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How to build a rain water collector
- Thread starter jarhead7
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![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
I see a few flaws in the design, but I get the benefit of hindsight, with pictures of a completed setup. I would put the barrels a lot closer to level, to increase the capacity. Second, a small rerouting of the hoses would take care of the venting problem and the bottom barrel filling slowly. Assume top barrel is barrel A and bottom is barrel B. Use one connecting hose from bottom of barrel A to bottom of barrel B. Take a second connecting hose from top of barrel A to top of barrel B. That way one hose is moving water from a to b, and the other is moving air from b to a. This would drain far faster, but require a more complex fitting at the bottom of B and the top of A.
be warned(as I have posted in other posts), you could potentially be in trouble with the govt. No joke, they think they own the rain water.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4314447.html
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4314447.html
It's a good design in general theory. Very good point about draining their Jobo, an air-vent to move water from the lower tank to the upper tank would help a lot.
I don't currently have a rain collector, but I helped a friend set-up one at his house. The barrels were set-up vertically rather than horizontally. He drilled a 3/4" hole 4" up from the bottom of the source tank (tank that the rain water drains directly into) and 3" up from the bottom of the supply tank (tank that you draw water off of) This provided a place for debrie to settle in the source tank with minimal loss of capacity.
For Air venting, he connected a top-side hose from the supply barrel to the source barrel. The source barrel had a spout about 1 1/2" up from the bottom, allowing it to be virtually completely drained, leaving 4" of water in the source tank.
About 2 years ago, we expanded the system to add 4 additional barrels each with 2 holes cut 3" up from the bottom, providing about 300 gallons of useful storage.
The barrels are on a stand about 4' above the ground to provide for gravity flow.
I don't currently have a rain collector, but I helped a friend set-up one at his house. The barrels were set-up vertically rather than horizontally. He drilled a 3/4" hole 4" up from the bottom of the source tank (tank that the rain water drains directly into) and 3" up from the bottom of the supply tank (tank that you draw water off of) This provided a place for debrie to settle in the source tank with minimal loss of capacity.
For Air venting, he connected a top-side hose from the supply barrel to the source barrel. The source barrel had a spout about 1 1/2" up from the bottom, allowing it to be virtually completely drained, leaving 4" of water in the source tank.
About 2 years ago, we expanded the system to add 4 additional barrels each with 2 holes cut 3" up from the bottom, providing about 300 gallons of useful storage.
The barrels are on a stand about 4' above the ground to provide for gravity flow.
Hiltonizer
Banned
some of you remember I can get the 55 gal blue barrels at work from time to time.. there are plenty there now.
I'm not going to go through all the hassle of storing them and stuff and waiting weeks for people to pick them up, but anyone here wants some, shoot me a PM and i'll bring some home for you to pick up.
I'm not going to go through all the hassle of storing them and stuff and waiting weeks for people to pick them up, but anyone here wants some, shoot me a PM and i'll bring some home for you to pick up.
