1. What are rainwater collection systems good for, anyway?
2. I live on a well/have spring water. Is it worth it for me to get an ARC system?
3. My roof is fairly small, is it worth it for me to get a rainwater collection system?
4. Can I drink water from my rain barrel?
5. How much does each ARC barrel weigh when it is full?
7. Should I do anything with my system to prep for winter?
8. Do ARC rain barrels require any maintenance?
9. What kind of water pressure can I expect from my system?
10. How worth it is the $25 for shirtless installation?
1. What are rainwater collection systems good for, anyway?
Quite a lot! In fact, much more of our water usage goes to tasks that can be accomplished using harvested rainwater than we typically realize, with this being especially true for outdoor water use.
The most obvious and common use is as a form of "drought insurance." Rain is a free water supply that often ends up being carried away from your property in the form of surface runoff because the ground can't absorb it quickly enough (this is particularly true of water from the kind of quick, heavy storms that account for much of our region's summer rainfall). Rain barrels store that water, leaving it to you to decide how and when to dispense it--in a slow, continuous release through a drip irrigation system, for instance, or in quick bursts as your watering can needs refilling. Regardless of how you do it, putting rainwater to work in your yard helps to ensure that your landscaping/vegetable garden investment is protected during the relatively (and increasingly) dry summer and fall months.
Many people get creative with their harvested rainwater, finding uses for it that are just as practical as watering the lawn but which don't come to mind as readily. Some of these include filling ponds or swimming pools, washing vehicles, washing clothes, cleaning tools or muddy shoes, flushing toilets, cooling compost piles, etc.
One of our favorite uses for rainwater? Water balloons.
2. I live on a well/have spring water. Is it worth it for me to get an ARC system?
Yes! Over 200 wells went dry in Watauga County last season and the US Geological Survey still has most of our area classified at a "Severe" drought level.
It's an interesting indicator of the degree to which, for so many of us, municipal infrastructure has become the forest we can't see from the trees that 40% of domestic water use goes towards outdoor watering during the summer. Consider how much of that water is spent on tasks that could easily be accomplished using harvested rainwater! By reducing your dependence on tap water and sparing your well from the risks of wear and depletion, an ARC rain barrel system may even cause you to see a drop in electric bills or long term well pump wear.
3. My roof is fairly small, is it worth it for me to get a rainwater collection system?
Consider the following equation to estimate your collection from just one inch of rain: Estimate the number of square feet on your roof. Multiply by the fraction of the roof which will be drawn from by the gutter you are attaching. Then multiply that number by 0.623. For instance, if one were to take an average sized 1,000 square foot roof equally drained by 3 gutters it would look like this:
1000 x (1/3) x 0.623 = 207 gallons!
So for every 1,000 square feet of roof draining into your collection system, you will get 623 gallons from every inch of rain.
Yes, you read that correctly--one inch of rain, 1,000 square feet, 623 gallons of water. To illustrate the matter another way, a single 55-gallon barrel will fill up from half an inch of rain falling on a mere 300 square feet of your roof.
4. Can I drink water from my rain barrel?
As a matter of policy, we strongly discourage drinking rainwater from our systems.
Although rainwater is soft, chlorine-free and generally healthy, we have to default to the safest position on questions of this nature. The water travels over your roof, through your gutter, and sits in an exposed container. Each of these stages of collection has to be very carefully controlled and closely, frequently monitored for the water collected to be "safe" for drinking, and ARC does not offer the materials or installation options necessary for such assurances.
Rainwater can be used for drinking if it is filtered appropriately after collection. However, it is far too easy for your harvested rainwater to have picked up unwanted contaminants on its way to your spigot for us to advise our customers any other way: PLEASE DON'T DRINK IT.
5. How much does each ARC barrel weigh when it is full?
Water weighs 8.3 lbs per gallon, so you can expect a full barrel to weigh over 450 lbs. That means over 1300 lbs for a 3 barrel system.
6. How big are the rain barrels?
Each barrel is approximately 3 feet tall by 2 feet wide.7. Should I do anything with my system to prep for winter?
Our polyethylene barrels are thick and extremely durable, so winter temperatures should not damage your system.
We do recommend draining your barrels, or at least checking the water level periodically, to make sure that an extended freeze will not produce barrel-sized ice cubes in your system. Just like leaving a glass full of water in the freezer can result in a broken glass, a barrel full of water in the winter could potentially result in a broken barrel. Some simple monitoring of your water levels will prevent this.
8. Do ARC rain barrels require any maintenance?
Like most things around your home, your rainwater system needs a little regular attention to keep everything working smoothly.
To keep it in the best shape, empty the barrel once every one or two months and add a capful of chlorine bleach once it first fills up after emptying. This small amount won't hurt the plants but it will preempt any algae buildup. Although our installation includes a leaf block at the top of your gutter, it is always a good idea to check the rain barrel screens once every couple of months in case smaller particulates have entered the system. If they have, just empty the screen!
9. What kind of water pressure can I expect from my system?
Since gravity is the force driving water through your spigot, water pressure depends on how far from the ground you put your barrels. Think of your rain barrels as miniature water towers, with the primary difference being that you're (probably) not trying to supply water to an entire town. A few feet will do the trick.
Specifically, elevating your barrels 1.5 feet from the ground will produce a flow of about 1 gallon of water per minute from the spigot; at 2 feet, the flow increases to about 2 gallons per minute. Keep in mind that ARC's ball valve spigots give you excellent control over the rate of discharge from your barrels.
10. How worth it is the $25 for shirtless installation?
With ARC's extraordinarily well-toned staff installing your rain barrels, you'll enjoy enough dashing wit, stunning good looks, and overactive sweat glands to keep you going through any drought.*
*Satisfaction with this service not guaranteed.
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STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Don't hesitate to call or email us for an answer! We want our customers to feel comfortable with their systems and to that end we are more than happy to address any and all potential concerns.
