Trash Can - Garden Hose Adapter for Rain Water Recuperation

prusaprinters

This is an adapter I made to water my garden with the water collected in generic plastic trash cans. Those "specialized" water recuperation containers with taps are so expensive it didn't make any sense to me to buy 'em while I could get two trash cans for 67c each! (ok, awesome deal, I agree). This model does need you to dispense some elbow grease however... This adapter is made to goinside the trash can, at the base, and have the hose fitting jut out through a hole. It is screwed from theoutside with 4 to 8 screws. Why so complicated? Well, water pressure pushes stuffout of the bin, so with the partin it is pushed against the surface and helps sealing the holes. It could be screwed from the inside, but that's more cumbersome and you would need washers and nuts... Incidentally, you need (ideally) to tap the screw holes. I designed it with that intent. I guess you could just screw right into it without tapping, but I would be afraid to crack the part... This design was made in OnShape and is publicly available here. Check my makes to see the finished product! Post-Printing Operations to fit everything together... First, orient / position the part in relation to your trash can. It is made so that it generally fits the radial curve at the bottom of the inside of the can, while also following the conical shape (e.g. wider at the top, narrower at the bottom). Then you'll have to drill your trash can. Measure the stuff so that the hose fitting can pass through the hole. Then, you can use the printed part as a guide to drill 4 to 8 holes to pass screws in later on. Once you have 1 big center hole and 4 to 8 screw holes... You're going to have to tap the printed part with the kind of screw you want to use. If my memory serves me well I used #8 or #10 machine screws Slather on some sealant, silicone or other caulking of your liking, onto the printed part, on the curved surface all around the hose fitting. Now the difficult part; align all the holes (now covered by caulking...) while the part is*in* the bin and you screw it in*from the oustside*. Maybe easier done with a helper. Screw the screws gradually, so that the part uniformly spreads the caulking. Let it dry! Et voilà! Please, if you have harsh winters below freezing, do not fiddle with the part, let the spring thaw everything out; the PLA will break if you try to un-jam your hose or remove some ice from within the part... I speak from experience... Category: Outdoor & Garden