saving water... one gallon at a time

Make Your Own Rain Barrel

Step by step instruction on how to make your own rain barrel. You can buy a GradyBarrel Rain Barrel Kit and the first four items will come partially assembled. An easy DIY project with a list of the tools and supplies you'll need.

Tools and supplies:

1. GradyBarrel Rain Barrel Kit
2. Pipe Tape
3. A drill with a 1 9/16” bit or hole saw
4. A plastic food-grade barrel
5. A scraper or knife
6. small amount of WD-40 or similar

Rain Barrel Kit
$26.99

If you buy a GradyBarrel Rain Barrel kit all you need is:

1. A drill with a 1 9/16” bit or hole saw
2. A plastic food-grade barrel
3. A scraper or knife
4. small amount of WD-40 or similar

Step 1

Select a clean, food grade barrel and decide how high you want to drill the hole for a faucet. Try to leave a little space in the bottom for debris to settle. Mark where you want the hole and grab your drill. When drilling the hole do not force the drill. Let the bit do its job. When you feel close to finished, ease up a little until the hole is finished. There will be some small pieces of plastic left hanging in and outside of the hole. Use a scraper or knife to gently remove the loose pieces. It is very important not to increase the size of the hole so the grommet can do its job correctly. Fill your barrel with a gallon of water and a mixture of lemon juice or some bleach if necessary to flush any bottom residue. Let the barrel sit and go to the next step. If you buy a kit from me, please skip to step 3.

Step 2

Wrap pipe tape around the threads on the back side of your faucet. Screw the faucet into the bushing and tighten with wrenches. Set aside.

Step 3

After rinsing your barrel, drain it and lay it on its side with the new hole facing up. Dry the hole and grab the grommet. Fit the grommet inside the hole and make sure it sets in nice and tight. It should not easily push in or pull out of the hole and should be perfectly round. You may need to adjust the inside of the grommet so the lip is completely through the hole and resting fully inside the barrel. Use the WD-40 to lube the outer facing wall of the grommet. Only a small amount is needed but a lot won’t hurt. Grab the faucet and slowly lube the white bushing with spiral motions on top of the grommet. The next part is hard to explain…. Using a circular / rocking motion slowly and gently work the bushing into the grommet. This is the hardest part and will take some patience. It will feel like it doesn’t want to go but it will. Once the faucet is in, align it to your liking and make sure the white bushing is flush with the black grommet. For the next 24 hours do not pick up or move the barrel by the faucet. After a day or so, it will be set and you can easily pick it up by the faucet. It will be sealed tight and ready for many years of maintenance free use. Enjoy.