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Rain barrel comparison - our review on why building a rain barrel is better then buying one
12 July 2007
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.
