Rain Barrel Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Questions:
Question:
Why is your rain barrel so hard to get inside of?
Answer:
Because people (not only children) can and do die without a secure
lid or limited entry.
UPI reported that a
"Woman
drowns in rain barrel..."
January 7, 2008.
Question:
How much rain water will I need to collect?
Answer:
General guidelines for determining how much water you might use outside:
1 watering can = 3.3 gal. (15 L)
3 ft. shrub in hot weather (1 week) = 7 gal. (32 L)
18 in. pot in hot weather (1 week) = 1.8 gal. (8 L)
40 deck pots – drip water (1 week) = 50 gal (227 L)
1 sprinkler full flow (for 1 hour) = 240 gal. (1100L)
Car washing (1/2 hour) 120 gal. = (550 L)
Pressure washing (1/2 hour) = 40 gal. (180 L)
Consider your unique outdoor water uses:
Vegetable garden
Flower pots, border planting and shrubs
Car washing and outdoor power washing or deck cleaning
Hot tub refills
Extra water reserve for fire protection and earthquakes
The greatest savings (up to 50%) are achieved by selecting drought tolerant and native plants and setting up drip watering systems.
Question:
Rain Barrel Rebates or discounts, what States offer them?
Answer:
Rain Barrel Rebates in Virginia, New Mexico, Olympia,WA
Virginia
The James City Service Authority of James City County, Virginia
in the Greater Williamsburg Area began its new Rain
Barrel Rebate January
1, 2008. JCSA will refund the purchase price of up to four rain barrels
or materials to build them, with a maximum of $50 per rain barrel.
You must be a JCSA water customer to apply.
More details can be found by contacting Environmental Education Coordinator:
(757) 253-6859 bewatersmart@james-city.va.us
=================
Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, Albuquerque, New
Mexico
Beginning April 1, 2007, the Water Conservation program will offer rebates
as part of a comprehensive outdoor rebate program. Rainwater
Harvesting rebates will be based upon the amount of rain that can
be stored:
* $25 for 50 - 149 gallons
* $50 for 150 – 299 gallons
* $75 for 300 – 499 gallons
* $100 for 500 – 999 gallons
* $125 for 1000 – 1499 gallons
$150 for 1500 gallons and over
Simply download, fill out, and
send in the Outdoor Rebate
Form.
=========================
Olympia, Washington
$20.00 rebate available: City water customers can receive a rebate
of up to $20.00 each for the purchase of up to three rain barrels.
Getting a rebate is easy. Purchase a rain barrel and submit
your rebate form with a copy of your dated receipt before December
31, 2008. Go
HERE to download the PDF rebate form. Call
(360) 753-8271 for more information.
===========================
Montgomery County, Maryland was to begin offering rebates
in 2008. No further information at this time.
Know of a similar rebate program in your community?
Contact us.
We would be happy to post it here for you.)
Question:
What kind of water pressure can I expect from a rain barrel?
Answer:
When dealing with water pressure for your rain barrel, let gravity be your friend.
The higher the elevation, the greater the water pressure at the bottom point - Ever
wonder - why those water storage towers are so darn high in the sky when you go
through a rural town? Gravity.
The Aquabarrel(TM) is designed with the rain barrel garden
hose asembly at the lowest point on the tank (under the bottom). this design
affords you the added benefit of using all the available water weight. Gravity does
the rest.
A rain barrel elevated 1 1/2 feet will discharge water
at about 1 gallon per minute, while a barrel elevated 2 feet
will flow at nearly 2 gallons per minute. While 1 to
2 gallons per minute won't run a sprinkler, it is certainly enough
to water plants with a handheld hose.
If you choose to elevate your rain barrel, make sure that it is stable and level,
and that the blocks are set on a firm, level surface. Higher is better (but be very
careful of the little people because a full barrel can weight 400 pounds+-) and if
you are in earth quake country use a metal band to secure the barrel to the side of
the building.
Lots of technical info about water pressure and irrigation can be found at
Jess Stryker's
website.
Question:
How quickly will my rain barrel fill up?
Answer:
Pretty darn quick is my experience. A half-inch of rain collected
from just a 300 square foot section of roof will fill a 55 gallon
rain barrel.
If you live in or near the Washington DC area use
this link and the math for how much water your roof will send to your
downspout be done for you! They will even tell you how many rain barrels
you will need to capture most of it!
For details on the formula used for that link click here.
Question:
Why do I need a downspout diverter?
Answer:
Downspout diverters add a touch of
class to any rain barrel installation. A downspout diverter allows
you to place the rain barrel in location other than directly in front
of the downspout. It also makes it easier to take the barrel off-line
when it is full and you want the water to continue on another path. Diverters
really come in handy for taking it off line for the winter too. Just flip
the switch.
Question:
Why do I need a downspout filter?
Answer:
Downspout filters are
great at reducing the amount and size of leaves and debris that are coming
down from the gutter headed to the rain barrel or underground drainage
system.
Question:
Can I leave the rain barrel out during the winter?
Answer:
Yes, however we suggest that you empty the rain barrel and take it
"off line" so that water
does not enter during this time.
Question:
What about mosquitos?
Answer:
Aquabarrel(TM) is not a hermetically sealed system.
It is wise to consider using Mosquito
Dunks.
We hear stories (but have yet to see a photo or confirmation)
of folks that have used guppies and feeder gold fish to combat mosquitos
and reduce algae in the tanks too. Bat houses might help too.
Question:
Why is the rain barrel overflow port so big?
Answer:
With a large overflow port, most anything that gets into the rain barrel that
floats will float out the huge overflow port. With 6 square inches of water coming
down the downspout, this overflow port can re-direct all of it.
Question:
What is not included in the price you show on the website?
Answer:
NOT Included: level, elevated platform (shown as a wooden platform
in the promotional photo - most folks are using a couple of cinder blocks),
Flex A Spout diverter (shown in the promotional photo as a white plastic
pipe attached to the downspout and terminating at the black adapter mounted
on the top of the barrel), 4-inch diameter black corrugated hose (appears
in the photo attached to the left side of the barrel), garden hose (appears
coiled in the bottom left corner of the promotional photo)
Question:
Do you install?
Answer:
Installation services are only available
in the Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC at this time.
Question:
Can I link more than one rain barrel together?
Answer:
Yes, you can, check out the linking kit.
Question:
Why is shipping so expensive for a rain barrel?
Answer:
Our products are very large and do not weigh very much. We are charged
"Dimensional Wgt." and "Over Girth" fees. The additional
charges from UPS, DHL and others include: Not shipping in a cardboard box
(no we did not make that up), shipping to a residence address,
and fuel surcharges.
Question:
Can I drink the water from my rain barrel?
Answer:
No!
Question:
What type of maintenance is required?
Answer:
The barrel will require periodic cleaning. A safe cleaning solution is
2 teaspoons of castile soap and 2 teaspoons of vinegar per gallon of water
or 2 teaspoons of lemon juice per gallon of water.
Do not use a rain barrel if you use chemical moss killers, spray
a large volume pesticides or herbicides, have a Zinc anti-moss
strip on your roof, or if your roof is made with treated cedar
shakes. These products are toxic chemicals that you might not
want to store in your rain barrel.
Question: Where
are your Aquabarrel rain barrels made?
Answer:
Fabrication of an Aquabarrel Rain Barrel is completed in Gaithersburg,
MD. Parts and pieces are purchased from USA sources (some items are imported
to them) So we are comfortable with the Made in the USA label.
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