Spring has finally sprung here in Minnesota, and it’s the perfect time to set up my rain barrels. My rain barrels have been in storage all winter, and I’ve really missed them. I’m excited to get to use them again! It sounds like it’s a big, complex task… but installing a rain barrel is actually pretty easy. Follow my simple rain barrel setup instructions to get yours ready to go…
I love to use my rain barrels for harvesting rainwater, and use the water all the time during the summer! Rainwater is the healthiest type of water you can use for your plants and gardens, and a rain barrel can really be helpful during periods of drought.
I use the rainwater I collect to water my summer containers and my houseplants, watering the gardens, and also for filling up my pond when the water gets low.
If you don’t have a rain barrel yet, but want to get one, here’s a really cute decorative one that would be great for beginners, and you can shop for more here.
Where To Put Your Rain Barrel
Before setting up a rain barrel, you’ll need to decide where to put it. Look at all of the downspouts on your house, shed or garage, and choose one that is in a location that’s easy to get to.
The ground under the downspout should be fairly level, so consider that when selecting the spot for your rain barrel too.
Related Post: The Benefits Of A Rain Barrel
You’ll also need a few tools for setting up a rain barrel. A level would be a very helpful tool to use to make sure the rain barrel is level. You will need to remove parts of the downspout, so grab a ladder and a screwdriver too.
Downspout Before Setting Up My Rain Barrel
Easy Rain Barrel Setup Steps
1. Remove the downspout. This is where the ladder and the screwdriver will come in handy. Find a seam in the gutter that is close to where the top of the rain barrel will be and simply unscrew the downspout to remove it.
Tubing Replaces The Downspout
2. Level the rain barrel. Once the rain barrel is full of water, it will get really heavy. You want it to be as level as possible so it won’t fall over. Place the rain barrel in the spot where it will sit to see how level it is.
You may need to dig out or add soil to the spot to level out the rain barrel. Consider adding a couple of concrete blocks under the rain barrel to raise it off the ground and make it easier to get the water out. Elevating the rain barrel also helps with water pressure.
Rain Barrel Elevated With Hose Attached
3. Add flexible downspout tubing to direct the rainwater into the rain barrel (here’s the downspout tubing I use). Secure the tubing using the screws from the original downspout so it won’t blow away.
You may need to drill or poke holes in the tubing in order to screw it to the gutter. Adjust the tubing so it empties into the rain barrel.
Flexible Tubing For Rain Barrel
4. Control the overflow. My rain barrels have an overflow spout near the top. I don’t want the overflow valve to empty out next to the house, so I use a cut off piece of an old hose to control the overflow.
At the bottom of this picture, you can see the hose goes into the hole where the original downspout drains normally.
If you have concerns about water leaking into your basement, you can buy a downspout diverter attachment that will allow the excess water to flow through your gutter like it normally would, once the rain barrel is full.
You can also find rain barrel diverter kits to make installing your rain barrel even easier.
Rain Barrel Overflow
That’s it! My rain barrel setup is complete, and I’m ready to start harvesting rainwater for my plants! See, I told you that setting up a rain barrel is really easy.
Related Post: How Do Rain Barrels Work?
Rain Barrel all set up
More Rain Barrel Setup Tips
- If you live in a warm climate, your rain barrel can stay in place year round (although you may want to drain it and rinse it out a few times a year). But, if you’re in a cold climate like me, it needs to be drained and stored every the fall. To overwinter my rain barrels, I completely drain them and remove the spigots before freezing temperatures arrive. After emptying the rain barrel, I simply replace the section of downspout I removed in the spring.
- My rain barrels are the kind that fill up through the top, which is wide open. In order to keep the debris from the roof out, (and also keep mosquitoes from breeding in my rain barrels), I found some old screen material in the garage and cut it to fit over the opening, then I secured it under the lid.
- To make it easier for filling water jugs and watering, I use a cut off piece of old hose and attach it to the spigot on my rain barrel.
Screen Covers Hole In Top Of Rain Barrel
Do you have a rain barrel? Tell me about your rain barrel setup in the comments below.
PlantPostings says
I've been meaning to set one up. I think this might be the year. Such a great idea!
Amy - Get Busy Gardening says
Hi PlantPosting! If you decide to get one, I know you'll love it!! I use the water in mine for everything during the summer and miss it when they are empty. Good luck!
Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes says
Hi Amy,
I'm setting up 2 rain barrels this year. (Very excited!!) I am wondering how you attached the spigots to your rain barrels, they look homemade and a great idea. I will probably be filling up a watering can as opposed to using a hose so a spigot would be handy.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Sam
Amy Andrychowicz says
Hi Sam,
Mine aren't homemade, I bought them. But, I believe you could buy spigots like this at your local home/hardware store (HD, Lowe's…etc). Once you find the spigots, you would buy a drill bit the same size and drill the hole. The holes in mine are just drilled in like this. You can buy special tape for the end of the spigot that you screw into the hole, that will help seal it
Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes says
Thanks Amy! I'm going to give that a try. (Sorry I meant adding the spigots looked like something you did 😉 )
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great, hope it works out for you! Let me know how it goes.
michael smith says
I have in-the-ground rain barrel/cisterns than collect rain water. They do no have lids though and end up filled with debris and mosquito larvae. Is there a source for lids? Thanks.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Could you use a piece of screen material like I do? Check at your local hardware store, they might have a stronger material that would work better for your larger system.
Amy
Hazel Casillas says
We are in So Cal where we are experiencing horrible drought and our City provided 2 rain barrels per household, the instruction are a picture which isn’t very helpful. Your utube is great, but I don’t know how to set the barrel up to overflow to the 2nd barrel.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wow, that’s wonderful that your city provided rain barrels for you! Awesome! It’s hard to know how your rain barrels can be chained together, because they’re all so different. There should be an overflow valve of some kind toward the top of the rainbarrel, mine has a hole where I attach a spigot for overflow. If I was going to chain mine together, I would put the second rain barrel right next to the first one, and have it a few inches lower (so gravity can help). Then I would attach a short piece of hose to that overflow spigot on the first rain barrel, and put the end of the hose so that the water will empty into the second rain barrel. There are also attachments you can buy for certain types of rain barrels that you can use to chain them together. Good luck!
Lori says
What size is recommended for a good size rain barrel?
Amy Andrychowicz says
It depends on what you’re planning to use it for. I have two 55 gallon rain barrels, and one of them provides more than enough water to keep my containers and houseplants watered all summer. I use the other barrel to top off my small pond, or use it for watering parts of my garden. If you want to be able to water an entire garden, then you will need something much larger (depending on the size of your garden). But, if you’re just looking for a basic rain barrel that you can use to water your containers and houseplants, then a 50-60 gallon size would be perfect.