saving water... one gallon at a time

Rain Barrel to Gutter Installation

How To Set Up Your New Rain Barrel

Tools:

• A hacksaw or jigsaw to cut your down spout
• Tape measure
• 1 or 2 small screws and a screwdriver

Materials:

• You’ll need a wooden stand, cinder blocks or something similar. Make sure it can hold 500 pounds.
• A flexible downspout or 90 degree angled fitting for your downspout.

Step 1:

Make sure the area your stand or cinder blocks will be placed is level. You may want to dig out a few inches of dirt and replace it with sand or decomposed granite so the stand sinks into the ground. Place your new rain barrel on the stand in front of your downspout.

Step 2:

Mark your downspout at the top of the barrel. This will be one of the cuts you make in the downspout so draw a line all the way across it. Next, mark the downspout anywhere from 8” to a foot above the diverter. This will be another cut you make to your downspout. The distance you mark will vary depending on whether you use a flexible downspout or a 90 degree angle fitting. I highly recommend holding the fitting up to the downspout and diverter to gauge the distance of this cut. Remember to compensate for the amount of space the fitting will slide up over the downspout. Flexible downspouts are available at this store in the gutter section. They are inexpensive and make the job much easier.

Step 3:

Now it’s time to cut your downspout. You may be able to do this without taking it down, so give it a try. Just remember that if the downspout is connected to the wall of your house you may end up cutting your house too. If this is the case then simply detach the downspout and cut it on the ground or workbench. Re-attach the downspout above and below the barrel after the cuts are made. Assemble the upper part of the downspout that goes into the diverter. You may want to drill a screw into the top downspout and fitting to keep it from sliding up and down.

Step 4:

Overflow assembly. Your rain barrel came with a piece of 1 ½” pipe with an elbow on it. This piece goes into the side of the diverter and returns water from a full barrel back into your downspout below the rim of the barrel. Just cut the pipe the correct length to make it fit from the diverter to the downspout and make sure the elbow is pointing down into the downspout.

Step 5:

Enjoy! You have now begun the process of saving water. Your purchase will save approximately 300 gallons of water a year. I thank you for your interest in the age old concept of water catchment. Every drop counts and you are making a difference in the future of our water supply.

Adding Storage Capacity

It is simple to increase your water storage by connecting barrels in a series. All it takes is two hose splitters and a short section of hose. The collection barrel should be 3" lower than the satellite barrels to allow the overflow to work properly and air to flow in and out of the barrels.

Tips & Safety........Please Read

Do not drink or cook with collected rainwater for without proper filtration. Birds poop on your roof.

• You may want to secure your rain barrel with earthquake strapping.
• Make sure your rain barrel is on a sturdy, level stand.
• Keep your gutters clean and allow the first rain of the season to bypass your barrel. This will make for cleaner water.
• The higher your GradyBarrel is off the ground the more pressure you will get out of the faucet. 1’ = ½ psi
• Consider directing overflow into a rain garden, pond or water feature. The overflow pipe is made if 1 ½” pipe.
• A 1000 sq’ roof will shed 600 gallons of water for every inch of rain.
• Keep your rain barrels out of direct sunlight and drain before a long, hard freeze. This will make your GradyBarrel last much longer.

If you have any questions or comments please contact me through my contact form or call 541-554-6753. Patrick Grady, GradyBarrels, Junction City, Oregon