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Post by olebama on May 24, 2015 19:08:38 GMT -7
I want to control mosquitoes in a rain barrel. I want to put oil on the surface. Can you use olive oil or some other kind of edible oil? I want to still be able to drink/use the water.
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Post by woodyz on May 24, 2015 20:38:41 GMT -7
I have used mineral oil and vegetable oil.
But I like bleach best because my barrel collection goes first to my livestock. Using bleach kills the mosquitoes and any alge that might want to collect in the barrel or line. Doesn't hurt the animals or the drinkability of the water.
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Post by olebama on May 26, 2015 18:56:40 GMT -7
Well, I had not really considered bleach. At what ratio do you use it? The same to treat it for drinking?
Any downsides to using the vegetable oil?
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Post by woodyz on May 26, 2015 19:23:46 GMT -7
Vegetable oil just floats on top, is just a food source but is easy to skim off. If we hit a dry spell the last barrel in the series has a float valve so the water level never gets to where the oil would get to the stock. The oil would clog a filter but if you keep your drain to the bottom, you can avoid it, then strain the last through something like cheese cloth or even a sock. Its not going to hurt you just the filter. Might give you the squirts which wouldn't be good. Use the last bit that does have oil in it to cook with or for dehydrated food. We put cooking/veg oil into water for pasta, etc now, helps keep it from being sticky. I just put in a 1/2 cup of liquid bleach to 55 gallons or I make up a gallon of pool shock and add it to each 55 gal. If it is a little strong to drink just add water to delute it, so far the stock hasn't made any complaints.
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Post by cowgirlup on May 27, 2015 6:33:12 GMT -7
I have screen mesh over the top of mine and secured with a bungee cord. But I don't have a down spout going into it. I just collect the run off from the metal roof on the barn.
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Post by woodyz on May 27, 2015 17:35:33 GMT -7
i have some with screen over it
if you want to use mesh and have a down spout cut the mesh as an X not a square then you can wire or duct tape it without leaving any opening.
or you can not put anything in the water but some minnows or gold fish from the bait store
you will have to make sure it doesn't drain dry
they will eat any thing that gets into the water and you can still drink it after treating.
or you can raise upto 4 channel catfish in a 55 gal barrel but they will need fed, take about 3 months and you can eat the fish
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Post by thywar on May 27, 2015 17:37:58 GMT -7
'or you can raise upto 4 channel catfish in a 55 gal barrel but they will need fed, take about 3 months and you can eat the fish'
I'm liking this idea.
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Post by woodyz on May 27, 2015 18:27:57 GMT -7
depending on the numbers and size you let the fish get will decide if you need to add a small fish tank pump
some people will get about 40 fingerlings and raise them to about 1 1/2 # and they will need a way to circulate air in the barrel
that's why I said 4, i like to let them get about 5# but I don't need a pump because I have water going out the bottom and in at the middle and constantly moving
You could also avoid a pump by dipping/letting out 20 gallons or so and filling it back up.
Our well runs into a pressure tank, the backwash for the tank, the pool and the gray water from the house runs into the barrels and keeps the water moving.
we have four barrels (one at each corner of the house) they are all connected with 1/2" pvc in and out half way so none of the barrels ever gets below 1/2 full. The last barrel in line empties at the bottom where a 90 elbow inside connects to a piece of 1/2 pvc 2' long so the barrel never gets completely empty before the tank valve kicks in. The line runs through black plastic 1" line downhill for 200 yards (with two facets inline at the garden area) then into a barrel 6' off the ground line where the stock auto waters are gravity fed from. The overflow runs into a cistern set up just like a septic tank (it is two septic tanks) so you have a settlement tank then overflow into next tank with a settlement tank and it overflows into another filtered pressure tank that can be pumped to the house but into a separate filtered system and when it is full the system overflows into some fruit trees and keeps going down to the bottom as a small creek where it disappears into the ground water table.
If we don't get enough rain to keep the water moving I just backwash the filter to the pressure tank and instead of the water running out on the ground it runs into the barrel system.
I sounds complicated when I read it but it isn't. Its a self feeding system that keeps water to the garden and livestock + either uses or stores most of the house runoff.
So I have 800+ gallons of "useable" water stored in that system. I have 300 gallons in the last holding cistern that has been settled twice, 300 gallons that has been settled once and the rest a gray water mix that can be boiled. Plus I think the pool holds 2000 gallons, but I don't remember exactly, we have it filled with a $100 donation to the fire dept in the spring. Well the water cost + $100. Its hard on a well to fill a pool.
We redid all of our water lines and added this system when our well pump went out a couple of years ago. We eliminated the hot water tank use except to the washing machine and its on a timer so we only wash clothes off peak. The showers/baths, dishwasher, etc are all on demand water heaters that only heat the water when it is being used. Saves about 1/3 on our electric.
Plus the well pump is a small solar system and doesn't even use the electric any more, it could if it need to but it hasn't yet.
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Post by woodyz on May 27, 2015 22:40:29 GMT -7
while on the subject NEVER NEVER EVER NEVER mix liquid bleach and pool shock (powdered bleach) together, one or the other but never both.
That means don't pour liquid bleach into a pool where pool shock has been used
Don't use liquid bleach to purify water then use then add pool shock to it
or the other way around
stick with one type, if you start and find you don't have enough of one type, start over don't use some of both
you will create chlorine gas and it can kill you
or you will blow yourself up.
I was about 10 at a public pool that had been shocked but they needed more so they got everyone out and went in a little boat and started pouring in liquid bleach.
20 of us sitting down wind went to the hospital with burned lungs
when chlorine gas hits the water in your nose, eyes and throat it turns back into bleach and you don't want to drink it or get it into your eyes
one or the other never both
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