Using rainwater collected from your roof for the garden

[Kaleva]

4. Great idea for a rain barrel!

Having worked as a plumber before, I already have the fittings on hand for the drain and over flow.

I may already have the barrel too as there was one such left here at this place by my ex wife's relative when she stayed at this house. I had set it up as a rain barrel for my ex but she never uses it as such as her garden is large and a distance going uphill from the house so it's much more convenient for her to use a hose . I could ask her for it back. I still have the cover for it in my garage and there's also a couple old screen windows in the garage that I can the screens from.

Putting the barrel on a couple of 8" cement blocks would increase its elevation in relation to the garden area and I could attach the hose to the drain valve on the barrel and then a soaker hose to that. Or I could just get a watering can from a yard sale or thrift store and walk back and forth many times. Or just buy a cheap plastic one from the local hardware store.

A person who has enough roof area that an average rainfall would over fill a 55 gallon barrel could get a second barrel and tie in the overflow of the 1st as a feed for the second barrel by using inexpensive 1 1/2" ABS or PVC pipe and fittings and cut the holes with a 1 1/2" spade bit (as shown in the video) or 1 1/2" hole saw bit.