Expanding the rainwater storage capacity, part 2

brandysbotanybay - welcome, and thanks for following the blog!

To attach fittings, piping, and spigots to my rain barrels, I always use a 3/4" conduit hub sold at big box stores and electrical hardware supply companies. They are commonly referred to as "Myers hubs", and also "T and B hubs". The reasons for this are that they are a water-tight connection, and also don't require a locknut on the inside of the plastic barrel either. That's because the threads are so sharp, they easily cut their own threads into the plastic. This, of course, is possible when the correct sized hole is drilled into the plastic barrel before installation. All it takes is a 1" hole saw, as shown in the picture below....

Photo below - because I chose to link a total of 4 barrels together as one, a pvc adapter was screwed into the conduit hub with teflon tape on the threads. As stated before in my rain barrel construction post, teflon tape has the advantage of sealing the threads, and also makes it easier to screw the male plastic threads into the female aluminum threads of the conduit hub. Without it, the threads of the pvc fitting will gall.......

Photo below - An 8 ft. long piece of gutter was then attached to one side of the shed, which was sloped ever so slightly toward the rear for adequate drainage. With about 40 total square feet of roof on this side, i'm hoping it will do ok.
For every 1" of rainfall on a square foot area of roof surface, .62 gallons of water can be collected. So, that means every time we get 1" of rain, 25 gallons of water should be diverted into the containment.
If the frequency of rain and amount of roof surface isn't enough to keep the system filled to a reasonable level, i'll simply install a second gutter on the other side of the shed, and divert it in there too...Also, the flexible downspout was a no-brainer, which easily allows me to direct the water into the collection system.

Photo below - Here's the point of entry for the rain to get into the barrels. Since the removable top is in 2 separate pieces, I simply cut a large portion of the actual lid out, laid a piece of window screen material on top - then screwed the top ring on. This holds the screen material into place, and easily lets water (but not mosquitoes) enter the barrel. The screen also keeps debris from entering as well, which could certainly clog the connecting piping and spigots up. I'll remove any debris that occasionally builds up (leaves, sticks, etc.), so it doesn't become restricted....

Photo below - here's all 4 barrels in their new home, awaiting the interconnecting fittings at the bottom of each. Even though I don't have a photo of the connections yet, they have been installed already - which completes the project.

The spigot in front will be the point of exit, and is high enough in elevation that a 5 gallon bucket can be placed underneath for filling. However, my intention is to set a hose reel of some kind in front of the system with at least 150 feet of garden hose on it, which will allow me to water everything in the vegetable garden with ease. No more hauling 50-60 gallons of water out to the garden for me! Yeehaw! Last year almost killed me - no wonder I have back spasms....Sheesh......

Take care, and happy building!

EG