Contents
If you’re using a rain barrel to collect rainwater for your garden, you need to ensure that you’re doing it correctly. Unfortunately, people make a few common mistakes when using rain barrels, and if you’re not careful, you could end up wasting water or causing damage to your home. In this blog post, we will discuss the most common rain barrel mistakes and how to avoid them.
What Are The Benefits of Rain Barrels?
Before we discuss the mistakes, let’s first take a look at some of the benefits of using rain barrels. First, rain barrels can help you save money on your water bill. Saving money on your water bill is a great reason to use a rain barrel, but conserving water is an even better reason. We all need to do our part to conserve water, and using a rain barrel is one way that you can help.
How Do I Choose the Right Rain Barrel?
Now that we’ve discussed some of the benefits of using rain barrels, let’s look at how you can choose the right one for your needs. When choosing a rain barrel, you need to consider the size of the barrel and the type of fixture that it has. You also need to make sure that the barrel has a screen on top so that bugs and debris don’t fall into the barrel.
The Wrong Angle
One of the most common rain barrel mistakes is installing it on a slope. Rain barrels are designed to be installed at ground level. If your home has any slopes or uneven surfaces, you will need to use machinery to flatten the terrain before installing.
This is important because if the rain barrel isn’t installed correctly, it can cause water to flow back into your home or overflow onto your property.
The Wrong Size
Another common mistake is using a rain barrel that’s too small for your needs. If you only have a small garden, a small rain barrel might be all you need. However, if you have a large garden, you’ll need a larger rain barrel to collect enough water. Be sure to choose the right size rain barrel for your needs to avoid any problems.
You might also find interesting our article about filtering rainwater.
Illegal Connection
It’s also essential to ensure that you’re following all of the local laws and regulations when installing a rain barrel. For example, it’s illegal to connect a rain barrel to the municipal water supply in some areas. Be sure to check with your local government to find out if there are any restrictions on rain barrels in your area.
Not Enough Maintenance
Don’t forget to maintain your rain barrel regularly. This includes cleaning the screen and filter every few months and checking for leaks. If you neglect your rain barrel, it can lead to wasted water and damage to your home.
FAQs
How do you install a rain barrel?
Installing a rain barrel is pretty straightforward. All you need to do is dig a hole in the ground and then place the rain barrel on top of it. The hole should be about two feet deep so the water doesn’t overflow onto your property when it rains heavily.
You also want to make sure there aren’t any trees or shrubs nearby that could cause debris to fall into the rain barrel and clog up the filter system over time.
Why are my plants dying?
There are several reasons why your plants might be dying, but one of them could have something to do with how much water they’re getting every day. If you’ve recently installed a new irrigation system at home, check for leaks around all connections before turning it on again.
Sometimes, plants will die even if you give them enough water because they’re not getting enough nutrients from the soil or there’s too much salt in the ground (from fertilizer). For example, this can happen when using rainwater collected in a barrel that hasn’t been cleaned recently and has built up with algae over time.
We also recommend reading our article about how to harvest rainwater.
Why do I need a filter?
Using a filter will help ensure that debris doesn’t clog up in your rain barrel and cause water flow problems over time. It also keeps out any bugs or other insects that could potentially get into your home if left unchecked for too long!
What should I do if my rain barrel overflows?
If your rain barrel starts to overflow, you’ll need to either reduce the amount of water going into it or increase the size of the barrel. You might also need to adjust the angle at which it’s installed so that it’s not collecting too much water during a storm.
If all else fails, you can always install a shut-off valve on your downspout so that you can control how much water goes into the barrel. This is a good option for people who have barrels located in areas that might not handle a lot of water at once.
Why does my barrel have a hole?
The hole in your rain barrel is there to allow excess water out when it rains heavily. If you’ve noticed that the ground around your house gets flooded after storms, then this could be due to improper installation of the gutters or downspouts on your home (or both). You might also have an issue with the slope of your yard, which prevents water from draining away properly.
In these cases, installing a rain barrel could make things worse since it would collect excess runoff during storms and then release it all at once when it overflows! This can cause flooding in areas nearby that weren’t flooded before because they didn’t have a rain barrel.
Conclusion
If you consider installing a rain barrel or have recently installed one, there are a few mistakes to avoid. By learning what these mistakes are and how to fix them, you can make the most of your rain barrel and help conserve water. In addition, rain barrels provide an easy way for homeowners to collect and store rainwater runoff from their roofs.
