Stop paying for water you can catch for free. A simple rain barrel setup costs almost nothing if you have the right scavenged materials and a drill. This isn’t about installing a high-end, filtered irrigation system. It’s about grabbing runoff before it hits the street. You will need a clean plastic barrel, a downspout extender, a spigot, a hose, an overflow adapter, tin snips, tubing, hose clamps, and a drill. The result is basic. No filters. No fancy lids. Just a container that holds water. But it works.
Picking the Right Container
Start with the barrel. You need sturdy plastic. Food-grade is ideal because it has been treated for UV protection, meaning it won’t crack in the sun after one summer. If you can’t find food-grade, any watertight, clean plastic drum works. Avoid anything that might rust or leach chemicals. A standard 55-gallon barrel is the sweet spot.
“A good rain will fill a 55-gallon barrel in a few minutes.”
Don’t underestimate the volume. One heavy storm fills that capacity fast. You don’t need a huge setup to start saving gallons.
Setting a Stable Foundation
Water is heavy. One gallon weighs about 8.34 pounds. A full 55-gallon barrel weighs over 450 pounds. If you set it directly on dirt or uneven pavement, it will sink, tilt, and eventually crack. You need a level surface.
Use cinder blocks or concrete pavers. Build a platform that keeps the barrel off the ground. Elevation helps too. A few inches of height gives your hose better gravity feed. Water flows better when it doesn’t have to climb. Clear the area around your downspout first. Make sure nothing blocks the flow from the roof into the barrel.
Drilling for Drainage and Overflow
You need two holes. Two. Don’t overcomplicate this.
- Spigot Hole: Drill one hole about 3 inches (7.62 cm) from the bottom. This is where your spigot goes. It needs to be high enough to prevent sediment from clogging your hose immediately, but low enough to drain most of the barrel.
- Overflow Hole: Drill another hole a few inches from the top. This is the overflow adapter. If the rain keeps coming and the barrel fills up, you need a place for the extra water to go. If you don’t have an overflow, the barrel will bulge or leak.
Installing the Hardware
Screw the spigot into the lower hole. It should be tight. No drips. Insert the overflow adapter into the upper hole. It should fit snugly. If it’s loose, use sealant.
Attach a length of hose to the overflow adapter. Use a hose clamp to secure it. The hose needs to be long enough to carry water away from your home’s foundation. You don’t want water pooling against your siding or basement walls. That’s how you get mold. That’s how you get structural damage.
Modifying the Downspout
Now for the roof. You need to divert the water from the downspout into your new barrel.
Measure the height of your barrel. Mark the downspout a few inches above that level. You have two options here.
- Segmented Downspouts: If your downspout is made of separate pieces connected by slip joints, you can just unscrew the top section. Slide the barrel under it.
- Cutting the Pipe: If it’s a single piece or stuck, you might need to cut it. Tin snips work for thinner aluminum or vinyl pipes. If you have thick metal or PVC, you might need a hacksaw. Be careful. Sharp edges and falling pieces are real hazards.
Connecting and Filtering
Take the flexible downspout extender. Attach it to the end of your shortened downspout. The other end goes into the top of the barrel.
Cut a hole in the lid of the barrel to fit the extender. Slip the extender through. Secure the lid. This keeps debris out. Mostly.
For a makeshift filter, attach a plastic mesh bag to the end of the extender inside the barrel. Hold it with a rubber band. Leaves and grit will get caught there instead of clogging your spigot. But you must check it. Frequently. A clogged filter stops the water from entering the barrel. Empty it after every storm.
This setup is bare bones. It doesn’t have the sophisticated features of prefabricated systems. It won’t filter out heavy metals or bird droppings to drinking quality. But for watering flowers, filling birdbaths, or flushing toilets, it’s enough. And it costs pennies on the dollar compared to buying one.
The rain is coming. The barrel is ready. Start collecting.
