To prevent excessive leakage, try using a bicycle inner tube heat shrunk to fit the gap and over the hinge part, have a half inch overlap that you can use a plastic clothes drying pin to hold than in place, this way when you need to access the area, lift up the pin, take off the inner tube and it’s easy
Neat idea! Leakage hasn't been an issue yet, as the water seems to want to go straight down, but I will definitely remember your tip for sealing, thanks!
I use a way-easier method. I use a PVC pipe cut on a bias @ 45° with a circle of nylon window screen segmented so the perimiter can be folded over the edge and glued to the outside surface of the pipe. The bottom of that inlet pipe is clamped to the drum inlet. Rainwater carrying debris hits that slanted screen, and the water goes through, but debris rolls off onto the (ultimately) ground. I pull (use) water from a pipe capped at its lowest end, through a hole drilled about 3 inches from the end, which touches the bottom of the barrel. This forms a "settling" area for sand and other tiny stuff that makes it through the window screen.
To prevent excessive leakage, try using a bicycle inner tube heat shrunk to fit the gap and over the hinge part, have a half inch overlap that you can use a plastic clothes drying pin to hold than in place, this way when you need to access the area, lift up the pin, take off the inner tube and it’s easy
Neat idea! Leakage hasn't been an issue yet, as the water seems to want to go straight down, but I will definitely remember your tip for sealing, thanks!
I use a way-easier method.
I use a PVC pipe cut on a bias @ 45° with a circle of nylon window screen segmented so the perimiter can be folded over the edge and glued to the outside surface of the pipe.
The bottom of that inlet pipe is clamped to the drum inlet.
Rainwater carrying debris hits that slanted screen, and the water goes through, but debris rolls off onto the (ultimately) ground.
I pull (use) water from a pipe capped at its lowest end, through a hole drilled about 3 inches from the end, which touches the bottom of the barrel.
This forms a "settling" area for sand and other tiny stuff that makes it through the window screen.
Very cool! Also a great idea.