evan_wilson18•10d agoTop Commenter

I finally tried to build my own rain barrel system from scratch

I spent about $80 on plastic barrels, connectors, and a spigot kit I found online. The whole thing leaked like crazy for two weeks straight, and I lost probably 300 gallons of water before I gave up and bought a proper one. My neighbor saw the mess and just shook his head. Has anyone else tried a DIY setup and found a kit that actually works without the hassle?

2 comments

2 Comments

casey_harris10d ago

My uncle in Florida tried the same thing with some old food grade barrels. He spent a whole weekend on it and the first good storm washed all his mulch into the street. I get wanting to save water, but at a certain point you have to ask if the headache is worth it for what, watering some tomato plants? The pre-made ones aren't even that much more expensive when you add up all the failed parts.

owens.cameron10d ago

Honestly, is it even that big of a deal? You're just catching water off your roof. My plants do fine with the hose.