English Rain Barrels

Comments about English Rain Barrels:

Not good for colorado weather... weakened in summer heat and then cracked during winter cold.. not worth [$]

Comments about English Rain Barrels:

Have used the barrel to re-fill water jugs - and more easily, watering cans. It is a good small size to fit under an existing rain spout. It was full of water when we suddenly had a bad winter storm, well under freezing, no signs of trouble afterward with the hose connections. An attractive looking barrel. I would be happy to have one of a similar design but larger capacity as well.

Comments about English Rain Barrels:

Problem #1: When I bought this house a little over 2 years ago the house inspector noted the air conditioner condensate line discharged to the ground only 2 inches from the foundation and recommended the line be extended farther away from the house so that the chance of termites would be lessened.

Problem #2: Central Texas had a severe drought this past summer. The summer of 2009 was very hot and dry, causing my water utility supplier to place all homeowners on severe watering restrictions because the aquifer level was dropping to very low levels. So this summer I caught the A/C condensate in a 5-gallon plastic bucket and learned my A/C unit produces up to 7 gallons of water per day! I manually dumped the bucket's contents twice daily, in hopes of making 2 Crepe Myrtle trees, 3 Burr Oak trees, and 27 Texas Mountain Laurels planted this year survive the long string of 100 degree, rainless days.

Solution: Emptying the bucket twice per day was more work than I wanted to do, so I bought the English Rain Barrel. I selected this model because the A/C condensate line (gravity flow) penetrated the house exterior wall at a fairly low height, even after raising the pipes as much as possible. This rain barrel solved my A/C condensate problem and enabled me to water a part of my landscape without using our precious groundwater from the aquifer during this extreme drought.

The rain barrel has been in service for almost a month now, and I only have to empty it about once per week. I'm using the condensate to water landscape plants about 90 feet away. Since I live on the side of a hill, the rain barrel is about 12 feet higher than my backyard, so I have no problem getting a good flow through the hose.

The sandstone colored barrel allows light through the walls so I'm a tad concerned about algae growth inside the barrel. But then this may not be a problem because the A/C serviceman places a tablet in the A/C drain pan to inhibit algae growth that could plug the drain pipe. Local gardeners I've talked to say the algae inhibitor should not harm the plants I'm watering. I'll keep my fingers crossed. The local hospital uses their A/C condensate for landscape watering, so this is encouraging. I recommend it.

Comments about English Rain Barrels:

We do not have a water spigot in the front yard and attaching and dragging hoses is a chore. A rain barrel is the perfect solution and this one is just the color of our house so it blends in instead of sticking out. Now my roses and flower beds will get the water they need without all the hassle.

Comments about English Rain Barrels:

Generally satisfied with product. Need to plan ahead as to what will be done with excess water as barrel can fill up quickly. I would recommend a reminder in instructions that barrel needs to be emptied and put away before water freezes and breaks the barrel.

Comments about English Rain Barrels:

Not only does this product allow us to reuse rainwater, it helps to alleviate erosion in our yard! Where we live in NC, there are many hills. Already we can see a HUGE difference in the erosion problems we were encountering. I'm going to purchase at least one more for the other side of our house!

Comments about English Rain Barrels:

I purchased this to go under my rain chain by the side of the garage and it blends nicely without being an ugly duckling.

Comments about English Rain Barrels:

This is our third water barrel. We have collected enough water from storms this summer to water everything in our yard (and also our indoor plants) and never use another water source.

Comments about English Rain Barrels:

This is the second rain barrel I've purchased. It works most efficiently when I take the top off and dip a watering can into the barrel. I rarely use water from the faucet. A moderate rain fills the barrel.

Comments about English Rain Barrels:

This is my third rain barrel. Easy to set-up and works well. I always have rain water to water my garden and all my plants. In one three day rainy period the barrel was almost full. Can't ask for better than that.