Attaching a rain barrel to your gutter downspout is quite simple. Set up a rain barrel with a diverter and overflow to capture rain water runoff coming off your roof. Water collection can be used to water your plants in your garden and save on water bills. I’ll build a rain barrel stand, install a rain barrel, and then attach a diverter into the gutter downspout.
As a point of explanation: The barrel I used was a free used (salvaged) one, so that’s why it’s missing its proper lid and why it already has a spigot attached. I used the netting as a temporary cover to keep mosquitoes out. My salvaged barrel came with a defunct overflow pipe sticking out near the top of it already, and I just blocked that off and ignored it. Your barrel won’t have that! You can purchase a new rain barrel that already has the spigot attached, or you can buy a surplus food grade barrel off someplace like CraigsList or Facebook Marketplace and then install your own spigot.
0:00 Intro and supplies you’ll need
0:32 Prepare the ground
1:08 Stack the base
2:35 Orient the barrel and determine where to drill
3:00 Diverter kit contains the bits you need
3:35 Drill the hole into the barrel
4:26 Drill the hole into the downspout
5:44 Insert the gutter diverter gasket
6:32 Attach the hose
6:49 Put the cover on
7:25 Newton is not interested
Products:
Downspout diverter kit: amzn.to/3UYG8AA
55 gallon rain barrel with spigot: amzn.to/49Apxr4
Rain barrel spigot only: amzn.to/49vQrR9
Mesh rain barrel drawstring cover: amzn.to/3UUE1h6
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