Winter’s coming, and those plunging temperatures that turn rain into ice and snow signal that it’s time to winterize your rain barrel. We know you wish you could use your Clean Stream Champion rain barrel all year long, but it’s important to prepare it for winter so it can last for many years to come. We put together a list of tips to best protect your barrel so that it will be ready for action come springtime!
- Disconnect the water source for the winter so that no additional water runs into your barrel.
- For the EarthMinded Rain Barrel from our rain barrel program, the kit came with a plug for disconnecting the hose from the downspout.
- For other barrels, you might need to connect a temporary downspout extension to your gutter, which should be positioned so that rainwater is directed away from the house.
- Use up or drain the rain barrel so there is no water left inside. Water left in for the winter may freeze and crack the barrel.
- Open the barrel’s spigot and leave it open while not in use to avoid freeze damage to the hardware of the barrel.
- Rinse the interior of the barrel. Now is a good time to clean the barrel of sediment build up that occurs in many rain barrels during the rainy season.
- If you have the space, move the rain barrel to an indoor storage area to extend the life of your rain barrel. If you have no storage or prefer to leave your rain barrel outside, then be sure to turn the barrel upside down.
- Cover your rain barrel with a tarp for additional protection.