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I finally broke my rain barrel last week and honestly it was my fault
I live in Portland and have this 55 gallon barrel under my downspout. Last Tuesday after a heavy storm I went to check it and the spigot just cracked off. Water everywhere. I got mad at first but then realized I left it full over winter and the ice probably did the damage. So I ordered a thicker one with a brass valve this time. Anyone else deal with stuff breaking because you didn't prep for the seasons right?
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jade_jenkins9d ago
Oof that's rough! At least you figured out the cause so the new one should hold up way better with the brass valve.
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the_lee9d ago
Grace mentioned the ice expansion thing and that's exactly what got me too. I checked the temp that week and it was 23 degrees for three nights straight, my barrel was sitting full because I forgot to drain it back in November. The water froze, expanded, and pushed against the plastic spigot until it just snapped off like a twig. I learned the hard way that even those cheap plastic valves can't handle that kind of pressure, especially on a 55 gallon drum where the ice has nowhere to go but out. A buddy of mine had the same issue with his rain chain setup, the ice cracked his downspout adapter clean in half last January. Makes me wonder how many other people just need to set a calendar reminder to drain their barrels before the first freeze hits.
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