DIY 3D Printed Rain Barrel Filter
We have had a rain barrel attached to our garage roof for over a decade now, but a perennial issue is present. Due to the large cluster of trees and low-hanging branches near the roof of the building, the gutter and downspout often clutter with tree-debris. To combat this, we cut out some screen mesh to fit inside. While this did help, it was unreliable and often got covered in leaves and sticks, making cleaning it a routine procedure. Another issue that we discovered was mosquitos. They love the standing water, and lay their children in there. The screen mesh was just small enough it wouldn’t let the mosquitos in, we found. With this in mind, I set out to design a much more modern system to approach this with.
I started this project by sketching out some possible ideas on paper. This saved time and made digital production more enjoyable. I then modeled everything up in Fusion 360, and got it ready for 3D printing on my Ender 3.
How it works: The concept behind it is really simple. The slits allow water to pass by into the barrel, but any large debris will be forced down the angled slits and out through the arched exit hole. It’s self-cleaning in a way!
After 16 hours of printing, the first part was done!
The next day, I started the second part (It took all day for the first one so I started this one bright and early)
After a few layers had gone down, I noted that the model wasn’t adhering to the glass build plate as much as it should have been. It ultimately worked out just fine, but the final print is pretty severly warped on one side.
Print Stats.
| Part | Print Time | Filament Used [PETG] | Material Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom Section | 16 hours | 180g | $4.32 |
| Top Section | 17 hours | 380g | $6.67 |
| Total Cost | ~$10.99 | ||
This could have been made significantly cheaper but I favored durability and utilized quality materials to make it last longer and be capable of holding up to harsh weather conditions for many years to come.
The idea behind having two seperate parts allows a screen to be inserted in between. Once bolted together, this adds another layer of filtration and also will prevent mosquitos from setting up camp inside.
After some cleaning, I assembled everything and installed it!
The final product works great! Now I’ll have to wait for some heavy downpours, but from what I have seen, it looks like a great addition!
If you would like to make one (or have one made for you) [customization available!] please reach out, and I can provide details.
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