I didn't know where to put this so if the mods don't like it, please relocate it for me.

I just went to a seminar on rain barrels and how to produce them. It was fantastic. I learned so much about why it is important to conserve water and the value of rainwater. I want one of my own now. Well more than one. I think I want to put one at each downspout.

Does anyone here have them? How much water do you typically yield from a rainfall?

Where do they have seminars on things like this? I would love to attend. Sounds like fun education to me. I have seen the rain barrels at the garden store but I never thought to learn much about them. I have been tempted to buy one but the spouse says no no no.

I think this is an easy enough idea. I think the seminars are great for the building novice, but even the newest DIYer will probably have no trouble making a rain barrel system. The seminars gain accolades because the people who go to them are going in blind, but those of us who have been in the know for years, these seminars aren't really worth it.

I think you gain just as much from a site such as this one.

http://home.comcast.net/~leavesdanc...ction.html

I personally think this one is ugly, but its about the parts and pieces. Design the container of your choice or make a surround for this one, but you really don't need a seminar for that.

btb, A little on the judgmental side don't you think? I know that you bring a substantial amount of knowledge to the table, but I would say that most do not. Seminars help to introduce ideas and help the "novice" to become more comfortable with their knowledge and skill sets. I say go for the seminar if you are even the slightest bit hesitant. It could be empowering and worst case is you waste a few bucks and an afternoon.

Does anyone use the plain blue ones that that demo shows. I just can't imagine anyone wanting that in the yard.

Surprisingly, one of my neighbors has what appears to be that same barrel on a downspout visible from the street. It really doesn't look all that nice. I don't know if he thought about the curb appeal before putting it out. But, hey, at least he is thinking about water conservation and thats got to be worth something.

If you are handy with wood and other building projects, this is something you can do yourself. For the truly adventurous, you can also go with an in-ground cistern to collect rainwater. It just depends on how much water you get off your roof, how much storage capacity you want and how much irrigation or other uses you have for the water. Oh yeah, and how much money you are willing to spend.

If you have rain barrels, shouldn't you have them on each downspout to maximize the benefit? Doesn't that get kind of expensive? What do you do with the barrels in the winter?

My father built his own- and no, its not the nicest looking thing in the yard but its tucked behind a staircase so only if you're on the far side of the lawn can it be seen. The good thing about building his own was that since his house is a lightish medium blue, he found a barrel that really matched the color. now he waters plants with the rain water rather than with the city water. and since there is a spout he put on (like the ones they sell), he connects the hose or just dips in a watering can. really a huge water saver.

How does he get the water to pump out through the hose. I like the idea of building my own but I want it to water like a hose and not just have to fill a can with it.

How can you modify a rain barrel to handle snow? Do you need to have something to melt your roof snow or is it just something that won't work due to freezing in the barrels? It just seems like an awful waste to collect rain all summer and then miss out on all the water that the snow can yield.

Snow barrels? I don't know if that would work. You can still get the run-off as the snow melts, but as far as adapting the barrels to collect snow, I don't know if that is feasible.

I was looking through the videos on the site and saw the one for the rainwater pillow. I think this is a great idea and unless you are working with a home with slab on grade or basement, you already have a place for the device. It could also go under a deck which would be a perfect thing to do during deck installation. Any one seen one of these installed?