{"id":521,"date":"2019-08-24T11:11:09","date_gmt":"2019-08-24T15:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raingutteraccessories.com\/?p=521"},"modified":"2021-11-17T15:20:49","modified_gmt":"2021-11-17T20:20:49","slug":"how-do-rain-barrels-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raingutteraccessories.com\/how-do-rain-barrels-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How do Rain Barrels Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Hello there my Rain Barrel Enthusiast (or should I say soon to be?)<\/p>

If you’re new to all these rain gutter accessories<\/a> I’m sure one of the questions you’ve had is how do rain barrels work?<\/p>

Regardless of how long you’ve been interested in gardening, you may not know about one very convenient must-have accessory to add to your passion for all things garden related!<\/p>

This very handy addition to your gardening experience not only can add to the curb appeal of your home it can also provide benefits to the environment.<\/p>

If you have never heard of a rain barrel, don’t worry, you are not alone. You’ve most likely seen them at your local nursery or Home Improvement Store and not really given them a second thought.<\/p>

I’m going to share with you what this somewhat plain and unusual looking barrel does, and you’ll see why they are becoming more and more popular in gardens and homes. Especially when it comes to rainwater harvesting.<\/p>

A rain barrel is exactly that; a barrel that catches rain by connecting it to your gutter or rain chains and catching all rain runoff allowing it to be stored for later use (especially during droughts or when water restrictions are in place).<\/p>

How to use a rain barrel.<\/h3>

A rain barrel is easy to install and simply needs to be hooked up to your gutter using one of a few methods (all depending on the type of rain barrel you choose to purchase).<\/p>

Once connected, turn on the spigot or tap and you’re good to go: any rain will be collected or harvested for future use.<\/p>

\"How<\/p>

It may surprise you to know that rain barrels can fill up pretty quickly, so we advise you to look into buying something to stop it from overflowing.<\/p>

You can buy a barrel gutter attachment or a DIY Rain Barrel diverter kit, both can be bought online or from your Home Improvement Store.<\/p>

Alternatively, you could buy more than one barrel and place them where rain runoff is most likely to occur, or you can connect them.<\/p>

One of the questions I was thinking about was what happens when the rain barrel overflows?<\/strong><\/p>

I found out that most rain barrels have an overflow valve near the top where the excess rainwater will drain out when the barrel is full. You can attach a hose and control where the runoff water will go. Just keep this in mind when you’re looking to purchase a rain barrel.<\/p>

Some people have numerous barrels creating an entire rain harvesting system, but I suggest starting off small and getting an understanding of your specific needs before going big.<\/p>

\"Multiple<\/p>

What do you do with rain barrels in the winter?<\/h3>

If you live in a colder climate, in other words, you get to experience the wonder of snow and below-freezing temperatures (this may or may not be sarcasm), making sure your rain barrel stays intact is not a difficult task.<\/p>

As you can imagine, freezing of the barrel will cause damage to it, as well as to some of its components. To prevent this from happening simply open the tap and let it drain slowly until it is completely empty. Once that’s is done, you can either store it in a garage<\/strong> or another indoor area<\/strong> until the winter months are over.<\/p>

You can search on YouTube for great videos on how to winterize your rain barrel but I found this one that was super simple and showed how you can do it. Of course, the steps will always be different depending on which rain barrel you have.<\/p>