Goldfish in a rain barrel - update
Written on 10 November 2008 by adminWell the goldfish experiment has been a great success! We decided that the fish would be better off as one big happy family in one big barrel so we transferred them from the smaller clean barrel. Not only have the fish been keeping the rain barrel free of mosquito larva they have almost all doubled in size. We still have 12 of the original 15 fish in the barrel, we have moved 2 to an inside fish tank and sadly we lost one when my son over fed the ones in his room.
Leaving the lid off the barrels has lead to a couple interesting problems that I had not really thought about when we started out. The biggest problem is that much of the debris from the roof has been making its way into the barrel. When I build our rain barrels I always put double screening on the intake, a fine window screen to keep the bugs out and a stronger, wider screen to reinforce the bug screen so that if larger object landed on top the screen would not break. I have always thought of the screen as a way to keep bugs out but it is equally important for filtering the water so that you don’t end up with what I expect will be a big lump of sludge at the bottom of the barrel.
Another problem is that animals can get to the contents of the barrel if they really try. Ordinarily I don’t think that there is much that a raccoon would find interesting in one of these barrels but I suspect that once they find out that there is a fresh fish market in the backyard they may at least poke their nose in to check it out. Hopefully if one falls in he know how to swim.
If you are in Ottawa you know about the snow storm that we had at the end of October. It turns out that the lid good for keeping snow out as well. I have a stick by the barrel to break ice but I did not have a plan for scooping out slush and snow. This is important because we are feeding them now that the bug season is over so we need to keep some surface area to drop the food in. I am sure that this will become more of a challenge once winter really rolls in.
The plan for the winter is to move a few more inside to live in a regular tank and to tend to the remaining few outside by breaking ice and dropping in fish food daily.
Goldfish in a Rain Barrel
Written on 21 July 2008 by adminI have read a bit about people putting a 1″ gold fish in their rain barrels and having it grow to 6″ long. There is also the added bonus that they eat mosquito larvae as well! We don’t have mosquito problems with our barrels but the idea of having fish living in there was too good to pass up. My kids wanted to get a fish for their bedrooms so during our trip to the local pet store I decided that we would make this into a more interesting experiment. The standard Comet Goldfish cost 27 cents at the Petsmart so we decided to pick up 15 of them. Each kid got 2 to put in a bowl in their rooms, the other 11 got dumped into our rain barrels.
We have 3 habitats set up:
1 - A regular 220L rain barrel that has been emptied and filled a few times this year with 6 goldfish in it.
2 - A perfectly clean new 60L barrel with 5 goldfish in it.
3 - The kids fishbowls
I have also heard that the can survive the winter as well. I have my doubts about if they will survive an Ottawa winter but we will see.
It will be interesting to see which ones are happiest.
Why I am beginning to hate olives
Written on 15 July 2008 by adminWe have been getting more requests for rain barrels this summer then I would have ever expected. This is great! It feels good knowing that we have helped people conserve thousands of liters or water.
But with all of this progress there is a down side. I am really beginning to hate olives! You see, the barrels that we use are reclaimed plastic barrels that are used to transport olives over from Spain. When we get them off the lot they may have been sitting out in the sun for days, even weeks. When you finally open up the barrel you get a blast of hot olive stench in your face. By the time I finish cleaning them all I can smell is olives. My dinner smells like olives, my kids smell like olives, all I can smell is olives! That is why I hate olives!
We have found that the best way to clean them out is some good eco friendly, phosphate free dish soap, a couple of shots with the hose and a good scrubbing. Then let them sit out in the sun for a couple of days to let them air out. Don’t forget the threads in the lid.
The initial cleaning is important because otherwise your first barrel full of water will be a bit yucky and you may develop a dislike of olives just like I have (if you don’t already hate them)
4 rain barrels for sale
Written on 23 June 2008 by adminWe have 4 rain barrels left over from this weekend that did not get picked up. They are available for $70 each
These rain barrels are built from reused 55 gallon (220 L) food grade olive barrels. We use new mesh screen to reinforce the water intake and have aluminum window screen on to to keep the bugs out. We use all recycled parts except for the brass spigot and the connector for the overflow assembly. For pictures see one of our previous posts
Please keep in mind that these barrels are made from used barrels and may not be cosmetically perfect. We do guarantee that the barrels are structurally sound and suited for use as a rain barrel.
These barrels available for pick in the Ottawa area. We will deliver to Kanata, Stittsville, Barrhaven, Nepean and downtown Ottawa for a small fee.
Drop me a line at chris@buildabarrel.com. These tend to go quick.
Give Away Weekend - Ottawa
Written on 3 June 2008 by adminThis post is not rain barrel related, it is a plug for a great event that happens twice a year in Ottawa.
Give Away Weekend - Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8, 2008
Give Away Weekend is when you put any useful, unwanted items at the end of your driveway to give away to whomever wants them. What you think might be junk may be another persons treasure. Old building materials, toys, etc that are taking up space in your home can be given a new home where they will be used and loved. We found some great stuff cruising around our neighborhood last year. I was in need of some cinder block to elevate our barrels and I found 4 just down the street.
I recommend hopping on your bike and cruising around your neighborhood this weekend. You never know what you might find!
Envirosponsible in Whitby, Ontario
Written on 3 May 2008 by adminThis is a plug for a person/company who is one making a difference when it comes to making recycled rain barrels available to the general public. This is the description of the company Envirosponsible as provided by owner Chad Pescod.
“I’ve opened a store in Whitby, Ontario selling used building supplies, rain barrels and composters.
For the rain barrels, I’ve purchased over 600 used olive barrels and washed and tapped them with solid brass fittings. Our community has embraced my business with open arms, and there are now over 150 rain barrels in the community collecting water every time it rains. I should think there’ll be another 500 out there after this upcoming season.
The least expensive ones I sell are only $40-which is the lowest price I’ve ever seen for this type of rain barrel. My site has info, pics and videos www.envirosponsible.com “
Spring is here…. or is it already summer?
Written on 24 April 2008 by admin
Now that spring is finally here it is time to get back to the garden and get the rain barrels hooked back up. Fortunately we disconnected our barrels for the winter. With the amount of snow on our roof the runoff would have filled hundreds of barrels. The unfortunate part is that we hooked them back up too late and now our barrels are dry. So much for April showers…
Our barrel design has handled the winter very well. we had one that was buried under about 7 feet of snow, one that was out in the open and one that just sat in it place disconnected from the downspout. The few inches of water that froze inside did not seem to do any damage.
We will be building a few rain barrels this year that we will be selling to those that want one. If you are interested drop us a line.
Source for barrels in Calgary Alberta
Written on 24 April 2008 by adminI had a reader forward this info on to me. These are not the exact type of barrels that we prefer to use but in the absence of any other options these will certainly do the trick.
Calgary Plastic Container Supply Ltd.
1000 - 55 Ave. N.E.
Calgary Alberta T2E 6Y4
Phone 403-273-0170
Fax 403-273-0278
A good rain barrrel resource
Written on 12 February 2008 by adminWe received an email from Rebecca in MN. She and her husband have been building rain barrels for quite a while now. It is worth checking out her site.
http://home.comcast.net/
A bit about Rebecca
“First I started gardening. Then I became more interested in the beauty, low maintenance, and ecological benefits of native plants. I’ve always been somewhat ecologically minded and my growing experience led me to want to use rain barrels. Finding that many of the commercial ones at the time (2003) had design flaws as well as high cost, My Labor Pool (aka husband) and I set out to make our own. After hours of planning and store trips to see what supplies are readily available we made a total of 8 barrels for our home use. They work great, don’t cost a lot, and are kind of fun to put together. One of the best features turned out to be the large overflow we installed. With many places reporting less frequent but heavier rainfalls, a large overflow is important to avoid excessive water next to your house’s foundation. Our informational website has directions and pictures to guide you in building your own rain barrels, a rainfall collection calculator and other useful information.”
Rain barrel water is not for kiddy pools
Written on 13 September 2007 by adminWhile on a trip to Boston a couple of days ago, I found myself watching a show discussing the merits of rain barrels on the local news. The host discussed the many uses of the water you collect. Things like watering your lawn and plants, washing your car and filling a bird bath. The one option she mentioned that I totally disagree with was using the water to fill up a kids inflatable swimming pool.
Rain barrel water is not fit for human consumption. If you are catching the water off your roof you are bring down any contaminants that are up there which CAN include bird/animal droppings, rotting organic matter and any chemical or treatment that may have been applied to your roof. Plus if the water has been stagnant in the barrel for a while bacteria can form. Kids in pools tend to ingest water without any hesitation so in my opinion it is best not to fill the pool from the rain barrel.
I probably wouldn’t fill my dog’s water dish from the barrel either, but then again any creature who can drinks out of a lake, river or toilet just might be able to handle it.
Food Grade Barrels in Hamilton, Ontario
Written on 13 August 2007 by adminWe got an email today from Recycling Service in Hamilton, Ontario. They have a large amount of salvaged barrels for sale that are perfect for building rain barrels. They also plan to start selling rain barrels in spring 2008. As always call or email beforehand to make sure that they have what you are looking for.
Recycling Service
250B Lottridge St.
Hamilton ON Canada L8L 8J8
(905) 516-1877 cell
(905) 545-5577 phone
(905) 525-5577 fax
RecyclingService@cogeco.net
www.RecyclingService.ca
Capacity, capacity, must have more capacity!!
Written on 11 August 2007 by adminThis month has been a very dry month. We have have had lots of blue sky which has been great for just sitting in our yard but not so good for our gardens. If we hadn’t installed our 3 rain barrels we would have been using the hose long ago. But now as the summer wears on we are finding that the water level in our rain barrels has begun to dwindle and we are beginning to wonder…what are we going to do when we run out of rain water? Should we start to use the hose to make sure that our “crops” survive?
Well the answer is simple really, we need more capacity!!
We have been building rain barrels for a few people around town but not until now did it occur to me that maybe I need to build a couple more for ourselves. It seems that we go through about 100 gallons of water a week for just the veggie garden. This does not include any shrubs or other decorative type plants and certainly not the lawn. This actually surprised me a bit as we only have 64 square feet to cover.
So I guess I know what I need to do before the next rain, get a couple more barrels hooked up to the overflows of our existing barrels.
Rain Barrels for Sale - Ottawa area - SOLD
Written on 31 July 2007 by adminWe have 2 rain barrels available for sale right now that are left over from a batch that we built for some people.
220 L (55 Gallon) rain barrel. These barrels have been built using all recycled parts except for the brass spigot and the hardware for the overflow. This is your standard DIY rain barrel and is about as green as you can get for a rain barrel. They aren’t the prettiest but they blend in to most landscapes nicely.
They will accept a standard garden hose on the spigot which makes it work work well for drip irrigation. Give your garden the non-chlorinated rainwater it deserves!
send us an email to chris [at] buildabarrel.com if you are interested. (replace [at] with @)
Available in the Ottawa area only. Pick up preferred
2 piece lid vs 1 piece lid - Which is better?
Written on 25 July 2007 by admin
As of a result of our experimentation we have determined that for our use, the 55 Gallon (220 L) olive barrels are the best option for the do it yourself rain barrel builder. They are the least expensive and require the least amount of modification.
Generally these food grade barrels come with either a one piece lid or a 2 piece lid (mason jar style). Which kind of barrel should you get? Well it depends…
We have found that there is a greater availability of the one piece lids in Ottawa so for that reason alone it is just easier to get the one piece. There is a catch, unless you want to do more elaborate downspout modification where you get tubing that will fit directly into “fill hole” (for lack of a better term) you will have to do some cutting. We cut a hole that is 6-8 inches in diameter in the center of the lid using a drill to create a starter hole and then use a small saw or reciprocating saw. Doing this manually does require a bit of elbow grease so if you have a power saw use it, this will cut down your build time considerably. Having the extra plastic around the edge makes attaching the screening easier as you do not have to be as precise.
The 2 piece lids are nice because the allow for a larger opening for water to pour in and cleaning debris off is a bit easier. You do need to be more precise when attaching the screen to the edges because you have a lot less edge to work with.
So far we have had success with both lids although I do prefer the method that requires less work, the 2 piece lid but I would not sacrifice barrel quality just to get the 2 piece lid for our rain barrels.
One piece barrel lid with no screen installed
One piece lid with screen installed
Two piece lid with screen installed
Not the best rain barrel in world but it works!
Written on 21 July 2007 by adminA few weeks ago I decided that it would be a good exercise to try out some different rain barrel designs. It seems that many people only have access to the large white or blue barrels that are used for transporting detergent and soft drink syrup as opposed to the olive barrels that we have been using. Many of the companies that sell rain barrels commercially use these barrels probably due to the fact that it is much easier to obtain them.
Before I start, there are a couple of gotchas that you need to watch out for with these barrels:
1 - Getting the top of is hard work. This means that it is much more difficult to secure the spigot from inside the barrel.
2 - They are $10 more the expensive then the olive barrels (in Ottawa)
3 - White barrels do allow some light through the plastic which can promote algae growth in the water (we learned this one after only 2 weeks)
These barrels are not well suited if all you want to do is cut your down spout and use an elbow joint to angle the water to the top of the barrel. I supposed we could have just cut a hole in the top like we do when we are using an olive barrel with a one piece lid but the plastic is very thick and cutting it even with a power saw would have been imprecise and labour intensive.
We went to RONA and bought an eaves trough end piece and 2 plastic elbow joint to catch the water an divert it into the barrel. The overflow and spigot were the standard issue that we have used for our other barrels. This help get around having to heavily modify our downspouts. Then we simply attached the metal screening on the top. See photo below.
One thing that my son and I did was to paint the barrel. We bought some plastic safe spray paint and went at it. This helped to dull down the blinding white colour so that it would blend in to the landscape a bit better. This was fun but costly. We used 2 cans of spray paint @ $7.00 each. I know using spray paint is not very green but so far, neither is this barrel 
In the end the barrel in working fine except for a bit of algae growth but it cost us close to $40 more then had we used a regular olive barrel. It also took us more then an hour more to build it and 10 minutes more to wash it out.
I am sure that with a more sophisticated diversion system this type of barrel would be fine, but in the end it cost us quite a bit more time and money then the ones we had built previously. Perhaps that is why the commercial companys charge $150 USD for a barrel when and we can charge people from $60-70.
Here is our finished product:
Jakacki Bag & Barrel, Inc - Recycled barrels in Chicago, IL
Written on 19 July 2007 by adminJakacki Bag and Barrel, Inc
Jackaki sells reconditioned and new fiber, plastic and steel drums in all sizes and types. I am not sure about what they charge so it would be best to call them at 800-760-DRUM
Jakacki Bag and Barrel
4607 W Lexington Street
Chicago, IL 60644
(773) 287-6100
Rain barrel comparison - our review on why building a rain barrel is better then buying one
Written on 12 July 2007 by admin
When we began our research into what types of barrel we could use for our home we found that there were many options available. Each option was evaluated against the following criteria:
Cost - Ultra expensive to downright dirt cheap.
Work involved - Ready out of the box or do it yourself (DIY)
Aesthetic - How good (or bad) would it look in our yard.
Effectiveness - Would the barrel be effective and serve our need?
The “green” factor - The eco-footprint associated with our choice.
Availability - How easily could we get what we wanted.
We then ranked each of the criteria on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the highest score) and then factored our own preference in to the decision making process. Yes, we are aware that this is not the most scientific method of evaluating which barrel is the best but this is not as much a scientific study as it is based on our own opinions and experience.
Option 1 - Get a garbage can and let it fill with water
cost: 4
work: 3
Effectiveness: 2
Green: 2
Availability: 5
Pros: This option turned out to be better then we thought it would be. We figured we could get an old can and reuse it but we found it difficult to find a garbage can that nobody wanted that did not have a hole in it (it can then be a terrific composter). A used can would have bumped up the green factor up by extending the useful life of can but in the end a new can was the best option.Garbage cans are pretty cheap these days and you can find one at any home store (Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Rona, Lowes, etc). Setting one up is easy, simply divert your down spout in to the garbage can and away you go. These are great for people who want to just dunk their watering can in and go.
Cons: Without screening off the top you are leaving yourself open to becoming a mosquito breeding ground as well as much of the debris from your roof ends up in the can. The can are usually too flimsy to have a spigot attached to them, of course this will vary according to the quality of can you buy. People keep throwing garbage in it, it is a garbage can after all. The capacity is a bit low (usually about 25 gal or 95 L).
Option 2 - Factory built new barrel from a rain barrel company.
cost: 1
work: 4
Effectiveness: 4
Green: 2
Availability: 3
Pros: Ready to work out of the box. Simply follow the assembly instructions, divert your water and away you go! These barrels usually look great and are molded into a more aesthetically pleasing form that will blend in with you landscape. They are designed to keep the bugs out and usually have a decent overflow system that will keep water away from your foundation. They can usually be adapted to work with an irrigation system or be used to fill up a watering can via the spigot.
Cons: These are expensive costing anywhere from $80-$200! If you are like us and have 5 barrels on our property this could become VERY costly. It would be difficult to recoup your expenses through water savings alone. They are available at most home and garden centers but of you have to order online expect to add another $50 to the cost for shipping. Unless the company that makes them use recycled plastics then they are not very green either.
Option 3 - Buy a rain barrel built from reclaimed barrels
cost: 3
work: 3
Effectiveness: 4
Green: 3
Availability: 2
Pros: For those have better things to do with their time then build their own rain barrel this is a great option. The cost is usually half that of a new barrel and usually has the same features as the new barrel. The green factor is improved as most barrels are built from discarded food grade drums or barrels
Cons: Not every city has a rain barrel maker and ordering online has the same cost implications as the new barrel. They may not be as nice looking . Depending on the barrel builder they may be painted to look like new. Since these are reused barrels they tend to be a bit scuffed up. A good pressure washer with some eco-friendly dish washing soap with usually clean these up to a level of respectability.
Option 4 - Build you own using a food grade barrel (55 gal/220 L)
cost: 4
work:2
Effectiveness: 2-4
Green: 4
Availability: 2
Pros: This is our favorite one! With the wealth on information available online finding instructions is easy. We are even going to post our own configuration on this site. There are many excellent configurations that can be adapted to suit your need. Most small-medium sized cities have a company that resells the barrels. If you use scrap aluminum screening, a piece of old garden hose and a reused barrel the only thing you should have to buy new are the spigot and overflow assembly. How effective you barrel will be depends on the type of barrel you use and how well you build it. All of this should not cost you more then $30.
Cons: This will take some time. I am fairly handy and the first barrel I built took me about 2 hours! It takes some tinkering as you may not find the exact parts that you instructions you are following tell you to get. Each type of barrel comes with its own challenge and sometime some experimentation may be necessary. This is worth it if you are building more then one. Cleaning these barrels can be a task unto itself, depending on the previous contents. It is usually best to let the barrel sit full of clean water for a couple of days to help clean it out.
In the end we found that using old olive barrels was the best. Once you get the olive smell out of the barrel it can be easily modified to add a spigot, overflow and screened intake. Finding the right parts can be a bit of a challenge depending on where you live.
Rain Barrels and The Toilet
Written on 9 July 2007 by adminThis summer we have been building basic DIY rain barrels for people who have asked. Today we sold one to a gentleman who was using one for using one for more then just watering the garden. It seems that he just bought a cottage up in Northern Ontario and has decided that a rain barrel would be great for flushing his toilet.
Normally we would recommend buying one of our Multoa composting toilets for this type of application as it is much more environmentally friendly but at least he is not using a gas generator to pull the water from the lake!
I have asked him to send me pictures of the configuration, when he does I will post them here.
Used food grade barrels and drums - Brampton, Ontario (Toronto)
Written on 9 July 2007 by adminIf you are looking for barrels that you can use and you live in the Toronto area you can try Rin Enterprises Ltd located in Brampton, Ontario (Canada)
They have an assortment of used and new plastic and metal food grade barrels and drums. We have never bought anything from them so we can not vouch for them but judging by their website they seem to have what most people would be looking for. As usual we recommend using the Screw Top Plastic Drums w/ Lids - 220 Litre that they offer as that is the barrel that we have had the most success with.
We are not sure what they charge but anything under $20 is a fair price for a grade B barrel.
Always call ahead. Here is their contact info:
Tel: (905) 790-3266
Cell: (647) 207-3266
or (647) 208-3266
Fax: (905) 790-3268
Brampton, ON Canada
What is a rain barrel good for?
Written on 8 July 2007 by adminWith the rising cost of municipal water and watering restrictions becoming more common during the summer months many people are looking for new ways to keep their gardens watered and their lawns green. The rain barrel is fast becoming the best solution for rural and urban gardeners. Rainwater can help to improve the health of your gardens, lawns, and trees. Rain is a naturally soft water and devoid of minerals, chlorine, fluoride, and other chemicals. In fact Chlorine is used to rid water of bacteria and harmful biological organisms and it is many of those organism that make your gardens healthy and strong.
Water is not an infinite resource as many people believe. In many areas of North America demand for water is starting to outpace the rate at which mother nature can replenish the supply. Have you ever watched the amount of rain that comes down in your gutters during a heavy rain storm? Now imagine having that water available from your rain barrel for your garden during those 2 week long dry spells. When you do the math we are talking about significant amounts of water being saved every year. For every inch of rain that falls on a catchment area of 1,000 square feet, you can expect to collect approximately 600 gallons of rainwater!
Top 4 reasons why we decided to use rain barrels:
1 - Rain water is good for our garden. It is warm and chemical free.
2 - It saves us money
3 - We had a lot of fun trying out different building configurations using different barrel types.
4 - Good for the environment.
We will be adding as much information to this site as we can. If you have some interesting info about rainwater collection or rain barrels in general we would love to hear from you. If you have pictures or an interesting configuration we would love to post it on this site to share with everyone. Help us spread the word!
