First stage is a wash with sodium percarbonate. c. If the barrel seeps slightly, leave water in the barrel until it seals itself. Look for 100% silicone compounds which are sold at most hardware stores. You don't want algae near or in your water harvest, and there goes the aesthetic value anyway. - If you clean and seal the outside of the barrel, set aside time to complete this in a weekend, or at least remove the painters tape from the metal. Reply b. Insert the bung and roll the barrel back a forth so that the water comes in contact with all of the interior surfaces. Since we live in wine country, and wanted to install a rain water harvesting system to downspouts in several locations around the house, my fiance and I decided to forgo the plastic bins at the hardware store and find some used wine barrels in good condition to repurpose. We originally used a stack of pea gravel, sand, and activated charcoal in the constructed PVC debris catch, to avoid buildup of sediment or contaminants in the barrel. First, we would like to thank you for choosing Red Head Oak Barrels for your at home wine and spirits aging needs. Noting that greywater was originally treated water, but taking this information as a rule of thumb for harvested rainwater as well: we plan to use it for landscaping, fruit trees and bushes, and various other above ground garden bed veggies such as tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, beans; avoiding use on root vegetables.
Using a chisel and a hammer, make an indentation into the leak. - Clear plastic hose connecting the downspout to the barrel looks nicer, but grows algae. Due to the material of the bung, if you try to hit either one with a hammer, lets say, the hammer just kinda bounces off and the force does nothing to secure it - right? Didn't try it though, and not sure how durable that is over time. - A word about downspout diverter kits with 'everything included': there are a lot of parts there, but they are mostly useless for this particular build. Did you make this project? For the metal rings: using good quality rubber gloves to protect your hands, take a steel wool pad and scrub with a bit of dish soap and water to get rid of dirt, debris, and small rust spots. If you are placing the barrels on earth, grass, or other natural foundation, you will want to make sure it is level and prepped to handle the weight of the barrel. downspout diverter (you can call the company and order just the diverter dam, without the whole kit: http://www.aquabarrel.com/product_downspout_diver... hole saw drill bits: 2 1/8" for downspout holes, 1" for barrel holes, 1/2" speed bore or spade bit, (1) 2" end cap OR 2" Spigot x Cleanout Adaptor with Plug, 3 'U' shape metal connectors (3" or 4") & 6 x 1 5/8" screws to attach, river/decorative rock or similar for filling in top, 8 landscaping bricks OR 4 single tall cinder blocks *if you are placing the bricks on an earthen surface, you'll need to prep that (see step 7), Optional (for external cleaning and sealing, keeping aesthetic value).
The top part of the barrel needs to be covered and filled in with non-absorbent material, so there's no room for stagnant water and the mosquitos that follow. Apply silicone directly into the problem area. Allow the barrel to cool and fill with cold water and inspect for any leaks. We happened to have an El Nino year where it rained nearly every day for 2 weeks straight. The sediment catch we built does not prevent or separate the first few minutes of rain from being collected. b. e. Once the barrel is sealed, release the bung and allow to drain completely. Since the repurposed wine barrels do not have a lid that can be removed to dump any sediment that might collect over time, our goal with this step is to try and catch that stuff before it makes it into the barrel. Be sure when you put the bung in the bung hole to place it at about a 45 degree angle while twisting and pressing the bung against the side of the bung hole to help preserve the gasket from pushing up and off the bung. Here's how we did it, I hope it inspires you to make the best possible use of natural resources in and around your home - and to use your imagination repurposing existing materials. This is to prevent bacteria and microbes that may begin to form in your barrel. Transform an old whiskey barrel into a trash can or rain barrel, use it to store firewood or as furniture. If the soaking period exceeds 2 days, drain the barrel and refill it with fresh water. Here is a video on how to seal up leaking barrels that have continued to leak after 7-10 days. For the spigot, you will need to drill a hole just large enough to tap. f. Fill the barrel with cool water to test for a proper seal. Fill it, cover the holes, shake it and empty it. Waiting too long may cause mold and may void your warranty. In some cases there was a 1x4 between the downspout and the wooden trim on our house, so take a good look where you will be securing the catch and measure if need be. We have a 2 year old fig sapling that showed very droopy leaves after watering from a newly assembled barrel, bounced back when we watered from the hose. We wanted to determine if the collection process introduced any heavy contaminants, from either the roofing materials or the barrels. Use 3" or 4" U-shaped connectors to hold the debris catch up on the downspout. Our mature apricot trees did just fine with it though. 125lbs when empty, and measures 3.5 feet tall. This is the fun part (besides guessing how much water is collecting as it rains)! It did not. Mix 10 tablespoons with 5 gallons of water and repeat washing - pour solution into the barrel, place the bung stopper firmly, rock and roll the barrel to disperse the solution, wait a minimum of 2 hrs, then empty.
b.
One example: https://www.instructables.com/id/Recycle-Pallet-Ra... (Even plastic barrels weigh hundreds of pounds when they contain water, so make sure your platform can support whatever type of barrel you choose.). We are rebellious like that, and decided not to worry about bird poop and the like. To prevent future debris from clogging up the works, you can purchase and install inexpensive wire baskets. If you can let it sit for longer (overnight for example), even better. :-).
a. Then apply white plumbing tape around the spigot to create a good seal, and screw it into the barrel. I found a variety of recommendations about how quickly to use the harvested rainwater. ), Here is my one of my favorite sites with information about reuse of greywater and harvested rainwater, one of the only resources I found that refers to municipal codes and standards: http://greywateraction.org/. These photos show white landscaping rock as filler, you can use your imagination with colors, larger river stones, or introduce a light succulent bowl. Whiskey barrels hold liquid by design.
Even common sense tells you if you use it, there's more room in the barrel the next time it rains. Keep an eye on those leaks as they should seal up as the wood swells. Your oak aging barrel is made of wood and stored empty so your barrel may need to swell back up before use. Alternatively, you could install a device that acts as a leaf catcher, but those were more costly, bulky to install, and did not fit our rain gutter + downspout configuration. If you want a first-flush diverter, you'll need to create (or buy, ie. Thank you! a. depends which plants you are watering if this is preferable), Bacteria: positive, bacteria are present - nonpotable. Mark the location for the downspout diverter about 3 feet above the height of the barrel. Ah, we had the same conundrum with the bungs.
Get a good drill bit for this one, especially if you have metal downspouts. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. The one that is the same width as the wood also stayed in place ok. what is the best way to weather seal an old oak wine barrel so it can be used as a year-round dog house? Using a steam generator, fill the barrel with steam at approximately 212° Fahrenheit for approximately 10 minutes or until hoops and staves are tight. 4. glue the end cap (OR Cleanout Adaptor) on the open side of the PVC pipe. When I try to install it, it keeps falling out. You'll be amazed how fast the barrel fills when it rains, so plan on routing the barrel overflow back into the downspout. The barrel comes with a fair amount of moisture however if you wait too long to cure the barrel it could dry out and no seal itself totally. It is easiest to fill the liner before nailing in place, as the rock naturally and evenly settles the liner down. The oak barrel should come with a bung, which is a cork for the hole in the side (top). :-) So we sort of twisted the larger ones a little as we pushed it in by hand, and surprisingly it stays ok when the barrel is upright and full. Such a great job documenting and sharing your process. (Spoiler alert: it was awesome. Each barrel weighs appx. Hand made oak barrels specially designed for aging and mellowing rum, whiskey, bourbon, tequila, brandy and wine. Ugh.. Nice 'ible though :). train tracks. About 22 minutes into this talk, the speaker explains it is against CA state regulations to use greywater on vegetables grown beneath the soil. 5 Steps: Prep a Half Wine Barrel for Planting. Make a used whiskey barrels look new with a little cleaning, sanding and a coat or two of polyurethane sealer. Measure about 6" below the the height of where the hoses are attached to the barrel, then drill a hole for the overflow hose to drop into. How To Make Your Own Whiskey, Rum, Brandy, Bourbon and Scotch, Tips and Ideas For Aging In Your Oak Barrel, Bushmills Irish Whiskey Barrel Aged Recipe, Wild Turkey 101 Barrel Aged Cocktail Recipe, Old Fashioned Barrel Aged Cocktail Recipe, Tomatin Scotch Rusty Nail Barrel Aged Cocktail. This process also makes the oak of the barrel swell and you may get a little more space inside of the barrel. I make no claims whatsoever about the purity of the water harvested from any roof, or collected from a repurposed wine barrel, as documented by this Instructable. Apply stain by rubbing on with a rag, but don't apply the stain over the metal hoops. Step 12 demonstrates the results of a home water quality test that we did after the water was sitting in the barrel for about 3 weeks, as the scientist in me was quite curious to see the unseen. Select a wood varnish which can be transparent or tinted, and apply with a paintbrush.
Using a clear polyurethane and steady hand, apply a coat to the metal rings to help minimize rust and future staining of the barrel. Next, fill the barrel to 2/3 full and let it stand for another 3 – 4 hours. Insert the spigot so that the valve handle is on top and rotated in the back position.
Whether you'll need 3" or 4" depends what the downspout is connected to.