Unpainted Great American Rain Barrel Nantucket 60 Gallon Rain Barrel

Rain happens. Rain is free. A 60-gallon rain barrel can fill up with less than .25 inch of rainfall. Rain barrels can go a long way in offsetting your domestic water needs, including gardening, car washing, and pool topping. In turn, the burden on the local water system or your well will diminish and ultimately save you money. Collecting rain water has become as typical as recycling bottles, cans, newspapers, and composting. Link two or three barrels together and you can save up to 180 gallons of precious rain water.

The Great American Rain Barrel is built to be extremely durable with a wall thickness of 3/16", resulting in a rigid, heavy duty rain barrel that will last virtually forever. Each UV protected polyethylene rain barrel is manufactured in the USA from a recycled shipping barrel that stands 39 inches tall by 24 inches wide and weighs 20 lbs. empty. The barrel comes complete with overflow fitting, drain plug, screw on cover, and optional threaded spigot, which can be positioned either 4 or 14 inches from ground level. This is an ideal position for use with a watering can. Attach your garden hose to the spigot and water your garden or lawn, even wash your car. We suggest raising the barrel off the ground for use with a regular garden hose as it's gravity fed. Our rain barrel arrives with simple instructions for fast and easy installation.

How to Link Barrels Together
To save even more water, you can link your first barrel to a second, using a (shorter) piece of 3/4" hose. Simply unscrew the upper plug (on the second barrel) and replace it with a second elbow. Attach one end of your hose to the overflow fitting (on barrel one) turning the fitting so that it is horizontal, and then attach it to the other end to the new elbow on the second barrel (which should also be turned horizontally). Attach your overflow hose to the second elbow (on barrel two) so that once that barrel has filled, you can direct excess water away from the foundation. We recommend keeping barrels close together for best results.

Helpful Tips:

• To prevent ground saturation near your foundation, we recommend attaching a minimum of six feet of .75-inch hose to the overflow fitting and directing the water away from the foundation.
• To prevent insects from seeping into the barrel, a Teflon window screen can be draped over the barrel before screwing on the lid.
• If odor or insects become a problem, Clorox is an age old remedy; use approximately 1/4 cup to harmlessly disinfect the water.
• In order to avoid clogging, empty your barrel at least once a year to remove leaves and other debris that may have accumulated inside.
• Ice in barrels can cause permanent damage and is not covered by the warranty. Please be sure to winterize your barrel.
• CAUTION: Be sure to screw lid on tightly to prevent children or animals from falling into the barrel.
• The Great American Rain Barrel is intended for garden use only. Do not use barrel to store drinking water.

• First, attach the spigot to rain barrel. Place one of the washers on the end of the spigot and slide the spigot into the hole below the label. Reach into the barrel and place the second washer over the threaded end of the spigot. Thread the nut on the end of the spigot and hand tighten.
• Take the black L-shaped elbow (overflow fitting) and screw it into the pre-threaded hole on the top, right hand side, of the barrel.
• Now select a downspout that is easily accessible.
• Level the ground where the barrel will sit. If needed use bricks or pressure treated 2 x 4s or 2 x 6s. (Caution: your barrel should be placed on a level surface or it may tip over upon filling, causing bodily harm or property damage. If your rain barrel is elevated, make certain that it is secure so that it cannot tip over.)
• Remove the elbow and run-off pipe from the end of the downspout. If you are using a Save the Rain Diverter follow directions on diverter. Draw a line on the downspout 9" above the top of the barrel. Move the barrel away. Use a hacksaw and cut the downspout at the line. Note: if a downspout bracket is below your cut, remove the bracket and place it above the cut.
• Squeeze or crimp the downspout end so the elbow will fit over it. Attach the elbow to the downspout and move the barrel back against the house, so that the end of the elbow is over the center of the lid. Rain water will now flow out of the elbow and down onto the cover of your rain barrel and drain into the barrel.
• Caring for your barrel. To insure a long life for your barrel clean it out occasionally to eliminate clogs and other debris from building up inside your barrel.
• Winterizing your barrel. Remove spigot and drain plug. Empty barrel and store in basement, garage, or under porch. If barrel must remain outside, turn it upside down and secure it with a concrete block or bungee cord.