How To
By
eHow Home & Garden Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Things You’ll Need:
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5-gallon bucket
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55-gallon drum
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Downspout fittings
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3 cinder blocks
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Jigsaw and drill
Step1
Take a 5-gallon bucket from your local hardware store, and cut the top of it off. Then you need to draw a straight line around the top of a 55 gallon drum, and cut this portion of the top of the drum off. After cutting both utensils, the 5-gallon bucket should fit into the 55 gallon drum.
Step2
Affix a spout into a hole in the bottom of your 55 gallon drum. The spout should fit very snug in its hole to avoid wasting any water from your simple rain collection system. You should drill a hole smaller than the spout, and then file it around the edge until the fit is snug and leak proof.
Step3
Place the 55 gallon drum, with the 5-gallon bucket inside, on cinder blocks next to your house. The spouts hose should be in place in the bottom of the drum when it is set in place.
Step4
Use the downspout from your gutters to place your simple rainwater collection system. Use an extension that fits into the edge of your downspout to direct the rainwater runoff as you build your system. These can be found at almost any hardware store.
Step5
Measure out where you must mark where the cut should be to direct the rainwater into your collection system. Most of the fittings and extensions are made from flexible plastic materials and can be manipulated easily.
Step6
Put a paint strainer on the top of your simple rain collection system. This last piece of the puzzle helps keep large objects out of the system along with leaves and large bugs.
