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Help protect the environment by buying rain barrels

Rain water that is typically lost to runoff, streams or sewers can be collected from your roof and stored in rain barrels. Rain barrels generally consist of a 55 gallon drum, a vinyl hose, PVC couplings and a screen grate. It simply has to be positioned underneath the gutter of your roof and it will collect the rain water while it is pouring.

Rain barrels are a good way to harvest and conserve rain water. Use of rain barrels can help in tackling the problem of water shortage and cut down the costs of water consumption. Throughout heavy rains, if used properly one can store as much as an entire barrel full of water. Rain water collected on your roof can be collected in a rain barrel and put to good use. The collected rain water can be employed in maintaining your garden and flowers or washing cars or windows. In a given year one can save up water enough to last one whole summer depending on the number of rain barrels that are put to use. A typical rain barrel can save close to 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months.

The benefits of using rain barrels not only include the cost cutting on water expenditure. The water collected is soft water and is excellent for garden use. Rain water is untreated containing no chlorine, lime or calcium and therefore really good for the garden and washing your car and windows. The use of rain barrels is apposite in places where a convenient spout is not located. Rain barrels can provide you with water when it is most required like in drought months. The environmental benefit of using rain barrels is undeniable as they efficiently conserve rain water which is the most easily available sources of natural water.
The rain barrels should be kept securely covered to prevent the hazard of children or pets falling into it. The water in the rain barrels should not be used for indoor purposes like cooking, drinking or bathing. In case any kind or spray or medicine is used on the roof, then the barrel should not be used in the first few rains. The rain barrels should be kept a little elevated to make the spigot easily accessible. Multiple barrels can be used to increase the storage capacity. They can be connected with one another to be able to collect and store more rain water.

On a different note, even though rain barrels can be constructed at home some of the tools needed are quite specialized and expensive. It is a time consuming process and it is important to get all the parts right to make the rain barrel effective. Contrastingly, it is easier to buy ready made rain barrels as they are readily available and spares one the time and energy required to make one.

Renewable & Alternative Energy Resources: http://www.alternativeenergybase.com

Information related to rain barrels, go to www.palmettorainbarrels.com.

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