# rain water capturing system



## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

What are 2coolers doing to catch rain water for your food garden? I have looked through plenty of different systems on youtube, but am wondering what the 2cooler community have.


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## Fish&Chips (Jan 27, 2012)

I'm not doing anything yet. It has crossed my mind. I read once about somebody doing that and they were fined because in their state it was illegal to do that. Not sure about Texas.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

I took this class ... you made your own and he told you the need to know things and what to do in the future ...

http://www.houstonarboretum.org/event/build-your-own-rain-barrel-workshop-100-300-p-m-apr

The class is basically free and you are paying for your stuff/ barrel .... but he does the leg work for you getting everthing together ... you just show up ....

They are using food grade barrels .... so it's safe for your veggies ....

Very educational as well

I made one and did an extra barrel too ... to double my size

DO IT!!!!


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## Whodathunkit (Aug 25, 2010)

I bought the biggest rubber trash cans I could get from The Home Depot. I have one at each of the 4 gutter downspouts on the awning going across the back of my house. It only takes about 6 minutes from a "frog strangler" to fill one up. Each one lasts me about a week in the garden.

I cut my downspouts to a foot above the can, put a flex hose into the can, I cut out a notch for the spout into the lid (I keep my water covered until I need it)


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## monkeyman1 (Dec 30, 2007)

Whodathunkit said:


> I bought the biggest rubber trash cans I could get from The Home Depot. I have one at each of the 4 gutter downspouts on the awning going across the back of my house. It only takes about 6 minutes from a "frog strangler" to fill one up. Each one lasts me about a week in the garden.
> 
> I cut my downspouts to a foot above the can, put a flex hose into the can, I cut out a notch for the spout into the lid (I keep my water covered until I need it)


I do this more or less. plastic gutter is cheap.


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## Danny O (Apr 14, 2010)

We use a two 105 gallon stock tanks. During the winter, we turn one into a minnow holding tank with a waterfall-type filter.

One of our sprinkler zones is hooked to the garden, which does the bulk of the watering. The rainwater is just used as needed, especially younger plants and flowers.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Up until this year, I have been catching the rain off the pole barn roof into six of the 55 gallon plastic drums for about 300 gallons of storage. These drums sat a ground level so siphoning off with a hose was kinda slow. I will still be using them this year, but I will also be trying something new.

I found and bought a used 270 gallon food grade tote. It comes with a lever valve at the bottom, and the plastic tote is incased in a heavy wire cage to retain the shape. It came on a plastic pallet that is the same dimensions as the bottom of the tote. I will be building a HD 4ft high stand for it to sit on under the down spout of the gutter. The added height will give me better water pressure.

This will take the total holding capacity up to 570 gallons. That's about how much I'd like to hold. If the tote works as well as I think it will, I'll add another tote next year and eliminate the barrels.

If anyone is interested, I'll try to get a picture taken after the snow melts here pretty soon. It looks a lot like this one.


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## reeltimer (Feb 5, 2010)

Ive got three totes like that. I'll post a pic of my setup tomorrow. last couple of rain falls I collected over 300 gallons.

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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

Keep in mind, they need to be maintained twice a year .... cleaned out and so on ....

it's the reason I stayed with the 55 gal drum, so the lid could easily be removed


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

I saw a gent on Youtube using same tote. He wrapped it with black plastic before putting it back in the wire cage. The plastic wrap is supposed to eliminate algae build up inside the tote and to protect the plastic tote against sun light degradation. 

Muddskipper, 
I think I would have to set up a filter system before rain water goes into the container. That would help reducing the maintenance.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

mas360 said:


> Muddskipper,
> I think I would have to set up a filter system before rain water goes into the container. That would help reducing the maintenance.


i have it! .... it keeps the misquots out ... but you still get **** in it ... naturally occuring .... Mine are blue barrels, so no sun.... but it still needs to be cleaned twice a year


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

What kind of stuff inside the barrel did you clean? algae? leaves? sand? shingle fragments?


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## reeltimer (Feb 5, 2010)

No algae yet. I've got a peace window screen that is a filter

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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

That is a totally sweet system ! Looks like 4X4 posts? Are you using 2X6 or 2X8 joist supports? Do you just open the ground level plug when the 3 tanks are full? 
Where do you place your screen filter? Shape?
Any other good info to pass along?


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## reeltimer (Feb 5, 2010)

Dick Hanks said:


> That is a totally sweet system ! Looks like 4X4 posts? Are you using 2X6 or 2X8 joist supports? Do you just open the ground level plug when the 3 tanks are full?
> Where do you place your screen filter? Shape?
> Any other good info to pass along?


screen is zip tied on the pipe fitting and then a shower drain cover goes on that.Its at the top on pic.I used 2x6 mostly scrap wood from various jobs.I haven't had enough rain to fill them all.It takes about five min to take the 4pvc pipe down,clean the drain and put back up.after about 2 rain showers the window screen fills up.What i think that i will do is take the screen off since all the heavy stuff like shingle particles will fall to whats call the the first wash(were the clean out is).I need to paint all the pvc at some point and cover the totes with black plastic or paint.You will get more pressure if you stack the totes vs how i have them.I use alot of water with the hotubs that i sell and rebuild so this water is for the gardens and hottub water.All the totes fill from the 2inch pvc when the tote valves are open.The totes all had elmers glue in them so i could filter the water and feel safe about drinking it but haven't need to go that far.


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

@reeltimer, 
That is a very neat system you built. Why do you have the totes on pallet? do you plan on moving them around?


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## chumy (Jul 13, 2012)

reeltimer said:


> screen is zip tied on the pipe fitting and then a shower drain cover goes on that.Its at the top on pic.I used 2x6 mostly scrap wood from various jobs.I haven't had enough rain to fill them all.It takes about five min to take the 4pvc pipe down,clean the drain and put back up.after about 2 rain showers the window screen fills up.What i think that i will do is take the screen off since all the heavy stuff like shingle particles will fall to whats call the the first wash(were the clean out is).I need to paint all the pvc at some point and cover the totes with black plastic or paint.You will get more pressure if you stack the totes vs how i have them.I use alot of water with the hotubs that i sell and rebuild so this water is for the gardens and hottub water.All the totes fill from the 2inch pvc when the tote valves are open.The totes all had elmers glue in them so i could filter the water and feel safe about drinking it but haven't need to go that far.


Would panty hose work as a screen? When it stretches there's a lot more surface area for the water to pass throiugh. All the crud would be at the feet/bottom section first and then build up from there. just my 2 cents. Nice set you you have there.


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## reeltimer (Feb 5, 2010)

the heavy small stuff does fall through the window screen down to the cleanout. pantyhose would work but all mine had runs in them. I just had an old torn window screen around and made use of it.


Mas the totes come with pallets on them in the metal cage.

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## Part Timer (Jul 2, 2012)

You could put a strainer(not sure if yall are familar with that fitting)






on the horizontal run to catch more heavy stuff like shingle debris and panty hose for a fine filter after that. Good looking set up though reeltimer.

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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

Reeltimer, 
If you decide to stack those totes, how many totes can you stack and not crushing the bottom one when the top ones are full ?


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## chumy (Jul 13, 2012)

reeltimer said:


> screen is zip tied on the pipe fitting and then a shower drain cover goes on that.Its at the top on pic.I used 2x6 mostly scrap wood from various jobs.I haven't had enough rain to fill them all.It takes about five min to take the 4pvc pipe down,clean the drain and put back up.after about 2 rain showers the window screen fills up.What i think that i will do is take the screen off since all the heavy stuff like shingle particles will fall to whats call the the first wash(were the clean out is).I need to paint all the pvc at some point and cover the totes with black plastic or paint.*You will get more pressure if you stack the totes* vs how i have them.I use alot of water with the hotubs that i sell and rebuild so this water is for the gardens and hottub water.All the totes fill from the 2inch pvc when the tote valves are open.The totes all had elmers glue in them so i could filter the water and feel safe about drinking it but haven't need to go that far.


You probably know this but you will get an additional 1 psi of water pressure for every 27.7" of vertical water height. Not very much if you think about it. I'd use a pump personnally.


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## devil1824 (Sep 4, 2010)

Need to make it a little prettier and it'll be done. .25" of rain fills it up. I have 2 of them. I use it for my small veggie garden and my flowers.


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## reeltimer (Feb 5, 2010)

chumy said:


> You probably know this but you will get an additional 1 psi of water pressure for every 27.7" of vertical water height. Not very much if you think about it. I'd use a pump personnally.


yes i use one of three bilge pumps i have.The flow is good enough for what i do.Stacking the totes two high gives you plenty of pressure.I wouldn't stack more than 2 high.


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

devil1824 said:


> Need to make it a little prettier and it'll be done. .25" of rain fills it up. I have 2 of them. I use it for my small veggie garden and my flowers.


The half buried pot is a very artistic touch. Nice flower bed.


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## reeltimer (Feb 5, 2010)

over 400 gallons of water was added from last nights rain.

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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

Nice.


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## SWC (Jun 20, 2009)

Good idea on using your equalizer pipe as your supply point also. Good looking set up.


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## coreydry (Sep 2, 2010)

Did u do all of this to save on ur water bill r is it much better for ur vegetables to have rain water?


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## Texican89 (Oct 27, 2009)

coreydry said:


> Did u do all of this to save on ur water bill r is it much better for ur vegetables to have rain water?


It is better. Water from public water systems is chlorinated.

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## Law Dog (Jul 27, 2010)

Great ideas, thanks for sharing!


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## coreydry (Sep 2, 2010)

Thanks texican89


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## reeltimer (Feb 5, 2010)

coreydry said:


> Did u do all of this to save on ur water bill r is it much better for ur vegetables to have rain water?


Yes for the garden and plants.I also use a lot of water in the hot tubs i fix and sell.I recycle the water.


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## shorty70 (Jun 29, 2008)

reeltimer said:


> Yes for the garden and plants.I also use a lot of water in the hot tubs i fix and sell.I recycle the water.


Eewww...jk.


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