Well we are trying to keep with the going green theme, we have done the compact fluorescent light bulbs, built our own recycling can so that we don’t forget to recycle just because we have to carry it outside, we have adjusted our thermostat 2 to 3 degrees for the season, we are growing a garden and we are trying to lower our carbon foot print by driving less until we can get a better family car for the environment. Well for me I wanted to do more, a few weeks ago I posted about a rain barrel project that the city should do for the environment and an increase in revenue. Well if I’m going to propose it I thought I better go out and get one so that I can say “hey I did it and these are my results”.

So while getting our garden mulch at Lowe’s, Jane said why don’t you get a rain barrel so we don’t have to pay to water the garden. Secretly she just wanted the gutters put back up and she knew I would do it right away if i had a cool use for it. We bought the Fiskars rainwater collection system 52 gallon barrel. More information is available here.

So yesterday we put the gutters back up with some changes so that they all flow into the single downspout to be collected by the rain barrel. I will be collecting rainwater from aproximately350 - 400 sq ft of roof in to my 1st rain barrel. it should take less then .50 and inch of rain to fill my 52 gallon rain barrel. Installation was easy and if I was installing it only and not putting my gutters back up at the same time it would have been a 20 minute process. The directions were easy to follow.

Here is a picture of the fininshed product.

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We are going to be getting some rain tonight I will let you know if we fill it up or not.

Update:

It took about an hour’s worth of steady rain to collect 52 gallons of water.