Whenever people ask how to store water usually it is suggested to get food grade 55 gallon drums for the most cost efficent way. Great idea but the main problem is removing water from them. I really struggled to empty and move 6 of the barrels when I moved from town into the country. So I added a hose bibb to the bottom quarter of the barrel. I explained this a few times in other threads but never did so in detail and with pictures.
Stuff you will need: a drill, spade bits (size depends on the hose bibb you buy), pipe thread sealer, JB Marine Weld, and a block of wood. Nice to have is an air compressor with an air blowing wand or a vaccum cleaner.
I did this a while ago so no pictures of the process but here are the steps.
Take the drill bit you think you want and test it in the block of wood before drilling into the barrel. The male end of the threads will be a hair bigger than the hole and you will be able to hand tighten the hose bib into the hole. This will save you from ruining a barrel.
While drilling into the barrel use a vacuum or air compressor to remove the plastic dust. If you don't do this a bit more plastic will fall into your barrel. Be sure to drill straight.
Hand thread the hose bibb into the hole. If you do it right where it is straight the pipe thread sealer and JB weld is not needed. If you strip out the hole with the threads or go crooked apply the needed material to seal the barrel. I personally added both to each bibb even though only 1 really needed it our of 6 barrels.
I like to position the bibb about 8-12 inches from the bottom of the barrel. I find that the last little bit is easy enough to man handle the barrel around and is high enough off the ground to bit a bucket under the spout. I also like to put these on a pallet to raise the distance even more for clearance of the bucket and to easily move with my pallet jack. 3 barrels fit pretty well on the pallet and I have access to 2 of the spouts.
2 years so far and not a single leak from this modification.
The hose on top of the barrels is used only to fill and unfill the barrels. I can attach the hose to the bib and drain them without being there. With the bung cap removed it takes 21 seconds to fill 1 gallon bucket. If you leave the bung cap on it causes a vacuum and it will take 38 seconds to drain 1 gallon of water.
Random tip if you misplace your bung wrench a standard pry bar fits pretty well.
You can siphon water from a drum out of the bung hole without installing a fitting. Also a bulkhead tank fitting is best if you do install a fitting. In either case storing a water storage drum as high as possible helps with dispensing.
My setup is very close to yours except I used a gasketed plastic bulkhead fitting. I used cement blocks topped with 2x8 boards as the support which has the hose bib about 16" above the floor. The barrel drains down to about 5 gallons remaining. No problems so far in 20 years. I believe yours will be just as reliable.
Yeah I was stressed out over it but considering the alternative was leaving them at the old house when I moved it was the only option. I drilled a hole into them to drain the water so I could move them. I had 3 days to get all my remaining stuff out of the place. Who would of guess my house would sell under a week on the market.
To store a plastic drum full of water on its side long term you will probably need a cradle to keep the drum from denting. Also the smaller bung hole is 3/4” so you can screw a 3/4” spigot directly in the smaller bung hole. Some spigot/hosebibs have larger openings than others. Since there is little pressure, the larger one works best with gravity flow from a drum.
I use an almost identical setup for my rain barrels, but since I was cutting a hole in the top I was able to reach down inside the barrel and secure the nut on the hose bib.
I used a hose bib with a red handle for the other one in case we want hot water... dumb Dad joke I tell to kids when sending them to get it.
A forum community dedicated to survivalists and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about collections, gear, DIY projects, hobbies, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
