Common Questions

• Why is there a screen in the lid?
• Do I need to remove the fittings for winter?
• Are your barrels new?
• How are the lids held onto the barrel?
• Why are there so many holes in the lids?
• Do you paint your barrels?
• What kind of spigots and fittings do you use?
• Is there any assembly required?
• What is the purpose of the linking fitting?
• How do I decide what color and size barrel should I order?
• What installation is required to attach the rain barrel to your downspout?
• How much water pressure does a rain barrel have?
• Do you have warranties on your rain barrels?
• What accessories do I need?
• Can I compost all year?

The screen is to keep mosquitoes and other pests out while letting the water flow freely into the barrel.

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You do not need to remove the fittings for winter. We use plastic fittings because brass and steel do not interface well with plastic barrels. These items expand and contract at a different rate, which is the major cause of other manufacturer’s barrels leaking in a short period of time. The only thing you need to do to prepare for the winter season is to drain all the water out of them, remove the linking fitting cap, and open the spigot.

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These are USED barrels. They will have some scuff marks and scratches from shipping and handling. I inspect, clean, and modify each barrel. There are no significant scuffs or scratches which would harm the structural integrity of the barrel and lead to any leakage. The spigot is installed on the nicer looking face.

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The lids screw on and hold the cap in place in some models. In others, the lids and screen are held on with a galvanized (won't rust) lock ring.

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We install multiple holes in the cap for best collection of water.

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These barrels are not painted. We offer a very inexpensive and no frills Rain Barrel. If you want to change or enhance the color of your barrel there are two products we recommend. The first is Ace Hardware brand spray paint, and the second is Krylon brand spray paint. Both do an excellent job on plastic and will not peel for years to come.

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We use an acetal plastic spigot for the faucet and poly fittings for the linking and overflow hoses.

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All fittings are shipped inside the barrel and include instructions to install them into the predrilled and threaded holes.

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The linking fitting allows the user to connect multiple barrels together for even more free water and the overflow fitting allows the homeowner to direct the additional water away from their home.

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Before determining which color or size barrel to order the following factors must be considered:

Where is the best location to collect the water from – a tool shed roof can work as well as a house roof to collect the water. A 4’ x 8’ sheet of plywood that receives ¼” of rain will fill a 55 gallon barrel. Then look at the surrounding area, If you prefer to hide it behind a tree or large bush our Black or Brown barrels work well. The Terra Cotta color blends nicely with Red Brick homes. Some people prefer to decorate their barrel, then Blue is an excellent choice. If you want to put your rain barrel around the corner from where the gutter is we offer Flex hoses to enable you to install it there. Our barrels are meant to be left outside during winter, just leave the spigot and the linking hose fitting open so the water drains during the winter. (If the barrel fills with water and freezes it will crack).

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You should build your barrel up about 12” off the ground using our Pedestals or you can use cinderblock or old landscape timbers. Anything that will hold the filled barrel weight of approximately 600 pounds. Basic installation requires you to cut the gutter 8 inches above the top of the barrel and attach the downspout elbow so it dispenses the water directly into the top of the barrel. Then attach a garden hose to the overflow fitting on the top section of the barrel so when it is full the additional water can be diverted away from the foundation of your house and keep the water level below the screening and prevent mosquitoes. If you have gutters that go directly into the ground use the Rain Water Diverter to hook up your barrel. You can link 2 or more barrels together using our Linking Hose. All our barrels have a linking hose fitting on the bottom section, just unscrew the cap and screw on the linking hose. All the barrels will fill with water with only 1 downspout being modified and significantly reduce the amount of water going out the overflow.

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To water from your rain barrel you can use a garden hose, landscape tubing (just drill holes into the tubing near the plant) or drip tubing. You will not be able to run a sprinkler or a soaker hose from the rain barrel. But as long as you are not trying to go up hill you can go any distance from the barrel you need to, water seeks its own level, so it will always be flowing to the lowest level the hose is at. You can water hanging pots with a garden hose, start with the hose on the ground then lift it to the plant, it will have enough pressure to water 2-3 pots. You need to lower the hose to get the pressure back to water additional hanging pots.

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Yes, our products carry a 5 year warranty on the material and workmanship. The only way this warranty can be voided is if you leave the barrel out during the winter without opening the spigot and linking hose fitting – if the barrel fills with water and freezes the barrel will crack.

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See the installation instructions in question 2 to help you determine if you need accessories.

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Yes, the time it takes for the compost to finish will lengthen as the days become colder and the nights become longer.

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