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Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 10:58 am
Rain barrels are a great way to capture and save rainwater for later use. You can use various objects to capture rainwater from buckets to even a trash can. We’ve been doing this for a few years now.
I was so happy when I could request a free sample rain barrel thanks to Try It Sampling in late 2023. The rain barrel was the perfect size for our garden and was easy to set up.
The product
The rain barrel is made by FCMP. The rain barrel looks like a barrel and includes a screen and attached drain hose. It’s a 45-gallon barrel.
The rain barrel is UV-protected and anti-microbial. It’s constructed from recycled Polyethylene plastic and includes a 3-and-a-half-foot-long drain hose. The hose has a ball-barring valve that can be opened and closed. The hose can be attached to a longer garden hose with ease.
Product Features
The rain barrel has an overflow spout as well. The screen is plastic and can be removed to open the barrel to check the water level.
FYI my dad drilled a hole in the gap between the overflow spout and the screen because he thought it was easier to empty the barrel. He also placed a strip of tape to cover the overflow spout.
The screen is plastic and easy to remove you just press down on the upper corner and it gives a bit to lift it. You can remove it to clean it. If you want to remove the drain to collect rainwater you can.
The hose is 3.5 feet long and has a coupling at the end so it can be attached to a longer garden hose.
The valve is easy to open and close with ease.
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Putting the product to the test
The rain barrel can be placed under a downspout gutter. My house doesn’t have gutters currently so we placed it in an area that has a lot of runoff.
It fits the space well. The barrel has a flat back so it can be placed against a wall. The barrel collected a fair amount of water. I would say it was close to being nearly full once the rain was over.
If the barrel does overflow the water flows over the screen and down the overflow spout.
How easy is it to drain?
The barrel drains easily thanks to the hose and valve the it drains with ease.
I will say depending on the water level the water may be a steady stream to a trickle.
My dad attached a longer hose to the drain hose and was able to water a few areas of the yard. The stream was steady.
The water was about half in the barrel when I took the above picture. The flow was good and you could see it when I raised the hose off the grass.
What didn’t you like?
I didn’t find any real issues with the barrel. The only thing I would have liked was that the inside had been a lighter color. This would make it easier to inspect the water level and make sure we don’t have any insects in it or mosquitos. Aside from that I liked the product.
Pal’s Rating 🐾
Pal’s rating: 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 (5 paws out of 5)
Price: $$$$ – Expensive
Retails from $120 to $165 uSD
Price varies by retailer
Final thoughts and where to buy
Final thoughts
Overall the FCMP rain barrel is a nice addition to the garden. I like that it’s easy to move around when it’s empty. The construction is sturdy and durable. The drain hose can be attached to a longer hose for easy watering. I don’t see any real issues with it in the long run.
where to buy
You can visit the brand site for full product info.
The rain barrel can also be found at Amazon, Home Depot, and Target.
The brand also sells other styles of rain barrels as well.
Would you add a rain barrel to your garden?
