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Carolina Gardening
ncgardner_gw

Made My Rain Barrel Diverter

18 years ago

If anyone is interested, I came up with a diverter for my rain barrel that is only $5.00 and works beautifully. My downspouts are buried so I didn't want to remove the bottom portion of each. After looking on line for a diverter and finding they cost anywhere from $27. to $45. I decided there had to be a better way.

If your barrel is full and another rain is coming you can divert the water right back down the downspout to eliminate overflow on the ground.

I went to L's or HD and bought a plastic FLEX ELBOW. They come in both downspout sizes and expands from

8-18". Several colors and cost $4.99.

1. Cut your downspout at the height you want according to the barrel height. Go about 6-8 inches above the top of the barrel.

2. Then cut the same downspout again about 10-12 inches below that cut. This will leave a 10-12" space of missing downspout. (Give yourself enough room to move the flex piece.) You'll need to push the f.p. up and down a little when adjusting for the position of barrel or downspout.

3. Using a downspout screw, I permanatly screwed the top end of the flex elbow onto the bottom of the top piece of downspout (the one coming from the roof). Be sure the d.s. goes inside the flexpipe so it wouldn't leak. This piece will never need to be removed.

When the barrel is already full and they are calling for rain.....

4. I put the bottom end of the flex piece into the top of the bottom downspout. Pull out the flex piece to extend to fit and the rain goes right into the original downspout.(the piece of downspout that runs to the ground) This is basically filling in the gap of missing downspout.

When I want the rain water to go into the barrel....

5. I pull the bottom of the flexpipe out of the top of the bottom piece of downspout. Extend and bend the flexpipe as necesary to line up with and empty into the barrel. You can add a short extention (cost $1.59) to the end if necessary. The flex Elbow has a give of 8-18" and moves easily, up, down and sideways.

I actually have my barrels sitting around a corner of the house from the downspout (due to shrubs) so I added an additional flex piece and bend it around the corner of the house to match up with the top of the barrel. You might find an electrial tie helps hold the two flex elbows together if there is a hard rain. I have no unwanted overflow running around the barrel once it is full.

NOTE: When a barrel is full, water can only come into the barrel at the same rate it is exiting through the overflow hose. In a storm, a full barrel overflows quickly.

Hope this helps someone. Any questions, let me know.

Kaaren

Comments (13)

  • 18 years ago

    Very clever! That will come in helpful with all this rain we're getting this weekend (not that I'm complaining...let it rain!). Thanks for the tip.

  • 18 years ago

    Kaaren,
    Sounds like it works like a charm! Would it be possible to post a photo?

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  • 18 years ago

    People don't realize that a barrel can ruin an area with overflow. Great idea. I'm on my way to the box store. Many thanks for this great idea.

  • 18 years ago

    ncgardner - thanks for passing that on. I hooked mine up like that a month ago and was gonna mention it, but forgot. Anyway, if you can't find it at HD's, it's in the plumbing aisle/front section and I believe it's called Flex Adjustable Downspout, or something like that. Pretty close to the contractor desk.

    I bought 2 of them and hooked them up just as ncgardner explained (good job explaining it). Works like a charm, but on the 2 downspouts on my rear house corners that I use I have 2 different sized downspouts so I have to do a little finagling but it still works okay.

  • 18 years ago

    Maybe I'm missing something, but if you have adequate overlow control, you shouldn't have to use this method, which requires you to be around when the rain is coming/expected.

    It is a good idea to run your overflow back into your diverted gutter, especially if you have the gutter running into a ground system like the OP described. But, if you set it up that way from the beginning, you don't have the added maintenance of having to run out every time a storm is predicted to a) check your barrel level and b) move the diverter from your barrel and back into your gutter.

  • 18 years ago

    Unfortunately, my barrels have too small an overflow at the top to handle the volume of what's coming in from the downspout, and I really doubt anyone has an adequate overflow opening to handle rain coming off a roof through a downspout into a barrel at the quantities that occur.

    Also, if my barrels are full and rain is coming, I doubt seriously that it's that big a deal for me to move the flexspout from the barrel to the remaining downspout and travel as before. Otherwise, leave it over the barrel and let it flood the barrel if too much for the overflow. Just my $.02

  • 18 years ago

    Mr. Sig - When the barrel is full, I just leave the elbow in the downspout. If I need water, I place it over the barell. I don't run out during the rain to switch it back and forth. I use my overflow hose to water the water-loving plants that are away from the barrels (some 20ft.) I run a solid hose for the first few feet then connect to a drip hose to dispurse the water along the way. I too have placed the overflow hose back into the downspout but I find this gives much better control of the overflow water. It takes care of ALL the water coming off the roof.
    Note: WITH ONE INCH OF RAIN, A 1000 SQ FT. ROOF PRODUCES 640 GALLONS OF WATER. That is a lot of water for a couple of 55/65 gal. barrels.

  • 18 years ago

    Mr. Sig - When the barrel is full, I just leave the elbow in the downspout. If I need water, I place it over the barell. I don't run out during the rain to switch it back and forth. I use my overflow hose to water the water-loving plants that are away from the barrels (some 20ft.) I run a solid hose for the first few feet then connect to a drip hose to dispurse the water along the way. I too have placed the overflow hose back into the downspout but I find this gives much better control of the overflow water. It takes care of ALL the water coming off the roof.
    Note: WITH ONE INCH OF RAIN, A 1000 SQ FT. ROOF PRODUCES 640 GALLONS OF WATER. That is a lot of water for a couple of 55/65 gal. barrels.

  • 18 years ago

    Sure, I have seen the same rainfall estimates (no need to shout) but most people don't have one downspout from their gutter system so those numbers are divided depending upon how many downspouts you have and where they are located in comparison to your rain barrel.

    I've never had a downpour that my overflow couldn't handle, so maybe my setup is unique in that manner.

  • 18 years ago

    My gutters are 2x4 so the 2x3" flexible downspouts don't fit. Does anyone have any ideas how to connect the downspouts back together once I cut them? thanks.

  • 17 years ago

    I don't understand that "inch" measurement that they use to measure rain.
    One inch thick X 1000 ft (assuming its a flat surface) is 1000 cubic inches and there are 231 cubic inches of water in a gallon, so 1000 divided by 231 comes out to 4.33 gallons.

    OH, and how about some pictures of the down spout set up?

  • 17 years ago

    GOD, HOW STUPID WAS THAT!!
    I WAS THINKING INCHES AND TYPING FEET!!!

  • 16 years ago

    Don't suppose you have any pictures of this? WOuld be very helpful

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