why open and with a screen on top?

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