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Will you deliver?Delivery fees for round trip are $25 within 10 miles, $35 for over 10 and up to 40 miles. Over 40 miles, $35 plus 60 cents per mile over 40. Installs are $75 If in using our rain barrels you should have a question, wonderful idea, or problem, we want to hear from you! Please email us: rainbarrelsiowa@gmail.com We want to hear your rain barrels stories, and please send us photos of rain barrels installed at your home. Thank you! If I don't have a rain barrel what happens to the storm water?
If I don't have a rain barrel what happens to the storm water?
If I don't garden, what good is a rain barrel?
House plants also benefit from soft rain water - our orchids seem to thrive on it. It is great for washing cars, boats, and windows: because it has not been "softened" chemically, it won't leave "lime" spots. Goldfish in Rain Barrels Iowa's small pond are swimming happily in it! It is superior for keeping compost moist, and is recommended in vermiculture (worm composting).
Do the barrels have a child-resistant top?
Yes. There are screened holes in the lid for water intake. We'll state the obvious: we recommend that you keep the lid screwed onto the barrel.
Are these rain barrels coated with a UV protectant?
Yes. We use UV protection developed for plastics and vinyls on the exterior of the barrels and rims, which also gives your barrel a nice luster. You may wish to restore that UV protection occasionally to maintain the protection and sheen.
How much water tends to collect in a barrel in a typical season?It depends on your collection area: 0.6 gallons is collected per square foot per inch of rain. Multiply length by width for your square footage. If your collection area were only a 10'x10' (100 sq feet) area, a one-inch rainfall provides 0.6 gal per square foot, or 60 gallons, & more than fill your 55 gallon barrel. The average rainfall in Iowa is 32 inches. That's a lot of potential! How much does a full rain barrel weigh?
The barrel weighs less than twenty pounds but each gallon of water inside it is 8.33 pounds. A nearly full rain barrel at 50 gallons will weigh over 400 pounds, so choose your solid foundation material accordingly, and make certain that it is LEVEL from all angles. This is fairly simple to do using a level on the top of one of our sturdy pressure-treated lumber stands, or on top of the barrel. Low tech: If you have no level, a shallow pan of water can be used, very carefully, to achieve level installation.
What do I do with the barrel in the winter?
Empty it, and turn it upside down in a spot sheltered enough that the winter winds won't whisk it away from you.
How do I link several barrels to bank more water from one downspout?
See photo - we have discovered a good method is by rigid friction-fitted PVC connectors. We can prepare your ordered barrels for this fitting and provide the fitting at the time of order for a small additional cost. Avoid clear tubing which exposes the stored water to algae growth and hydrogen sulfide scents ("rotten eggs").
How do I install a rain barrel on a slope?
Dig out a couple of inches of earth for the back legs of the rain barrel stand, use a brick or paver under each leg of the stand, confirm it is level, then set the rain barrel on the stand.
What if the stand tilts?
Rain barrels should be installed only on a firm level surface. If the weight of a filled barrel surprises you with the sink-&-tilt trick, it needs a better foundation. You will need to empty the barrel to reset it. An easy way is to drop a small pump into it to move the stored water to a second barrel or another container. Set the empty rain barrel on its stand on level concrete pavers or other similar solid foundation material.
How do I know how much water I need?
If you compare your household usage shown on your water bills, and notice that it is higher in the growing season, that difference provides a good estimate of how much water you may be using outside. In gardening consider that mature tomato plant requires a gallon of water a day to produce well, so watering only six tomato plants for one week would take 42 gallons. Your house plants also benefit from rain water, and our orchids seem to thrive on it.
How can I protect my stored water from leaves and mosquitoes?
Keep the lid on. The lid's intake holes are securely screened and every opening is to be closed either by spigot or connector to the next barrel. If the water is exposed to mosquitoes, you may wish to consider an environmentally sound biological mosquito control product from your local garden supply. If for any reason the screening becomes damaged, give us a call for help: 515-276-6276 or email us. We want your rain barrel in good working order.
What do I do if the stand sinks in to the soil?
The best solution that we have found is to put any type of solid weight-bearing material (i.e. bricks) beneath it. Rain barrels are light when empty, but surprisingly heavy when full. Plan ahead and install your rain water harvester on solid sturdy material, not recently tilled garden soil! If your rain barrel is sinking, it likely has gained precious water & weight.
How can I figure how much water I can collect?
Click HERE for the Worksheet for Estimating Rainwater Harvesting Potential
CHAINS
I have purchased a rain barrel for use under a roof without a gutter. I have heard that rain can be diverted with a chain suspended from the edge of the roof down toward the barrel. Have you heard of this method and do you offer any products or suggestions
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