8 Kits for Connecting Rainwater Harvesting Barrels

A single heavy summer downpour can easily fill a standard 55-gallon rain barrel in less than ten minutes, sending hundreds of gallons of soft, chemical-free water overflowing right onto your foundation. Connecting multiple barrels creates a scalable water storage system that keeps crops hydrated through mid-summer dry spells without driving up a water bill. Having the right hose and seal connection kit ensures every gallon transfers smoothly between drums without leaks or mosquito-inviting air gaps.

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Why You Should Link Multiple Rain Barrels

A single 55-gallon rain barrel is rarely enough to keep a small raised-bed garden or flock of poultry hydrated through a extended summer heatwave. Linking multiple barrels creates a cohesive water reservoir, turning isolated drums into a dependable backup supply. This continuous capacity allows small-scale operations to capture maximum runoff during short, intense storms.

Connecting barrels near the bottom creates balanced hydraulic pressure, filling all connected tanks simultaneously while allowing water draw from a single spigot point. Alternatively, top-linking systems act as overflow bridges, keeping primary settling barrels clean while routing excess water into secondary surge tanks.

Expanding storage capacity piecemeal avoids the high costs and large footprints of heavy commercial bladders. Using targeted hose kits allows flexible layout configurations along barn walls, behind garden sheds, or tucked into unused garden corners with minimal structural impact.

Linking Kit – EarthMinded Rain Barrel Link Kit

The EarthMinded Rain Barrel Link Kit serves as a reliable connector for bridging two closed-top or open-top drums at either top overflow or bottom equalizing heights. It prevents raw runoff waste during sudden, high-volume cloudbursts by establishing an airtight pass-through channel.

This kit features a stretchable accordion accordion-style flex hose, thick rubber grommets, and specialized hole saws sized precisely for rain barrel walls. The rubber seals form a tight friction fit without requiring internal nut tightening, making it ideal for standard sealed 55-gallon food-grade drums.

• Compatible Drums: 55-gallon plastic barrels, sealed food-grade drums
• Included Tools: 3-piece hole saw set, rubber gaskets, flex hose
• Connection Distance: 8 inches to 20 inches

Installing this kit requires drilling directly into the barrel wall using the included bits, making accurate measuring critical before making cuts. Avoid stretching the flexible accordion hose to its maximum length under tension, as direct sunlight exposure can degrade taut plastic ribbing over time.

This kit is best suited for hobbyists converting standard 55-gallon plastic drums into multi-tank storage banks. It is not designed for thick-walled wooden barrels or rigid galvanized steel tanks.

Flexible Connector Kit – FCMP Outdoor Hose Kit

The FCMP Outdoor Hose Kit is designed to manage fluid connections across uneven ground or misaligned barrel heights where rigid pipe options strain or crack. It keeps water moving smoothly between tanks regardless of minor ground settling.

Outfitted with an extra-pliable corrugated hose and heavy-duty threaded fittings, this kit screws directly into pre-molded female barrel ports. The flexible hose bends around tight corners without twisting closed or restricting water flow between connected tanks.

While the added flexibility eases barrel placement on soft soil, sagging hose sections can collect sediment and stagnant water if left suspended without support. Keep the hose level or angled slightly downward between barrels to maintain steady gravity-fed head pressure.

This option works exceptionally well for setups positioned on uneven gravel bases or tucked around tight shed corners. Skip this kit if the system demands high-pressure line transfers or permanently buried underground connections.

Heavy Duty Link Kit – RTS Companies Link Hose

The RTS Companies Link Hose provides a commercial-strength connection designed to handle constant water pressure and physical bumps without leaking. It establishes a fixed, highly durable channel between adjacent tanks.

Constructed from reinforced thick-walled rubber tubing and heavy brass threaded ends, this hose resists cross-threading and crushing under pressure. The dense hose walls prevent collapse when drawing water rapidly from lower barrel spigots.

• Hose Material: Commercial-grade reinforced rubber
• Fitting Type: Heavy brass male/female thread ends
• Durability: High UV and freeze-crack resistance

Because the hose walls are thick and rigid, barrel spacing must be calculated accurately during setup. Thread tape should be applied to all male connection points to prevent slow drips between brass fittings and plastic barrel threads.

This heavy-duty setup is ideal for permanent homestead installations exposed to livestock contact, heavy garden machinery, or harsh weather. It is unnecessary for decorative, light-duty backyard barrels set on smooth patio slabs.

Expansion Hose Kit – Emsco Group Connector Hose

The Emsco Group Connector Hose allows quick additions of secondary and tertiary barrels to an existing collection array without re-plumbing the main downspout diverter. It acts as an easy modular bridge for growing systems.

This kit ships with a short-length expander tube and dual twist-lock adapters engineered to work with molded plastic rain barrels. The short profile keeps connected barrels seated tightly together, maximizing space efficiency against exterior walls.

• Hose Length: 12 inches
• Connection System: Twist-lock quick-connect fittings
• Best Use: Modular, side-by-side plastic barrel banks

The fittings are designed to snap into pre-formed knockouts on compatible molded barrels; using them on smooth-sided DIY drums requires buying separate rubber bulkhead fittings. Check the internal O-rings annually for signs of rot or cracking to prevent low-level drips.

This kit is best for gardeners expanding modular, retail-bought rain barrels from matching product lines. It is less practical for custom DIY setups built from raw industrial drums.

Key Factors for Choosing Rain Barrel Hose Kits

Selecting the correct linking kit requires assessing how water moves through the storage system. Top-overflow connections only transfer water once the primary barrel is completely full, keeping sediment concentrated in the first drum. Bottom-equalizing connections maintain equal water levels across all barrels simultaneously, maximizing gravity-fed flow rates from any single spigot.

Material durability dictates how well the connection survives seasonal outdoors exposure. Rubber hoses offer superior UV resistance and cold-weather elasticity compared to rigid plastic tubes, which can turn brittle under harsh summer sun.

Inner hose diameter directly impacts how fast excess water clears the downspout during heavy rains. Narrow 3/4-inch lines can choke under sudden, torrential downpours, while 1.5-inch wide-bore hoses handle massive volume surges without backing up into gutters.

Dual Barrel Link Kit – Good Ideas Linking Kit

The Good Ideas Linking Kit connects twin barrels positioned side-by-side, allowing them to function as a unified, dual-chamber storage reservoir. It balances incoming water rapidly to prevent top-barrel overflows.

Equipped with a wide-bore 1.5-inch diameter hose and dual shut-off valves, this kit enables high-volume water transfer while providing complete isolated control over individual tanks. The large hose diameter transfers intense downspout surges instantly without backing water up into gutter lines.

The wider hose requires larger entry holes in the barrel base, making tight rubber seals essential to keep out mosquito larvae. The included shut-off valves add slight flow resistance, but allow easy isolation of individual barrels for cleaning or winter storage.

• Hose Inner Diameter: 1.5 inches
• Integrated Hardware: Dual shut-off ball valves
• Primary Advantage: Instant high-volume surge balancing

This kit is ideal for high-capacity garden setups needing maximum surge handling during heavy summer downpours. It is unnecessary for small-scale garden beds served primarily by soft, light rainfall.

Diverter Connector Kit – RainReserve Deep Boss

The RainReserve Deep Boss system directs clean rainwater into secondary storage barrels while routing debris and initial roof wash away from the storage network. It manages water routing right at the primary collection point.

Featuring a high-capacity wall-mounted diverter housing and sealed transfer hoses, this kit handles heavy downspout volume while automatically routing overflow back into the gutter drain once linked barrels fill. The enclosed design prevents mosquito entry and algae bloom.

Installing this system requires cutting into existing downspouts, requiring precise leveling between the diverter housing and barrel fill ports. The internal debris screen must be cleared each autumn to prevent maple seeds and leaf buildup from clogging the line.

This kit is designed for homesteaders harvesting water from roofs surrounded by overhanging trees where leaf litter is constant. It is unnecessary if collection barrels already feature top mesh basket filters.

Universal Hose Kit – Graf Rain Barrel Hose Kit

The Graf Rain Barrel Hose Kit provides a flexible connection bridge between non-matching barrels, non-standard port sizes, or mixed-brand tanks. It resolves sizing discrepancies across piecemeal storage systems.

Equipped with stepped barb adapters and multi-size rubber grommets, this kit adapts to various wall thicknesses and hole diameters. The universal fittings accommodate standard garden hose threads as well as non-standard metric barrel taps.

The barbed adapters require firm hand pressure and lubricant to seat fully into rubber seals, and Teflon tape is recommended on all threaded interfaces. Holes drilled into plastic drum walls must be deburred cleanly with a knife to prevent slow leaks around the universal grommets.

This setup is an essential pick for homesteaders using scavenged, mixed-source plastic drums. It is not required if all collection barrels feature identical factory fittings.

Tandem Linking Kit – Fiskars Barrel Link Kit

The Fiskars Barrel Link Kit connects multiple barrels sequentially along a straight wall, ensuring smooth, passive water transfer down the line from a single main downspout drum.

This system features heavy-gauge flexible tubing paired with snap-fit connectors engineered to resist UV degradation and physical impact. The push-fit mechanism eliminates the need for messy PVC glues or metallic hose clamps during setup.

• Connector Type: Push-fit quick connects
• Hose Flexibility: Moderate flexible bend radius
• UV Resistance: High-density polyethylene construction

Connected barrels must sit on a perfectly level, compacted gravel pad; unlevel drums put physical strain on snap fittings, causing slow stress leaks over time. However, these snap fittings make end-of-season disassembly fast and completely tool-free.

This kit is ideal for growers running neat rows of tandem barrels against a house or barn wall. Skip this kit if long hose runs exceeding two feet between barrels are required.

How to Install Your Rain Barrel Linking System

A fully loaded 55-gallon rain barrel weighs over 450 pounds, making ground preparation the most critical first step of installation. Build a stable, level pad using compacted crushed stone or solid concrete pavers. An unlevel base causes linked barrels to shift, placing severe physical strain on connector hoses and cracking side-wall fittings.

When drilling link ports into plastic barrels, use sharp hole saws and run the drill at medium speed to avoid melting the plastic edges. Clean away all burrs and plastic shavings from the hole rim before seating rubber grommets.

• Level and compact the base pad with gravel or pavers.
• Mark hole centers precisely using a bubble level across both barrels.
• Drill smooth holes and clear away all raw plastic burrs.
• Coat rubber grommets with a small amount of soapy water for easy insertion.
• Push connection fittings firmly into place until flush against the barrel wall.

Before relying on unpredictable natural rainstorms, fill the primary drum using a garden hose to test all linked connections under static water pressure. Check every joint, grommet, and threaded union for slow drips, tightening hose clamps or applying thread tape where necessary.

Winterizing Your Connected Rainwater Barrels

Water expands roughly nine percent when freezing, producing enough force to split plastic barrel walls, pop rubber grommets, and snap rigid hose fittings. Failing to drain a connected rain barrel array before the first hard frost will destroy the system’s fittings and hoses.

Begin winterization by opening all lower spigots and draining every barrel completely. Disconnect flexible linking hoses, shake out trapped water, and store rubber seals indoors or in a dry tool shed to protect them from freeze-thaw cycles and UV breakdown.

Leave bottom spigots in the open position over winter so incoming snowmelt drains immediately rather than accumulating and refreezing inside the drums. Cap or flip downspout diverters to send winter runoff down standard drainage channels until spring reconnection.

Linking rain barrels expands overall water storage capacity without complicated plumbing or expensive commercial infrastructure. Selecting high-quality connecting kits suited to specific drum styles protects crop irrigation supplies against unpredictable summer dry spells. A properly installed and well-winterized system keeps clean water flowing right where a homestead needs it most.