How to Build a Rain Barrel for $40 | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shows a homeowner how to make her own rain barrel on a budget. (See below for a shopping list, tools, and steps.)

Shopping List for How to Build a Rain Barrel for $40:
- Reclaimed food-rated barrel
- Boiler shutoff valve
- Thread-sealing tape
- Rain diverter, hose, and tap

Tools for How to Build a Rain Barrel for $40:
- Power drill
- 1-inch hole-saw bit
- Hacksaw

Steps for How to Build a Rain Barrel for $40:
1. Drill a 1-inch hole at the bottom of the barrel using a power drill and a 1-inch hole-saw bit.
2. Wrap thread-sealing tape several times around the boiler shut-off valve threads and screw it into the hole.
3. Drill a 1-inch hole into the cap of the barrel using a power drill and a 1-inch hole-saw bit.
4. Attach tap to hole in the cap of the barrel.
5. Cut downspout using a hack saw into two pieces.
6. Attach diverter to downspout using a power drill and screws.
7. Connect hose to diverter and tap in cap of barrel.

About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.

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How to Build a Rain Barrel for $40 | Ask This Old House

[intolerant_left]

Our county has a program that costs $20 and you go to an hour long class on rain barrels, then the hands-on portion is where you put most of the setup together. Then you get to take the entire barrel project home!

[kckcmctcrc]

Two tips. If you have a barrel of this size you’ll perhaps want a larger diameter out flow…. And two, you may want to consider painting it black to help block out the sunlight to reduced the growth rate of algae.

[cindycleland]

I do believe that a "how to" video should give all the details. I called my local recycling center for a barrel, they said they do get them in but they don't give them out but they would sell me an already assembled rain barrel for 40 bucks. So save yourself the time drilling, buying looking for a hole saw and call the recycling center! Also: so many comments about horrible "toxic roof water " all the plants are getting run off from the streets, decks all the rooftops in the neighborhood as well as the pesticides you neighbor sprays. Just one roof sounds pretty good!

[JoshuaG]

I wanted one of these. My mom and I got a 45 gallon trashcan. Today we got one of those bendable hoses to put at the end of the gutter and then we put it right over the hole I cut out of the lid. I also had a mesh screen I got from Amazon. It started storming. I mean crazy rain. It did so for less than an hour. We went out and water was over flowing from the can. Never in a million years would I have thought it could create that much water.

[robertnimmo]

Tommy's a brave man. If I laid my drill on the railing it would have fallen off.

[antman]

I am so glad I found this video. I didn't even know there was a diverter. I was looking to put a Gutter on the side of my garage. Thank you

[Erik_Thorsvik]

Such a cool day. I lived on the street over and as I open the door that morning I see Tom walking by and the whole crew getting ready to film.

[bblack]

"You wanna hold my valve."... Tommy smooth as butter

[tedijune]

Make sure the tape goes on the same way the threads run on the boiler fitting, so when you screw the 1” threads in, the tape stays on:-) Also, a one inch fitting with a washer screwed tight on to the inside will help the boiler fitting not leak :-)

[growmiegreenthumb]

Feeding troth from tractor supply. Lid is an old screen door. Tarp over top when it's not raining. Troth comes with a hose and drain valve built in. $50

[lifeinoregon]

It is worth pointing out that a light-colored or translucent barrel will grow algae in most cases. This will be aggravated when fed directly from a roof/gutter.

[vincecaruso]

Great to see this install and saving rainwater! See comments below on putting the diverter just below the top of the barrel to automatically prevent overflow, see product instructions. We have installed a few of these and work great.

[mikemaid]

Barrel will overflow. The inlet pipe should come in from the side about 2 inches down from the top. The diverter outlet elevation should be 1 inch higher than this so the water can flow to the barrel but when the barrel is full the excess water will backflow to the gutter.

[James_Hough]

I don't know who the producers are who choose which homeowners get on the show, but time and time again, they have proven that they are excellent at their jobs.

[CapeAnnImages]

I have one I use to keep my fish pond water fresh & topped off. I installed a spigot at the top and run a hose into the pond. Every time it rains the overflow goes into the pond. In the winter I move the hose to the bottom spigot and leave that open. That way the barrel remains empty and can't crack from freeze up.

[stevemann]

You can see water seepage on the wood deck from the great installation of the lower valve, after he fills the barrel with water. She covers the leak with the watering can before the camera pans down. Needs a bulkhead for the bottom valve installation to prevent water from leaking around the imperfect cut, Teflon tape alone won't slove this problem.

[BillBard]

Important to note that these bad boys weigh well over 600 lbs when full. So make sure if you're putting it on a deck like this that it can hold the weight!

[themaximusone]

For anyone that doesn't know place the water outlet at-least 2 inches above the bottom or on the bottom because of sludge buildup ;-)

[AJDIYNetwork]

Excellent video! Thanks for your help. With your advice and how you demonstrated your technique, I have also created my own rain harvesting here in upstate New York. I created a video that hopefully helps. Thanks again.

[hi-usdo]

Are you suppose to water vegtable gardens using roof run off water? I heard the roof tiles can leach chemicals into runoff?