Install a Rain Barrel

Healthy plants need the right amount of water. Consider using water from a rain barrel collection system. It’s a natural and efficient way of watering and can help save you money.

Preparation

A rain barrel system is a simple setup that connects to your home’s downspout(s), capturing rain water from your roof. There are a number of ways to set up a rain barrel system.

  • Our method uses two trash cans to catch more water, but you can always cut back to just one barrel or add more to your system.
  • If building a rain barrel system sounds like something that you’re not comfortable doing, you can also buy ready-made rain barrels.

TIP: One inch of rain on a 2,000 square-foot roof is 1,246 gallons of water (2,000 square feet x 144 square inches per square foot / 231 cubic inches per gallon). Allowing 20% loss for evaporation, runoff and splash, that’s about 1,000 gallons for every 1 inch of rainfall.

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Locating the Raing Barrels

To start, choose a location for the barrels. It should be under a downspout in an unobtrusive area, like the backyard. Select a spot that’s level and a little higher than your yard. If you can’t do that, level the ground and position concrete blocks to elevate the barrels. The barrels will have to be high enough to allow you access with a watering can. If needed, you can also attach a small garden hose to the rain barrel spigot to easily fill your watering can.

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Preparing the Downspout and Barrels

01 Remove the tapered tip of the downspout, if any.

02 Cut the downspout with a hacksaw or tin snips where the new spouting will connect to the existing downspout.

03 Reroute the spouting to Barrel 1.

  • Lowe’s carries a variety of downspout components to redirect the spouting.

04 Cut a hole in the lid using a hole saw.

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05 Insert an atrium grate on the lid.

06 Drill holes around both barrels, just below the lids, with a 1” Forstner bit. These are relief holes for overflow water. You can also drill 1” holes on the lids as well.

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07 Install a screen mesh over the holes to protect against insects.

  • Rough up the area around the holes with sandpaper.
  • Apply a bead of silicone sealant around all the holes.
  • Attach a piece of mesh.

TIP: Remember that roof runoff water is unfiltered and can include leaves and other organic debris as well as chemicals from treated roofing materials.

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Connecting the Barrels

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01 Drill a 1" hole approximately 1" from the bottom of each barrel with the Forstner bit.

02 Apply silicone sealant around the inside and outside of the holes.

03 Place an O ring on each adapter.

04 Insert the adapters into the holes and place O rings on the insides of both rain barrels.

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05 Screw a threaded coupling onto each adapter.

06 Apply another coat of sealant to the O ring joints and allow to cure.

07 Cut five 2" lengths of PVC pipe.

08 Apply PVC primer to the inside of the adapter and the outside of one end of PVC pipe.

09 Apply PVC cement to the inside of the adapter and the outside of the pipe, about 1" from the end.

  • Wear latex gloves when working with PVC primer or cement.

10 Insert the cemented end into the adapter and rotate one-quarter turn.

11 Apply primer and cement to the other end of the PVC pipe and inside of the fitting.

12 Place the fitting on the pipe and rotate one-quarter turn.

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12 Place the fitting on the pipe and rotate one-quarter turn.

13 Repeat this process for Barrel 2.

14 Allow the primer and cement to cure.

Attaching the Drain

01 Select a position for the drain on Barrel 2 that will allow easy access with a watering can.

02 Drill a 1" hole in Barrel 2 for the drain.

03 Install O rings, couplings and adapters just as you did with the other holes.

04 Follow the same process using PVC primer and cement to attach the remaining parts of the drain in this order:

  • 2" length of pipe
  • PVC ball valve socket
  • A piece of PVC pipe
  • Elbow
  • Another piece of pipe
  • Fitting

TIP: Another option is to purchase a manufactured spigot from Lowe’s.

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05 Allow the primer and cement to cure.

Finishing the Installation

01 Position the barrels.

02 Connect the two barrels with a washer connection hose.

03 Put the lids on the rain barrels, fitting the downspout on the atrium grate.

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That’s all there is to installing rain barrels. Recycling rain water is an easy way to save on water costs, while providing your landscape with the natural hydration it needs. For other home improvement projects, including how to plan and install a waterwise landscape, visit Lowes.com/Videos.

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Project Details
Skill Level: Advanced
Rough cost estimate: $105*
Rough time estimate: 3 to 4 days
Hardware and Supplies
  • 2 (32-gallon) trash cans (#46994)
  • 1 (3-inch) atrium grate (#110855)
  • silicone sealant
  • 1 package #15 O rings (#198973)
  • 3 (3/4-inch) Sch-40 adapters (#23856)
  • 3 (3/4-inch) Sch-40 threaded couplings (#23862)
  • 1 (3/4-inch) Sch-40 PVC pipe (#23972)
  • 1 (4-ounce) can of purple primer (#23778)
  • 3 (3/4-inch) PVC fittings (#194636)
  • 1 (4-ounce) can of PVC cement (#23464)
  • washer connection hose (#124640)
  • 1 (3/4-inch) PVC ball valve socket (#21485)
  • 1 (3/4-inch) Sch-40 elbow (#23868)
Tools
  • drill/driver with a 1-inch Forstner bit and a 3-inch hole saw attachment
  • PVC cutter
  • tape measure
  • pencil

*Does not include labor costs or applicable taxes, which vary by market, or the cost of tools.

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