Pro tip: That 'just add gravel to the bottom of your rain barrel' advice nearly ruined my setup

My neighbor swore by putting 6 inches of gravel in the bottom of my 55-gallon barrel to filter debris, but after 8 months it turned into a sludge mess that clogged my spigot completely. Anyone else get burned by that old-timer trick or find a way to make it work without the gunk?

3 comments

3 Comments

marydavis1mo ago

Oh man, the gravel trick is a total trap. I fell for it too and ended up with a stinky mess that smelled like a swamp after a few months. The problem is that sand and tiny dirt particles just settle in between the rocks and turn into concrete basically. You're WAY better off putting a screen over the top to keep leaves and bugs out, then just rinsing the barrel out once a year. Gravel sounds smart in theory but it actually makes things WORSE long term.

evahenderson1mo ago

Did you try putting the screen over the top from day one, or did you add it after the gravel mess started?

ivanbell1mo ago

Aw man, I tried that same thing and ended up with a barrel full of mosquito larvae soup...