55 Gallon Barrels

L

LIL COO COO

Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
83
Can anyone recommend a good source for 55 Gallon Barrels for use of collecting rain water? There are so many online and I cannot be sure which are reliable. Thanks in advance.
 
I live in Northern Indiana. I did this same search a couple of months ago. From where I am at there is a place called "Reusable Barrel company" that has buttload of blue water storage barrels. I think you have to pick the larger 55 gallon barrels up at their store. I ordered 6-15 gallon barrels and they came in about a week or two. They had grape juice in them from a Welch's plant so I needed to rinse them out. I am very happy with them and I can also move them around if need be without a cart and even load them into my truck if SHTF. Pm me if you can't find them. Good luck.. There are also hardware stores here and there that get ahold of them from time to time and also check the free auto and rv books that come out weekly.
 
My local farm and feed type stores have them but you would have ask about each batch they get to make sure what they had in them.
 
Got mine at the local Grange Supply. They held raspberry syrup but were fine after a good rinsing and bleach cleansing.
 
Thanks guys for the responses. Some questions though...

-I take it that the 'recycled' ones have open tops?
-If they are closed tops, how are you getting the water out?
-Are you using a siphon?
 
Check with your local farm/feed stores. Most of them carry what is called a "pickle barrel". They are dirt cheap and have the advantage of a removable top. A good scrubbing followed by bleach will clean them. After the cleaning, use baking soda or boric acid to get rid of the oder. Last time I checked, they were $12 each. When buying plastic/rubber barrels you need to determine if they are food grade or not, if you wish to use them for potable H2O.
 
If you have any local preparedness groups you could check with them. We have a county preparedness group who sells them for $25 each if you pick them up.
 
Check around for any local food manufacturing businesses. I used to work at a factory that manufactured energy bars, and they used a lot of 55 gallon barrels for various bulk syrups and liquids used in the bars. I was able to take one home no problem, could probably get more if I asked.
 
I found mine on Craigslist for about $35 dollars each. These are the heavy duty grey barrels that are used to hold olives. They are a lot thicker than the blue ones you typically see plus they allow absolutely no light into the barrel.
 
If you want to spend the money on new ones, www.NitroPak.com is one of the best places. I bought our SHTF barrells from there and they are great! THe shipping fees is where they get you though, it adds up to quite a bit.
 
In Austin, there's a little enviro store called Ecowise -- I've bought a couple of the grey ones, and they also have blue (both the heavy style). They're clean, food-grade surplus, with a spigot installed near the base, and two threaded/capped holes in the top.

There may be a similar supply place near you.
 
Dont know what city your in,but
here in Chicago,they have a program
in which you pay a reduced rate for the barrel
in order to promote conservation...
check with your local,um,guvermint ;)
 
try a car wash - their water softener chemicals for the spot free rinse comes in 55 gal plastic barrels.
 
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