DIY guideLawn and garden

Check the rainwater tank or barrel and drain it before frost

Keep the lid locked, the screens whole and the overflow pointed away from the house, then drain and disconnect it before it freezes.

8 steps

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Check the lid sits tight and locks or screws down.
A child can drown in a few inches of water: keep the lid locked.
Check the screens on the inlet and the vents are whole and clear of leaves, so mosquitoes can't get in.
Make sure the overflow hose leads well away from the house's wall, to the lawn or a drain.
Check it stands level on a firm base. A full one is heavy, and a sinking base can tip it.
Before the first hard frost, switch the downspout's diverter back, or refit the downspout, so water goes past it.
Open the tap at the bottom and drain it onto the garden, away from the walls.
Disconnect the hose. Store a barrel upside down or inside; leave a tank's tap open so it can't freeze full.
A cracked tank, a sinking base or a big tank leaning: keep children away and ask Handyman for a pro.

Handyman says: Keep kids away. I'll find a tank pro.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.