FAQ
Will you deliver?
Gladly. Give us a call for more information on pricing.
Where do you ship orders?
We use SpeeDee Delivery Service to ship to Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska & St. Louis quickly.
I don't garden - how else can I use my rain barrel water?
Virtually any non-potable use. You will be amazed it its ability to clean with no added chemicals as it is the universal solvent. Wash tools, pets, floors, walls, remove spots from rugs, & use fresh rain water for a soft natural hair rinse. House plants thrive on soft rain water. It is extremely effective for washing windows inside & out without adding chemicals! Try it to clean your vehicles & laundry. It has not been chemically "softened" so doesn't leave "lime" spots. Rain water is superior for keeping compost moist, and recommended for vermiculture. Save money: choose rain!
Do the barrels have a child-resistant top?
Yes. Ours are screw-top lids with screened holes for water intake. For safety, keep the lid screwed onto your rain barrel; remove it only for cleaning.
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. Restore that UV protection to maintain the protection and sheen.
How much water tends to collect in a barrel in a typical season?
It depends on how quickly you empty each barrel, & 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, to more than fill your 55 gallon barrel. The average rainfall in Iowa is 30-35 inches. That's a lot of potential, especially if you have one or more large rooftops!
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 full 55-gallon rain barrel will weigh about 450 pounds, so choose your solid foundation material accordingly. 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: use water. If you have no level, a shallow flat pan of water can be carefully used to check level.
What do I do with the barrel in the winter?
Empty it, and turn it upside down in a spot sheltered and secure the rain barrel. They are good to store hoses and soaker hoses in. Bring the rain barrel into an indoor area if possible. If not, they will be just fine outside.
How do I link several rain barrels to bank more water at one downspout?
We designed rigid friction-fitted PVC connectors to link rain barrels. We can do this when you order or bring them in later for a retrofit for a small additional cost. If you want to DIY, avoid clear tubing & good luck.
How do I install a rain barrel on a slope?
Level the stand by digging earth for the appropriate legs of the rain barrel stand, use pea gravel, bricks or pavers as needed under each stand leg. Level the stand, then set the rain barrel on it.
What if the stand tilts?
Rain barrels should be installed only on a firm & level surface. If it tilts, it needs a better foundation. Avoid letting it fall as it can cause damage to everything and anyone below, plus the barrel itself. Drain and reset the empty rain barrel on its level stand as described above. Pea gravel makes a good substrate, and is easy to re-level when necessary.
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 potted tomato plants requires up to a gallon of water a day to produce well. Watering only six tomato plants for one week could take 42 gallons. Your house plants also benefit from rain water, and there are so many other uses! Once a person becomes a rain water harvester, we find they want more rain barrels, a rain garden, and larger water tanks.
How can I protect my stored water from leaves and mosquitoes?
Keep the lid on & make sure any overflow opening has a hose attached, with a kink protector if needed. The lid's intake holes are securely screened and every opening is to be closed. If the water is exposed to mosquitoes, you may wish to consider an environmentally sound biological mosquito control product from your local garden supply, feeder goldfish, agitating the water to destroy the larvae, or use it very quickly. If for any reason the intake screening becomes damaged, give us a call for help: 515-276-6276 or email us. We want your rain barrels 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 (e.g. 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?
There is a worksheet below that will lead you through a calculation. As a general "guesstimate" you can use this - 100 square feet of catchment area will give you about 60 gallons in a 1" rain.
I have heard that rain can be diverted with a chain suspended from the edge of the roof down toward the barrel.
Rain chains are attractive! Water flow along rain chains is less controllable than through a permanent downspout diverter. A rain chain can be used as part of a well-designed large rain garden. Our diverters have a lever to reroute the water path when your rain barrels are full, and at the end of season the diverter can be left in place. We do offer a full line of rain chains as well for you to choose from.
Gladly. Give us a call for more information on pricing.
Where do you ship orders?
We use SpeeDee Delivery Service to ship to Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska & St. Louis quickly.
I don't garden - how else can I use my rain barrel water?
Virtually any non-potable use. You will be amazed it its ability to clean with no added chemicals as it is the universal solvent. Wash tools, pets, floors, walls, remove spots from rugs, & use fresh rain water for a soft natural hair rinse. House plants thrive on soft rain water. It is extremely effective for washing windows inside & out without adding chemicals! Try it to clean your vehicles & laundry. It has not been chemically "softened" so doesn't leave "lime" spots. Rain water is superior for keeping compost moist, and recommended for vermiculture. Save money: choose rain!
Do the barrels have a child-resistant top?
Yes. Ours are screw-top lids with screened holes for water intake. For safety, keep the lid screwed onto your rain barrel; remove it only for cleaning.
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. Restore that UV protection to maintain the protection and sheen.
How much water tends to collect in a barrel in a typical season?
It depends on how quickly you empty each barrel, & 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, to more than fill your 55 gallon barrel. The average rainfall in Iowa is 30-35 inches. That's a lot of potential, especially if you have one or more large rooftops!
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 full 55-gallon rain barrel will weigh about 450 pounds, so choose your solid foundation material accordingly. 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: use water. If you have no level, a shallow flat pan of water can be carefully used to check level.
What do I do with the barrel in the winter?
Empty it, and turn it upside down in a spot sheltered and secure the rain barrel. They are good to store hoses and soaker hoses in. Bring the rain barrel into an indoor area if possible. If not, they will be just fine outside.
How do I link several rain barrels to bank more water at one downspout?
We designed rigid friction-fitted PVC connectors to link rain barrels. We can do this when you order or bring them in later for a retrofit for a small additional cost. If you want to DIY, avoid clear tubing & good luck.
How do I install a rain barrel on a slope?
Level the stand by digging earth for the appropriate legs of the rain barrel stand, use pea gravel, bricks or pavers as needed under each stand leg. Level the stand, then set the rain barrel on it.
What if the stand tilts?
Rain barrels should be installed only on a firm & level surface. If it tilts, it needs a better foundation. Avoid letting it fall as it can cause damage to everything and anyone below, plus the barrel itself. Drain and reset the empty rain barrel on its level stand as described above. Pea gravel makes a good substrate, and is easy to re-level when necessary.
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 potted tomato plants requires up to a gallon of water a day to produce well. Watering only six tomato plants for one week could take 42 gallons. Your house plants also benefit from rain water, and there are so many other uses! Once a person becomes a rain water harvester, we find they want more rain barrels, a rain garden, and larger water tanks.
How can I protect my stored water from leaves and mosquitoes?
Keep the lid on & make sure any overflow opening has a hose attached, with a kink protector if needed. The lid's intake holes are securely screened and every opening is to be closed. If the water is exposed to mosquitoes, you may wish to consider an environmentally sound biological mosquito control product from your local garden supply, feeder goldfish, agitating the water to destroy the larvae, or use it very quickly. If for any reason the intake screening becomes damaged, give us a call for help: 515-276-6276 or email us. We want your rain barrels 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 (e.g. 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?
There is a worksheet below that will lead you through a calculation. As a general "guesstimate" you can use this - 100 square feet of catchment area will give you about 60 gallons in a 1" rain.
I have heard that rain can be diverted with a chain suspended from the edge of the roof down toward the barrel.
Rain chains are attractive! Water flow along rain chains is less controllable than through a permanent downspout diverter. A rain chain can be used as part of a well-designed large rain garden. Our diverters have a lever to reroute the water path when your rain barrels are full, and at the end of season the diverter can be left in place. We do offer a full line of rain chains as well for you to choose from.
