Comments on: Rain barrels – the gift that keeps on giving http://www.begreenminded.com/2010/07/rain-barrels-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rain-barrels-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving Changing the world, one person at a time. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:36:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jessica http://www.begreenminded.com/2010/07/rain-barrels-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/comment-page-1/#comment-718 Jessica Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:23:09 +0000 http://www.begreenminded.com/?p=1460#comment-718 TIPS: for the bugs, pick up a pack of mosquito dunks... they are at your hardware store, just ask for them. They work like magic. Also, to keep algae at bay and reduce the funky smell your water is likely to get, add a few cap fulls (to a full barrel) of bleach. It wont harm your plants. If you havent already bought one but are looking... consider where the spout on the barrel is located... you will want one with the spout as low to the bottom of the barrel as possible so you can get as much water out as possible! We love ours! TIPS: for the bugs, pick up a pack of mosquito dunks… they are at your hardware store, just ask for them. They work like magic. Also, to keep algae at bay and reduce the funky smell your water is likely to get, add a few cap fulls (to a full barrel) of bleach. It wont harm your plants.

If you havent already bought one but are looking… consider where the spout on the barrel is located… you will want one with the spout as low to the bottom of the barrel as possible so you can get as much water out as possible!

We love ours!

]]> By: Zbigniew Grabowski http://www.begreenminded.com/2010/07/rain-barrels-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/comment-page-1/#comment-716 Zbigniew Grabowski Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:13:23 +0000 http://www.begreenminded.com/?p=1460#comment-716 Yes! Rainbarrels are an excellent way not only to reduce municipal water use, which saves energy and reduces GHG emissions, but it is also healthier for your lawn and garden, as it doesn't contain chlorine! A word of caution: contaminants can build up on roofs in between rains, making a 'first flush diverter' a good idea for the serious rainwater collector. The rule of thumb for calculating available rainwater from your roofspace is .64 gallons of water per inch of rain per square foot of the roof's 'rain shadow' (the horizontal space taken up by the roof). A great document that helps you get started on designing your own system is available from the Texas Water Board @ www.twdb.state.tx.us/.../rainwaterharvestingmanual_3rdedition.pdf Yes! Rainbarrels are an excellent way not only to reduce municipal water use, which saves energy and reduces GHG emissions, but it is also healthier for your lawn and garden, as it doesn’t contain chlorine! A word of caution: contaminants can build up on roofs in between rains, making a ‘first flush diverter’ a good idea for the serious rainwater collector. The rule of thumb for calculating available rainwater from your roofspace is .64 gallons of water per inch of rain per square foot of the roof’s ‘rain shadow’ (the horizontal space taken up by the roof). A great document that helps you get started on designing your own system is available from the Texas Water Board @ http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/…/rainwaterharvestingmanual_3rdedition.pdf

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