Rain Barrel Gutter Kit for Homeowners

A rain barrel gutter kit is a simple and effective way for homeowners to collect and conserve rainwater. The average household uses around 30,000 gallons of water per year, and a rain barrel can collect up to 1,000 gallons of rainwater.

By installing a rain barrel gutter kit, homeowners can reduce their water bills and minimize their impact on the environment. The kit usually consists of a barrel, a gutter attachment, and a diverter.

The barrel can be placed under a downspout, allowing rainwater to flow directly into it. This is a great way to harvest rainwater for irrigation, washing cars, or even filling up your pool.

The rain barrel gutter kit is easy to install and requires minimal maintenance, making it a great DIY project for homeowners.

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A rain barrel gutter kit is a must-have for any homeowner looking to harvest rainwater. It's a system that connects to your downspout and directs water into a rain barrel, making it easy to collect and store rainwater for later use.

Typically, a rain barrel gutter kit comes with a 55-gallon capacity, which is sufficient for most household needs. The most practical material for a rain barrel gutter kit is polyethylene plastic, which is durable and resistant to corrosion.

An overflow valve is a common feature in many rain barrel gutter kits, allowing you to connect additional barrels for increased storage capacity. A mesh screen is also often included to block debris from entering the barrel.

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A rain barrel gutter kit is a great investment for any homeowner looking to conserve water and reduce their water bill. With a rain barrel gutter kit, you can collect and store rainwater from your roof for later use in your garden or yard.

The kit usually includes a 50-gallon barrel, which can collect up to 1,000 gallons of rainwater per year, depending on the size of your roof and the amount of rainfall in your area. This is a significant amount of water that would otherwise go to waste.

By using a rain barrel gutter kit, you can reduce your water bill by up to 50% and also reduce the amount of stormwater runoff that enters local waterways, helping to prevent erosion and keep your community's waterways clean.

A BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System optimizes inflow rate and handles overflow automatically, making it a true set-it-and-forget-it solution.

This means you don't need to worry about system overflow, as excess water will flow down the downspout as it normally would.

A full barrel will cause excess water to back up in the hose, and once the water column starts rising in the downspout, excess flow falls down the hole in the middle to exit the downspout.

This design prevents water from draining into your basement, which can happen if excess water spills next to your foundation.

Installing a downspout diverter allows you to remove and store the rain barrel before winter, preventing it from freezing and cracking when the ice expands.

The gutter will function exactly as it did before installing the rain barrel, so you won't have to worry about disrupting your home's drainage system.

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The BlueBarrel Rainwater Catchment System optimizes inflow rate and handles overflow automatically, making it a true set-it-and-forget-it solution. This is made possible by the unique design of the system, which allows water to flow in and out of the barrels seamlessly.

Surface tension causes water to hug the interior walls of the downspout as it exits, but the BlueBarrel System's diverter head delivers most of the water directly to the reservoir, making it an efficient system.

Excess water will flow back up in the hose when a full barrel causes it to back up, and once the water column starts rising in the downspout, excess flow falls down the hole in the middle to exit the downspout as it normally would.

This eliminates the need for an on-and-off switch, and you can rest assured that you won't be creating any new drainage problems.

In fact, the system is designed to handle system overflow automatically, so you don't even need to think about it.

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Installing a rain barrel gutter kit is a straightforward process that requires some basic tools and a bit of patience. It's a great DIY project that can be completed in a few hours, even if you're not the most handy person.

The diverter head is flexible and easy to insert into standard downspouts, eliminating the need to cut your downspout. You can choose from various sizes to fit your downspout, including 2" x 3" and 3" x 4" rectangular downspouts, as well as round downspouts between 3" and 4" in diameter.

To ensure proper function, the rain barrel should be elevated enough off the ground so that water can flow freely from the bottom spigot, while the diverter itself should still be higher than the rain barrel.

Here's a quick rundown of the installation process:

Installing a rain barrel diverter is a relatively straightforward process, but it does require some planning and attention to detail.

To start, you'll need to select the correct size of diverter for your downspout, which typically comes in 2" x 3" or 3" x 4" rectangular sizes.

The diverter is inserted into the downspout with a simple hole, and no need to cut your downspout.

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You'll also need to consider the placement of the rain barrel in relation to the downspout diverter, making sure the rain barrel is elevated enough off the ground so that water can flow freely from the bottom spigot.

Here's a step-by-step guide to installing the rain barrel diverter:

It's also important to note that the diverter optimizes the inflow rate and handles overflow automatically, making it a convenient and set-it-and-forget-it solution.

If you don't have gutters or downspouts at all, installing them is the simplest solution. You can also gather your water into a single location by using a leaf eater.

The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center's Wonder Gutter solution is an inexpensive way to create your own gutter system.

If you're planning to install a rain barrel gutter kit, it's essential to consider the compatibility of the downspout with the kit. The good news is that most standard residential and industrial sizes are covered, including 2" x 3" and 3" x 4" rectangular downspouts, and round downspouts between 3" and 4" in diameter.

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For specific sizes, you can opt for a diverter kit that fits your downspout. For example, the Oatey Mystic rain barrel diverter kit is designed for standard 2" x 3" rectangular downspouts, while the Rain Barrel DiverterPro by Fiskars fits both 2" x 3" and 3" x 4" sizes.

If you have a different size or a unique roof drainage system, don't worry - there are still solutions available. For instance, the Earth Minded rain barrel diverter kit comes with a diverter kit for 3" x 4" downspouts, and the Flex-Drain colander kit attaches to 3" x 4" downspouts.

We carry diverter kits for 2" x 3" and 3" x 4" rectangular downspouts, and round downspouts between 3" and 4" in diameter, covering most standard residential and industrial sizes.

If you have a different size, don't worry - there's a surprisingly simple solution. The company offers kits for various sizes, so it's worth checking if yours is compatible.

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The Rain Reserve automatic downspout diverter is a great option, but be aware that the white hose that came with it can be inflexible, making it hard to connect to the barrel.

This issue may be resolved in newer kits, so it's worth checking the product description or contacting the manufacturer.

After using the Rain Reserve for a while, the caps that cover the drains inside the diverter started to leak a little, even when tightened securely.

This is a common issue that may not be a major problem, but it's worth noting.

The UV rays from the sun can also cause damage to the diverter, leading to cracking and wear over time.

It's essential to choose a downspout diverter that is UV resistant to minimize these issues.

The Leaf Eater Adapter is a game-changer for any rainwater system. It's a standard upgrade that's highly recommended for keeping leaves, mosquitoes, and other debris out of your rain barrels or tanks.

You can install a Leaf Eater Adapter on any standard size, whether it's round or rectangular. It's a simple installation process that requires a clean cut to the downspout.

The great thing about the Leaf Eater Adapter is that it adapts to any downspout size. You can even replace your lower segment with 2" x 3" downspout material for a standard diverter connection.

Plastic downspout material is inexpensive, easy to cut, and seals well against the rubberized diverter head. It's a low-hanging fruit solution that makes installation a breeze.

The Leaf Eater Adapter is so effective that it doesn't matter what's going on "upstream" of it, as long as you can funnel water onto the screen in one way or another.

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Selector Valves are a creative way to increase inflow in small systems.

They can be used to catch overflow from a higher diverter in heavy rains, as seen in the example where two diverters collect the same downspout, with one installed higher than the other.

A RainRouter Selector Valve can be installed on the bottom diverter to send excess water through a hose to direct it elsewhere.

RainRouters are available in online stores, making it easy to purchase one for your system.

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The Rainreserve Basic Rain Diverter is a great option for those looking for a straightforward solution. Some people have mentioned that the hose that comes with the product isn't to their liking, so they've opted to purchase their own.

This product is a solid choice for those who want a hassle-free installation process.

The Flex-Drain Catch-A-Drop Kit is a great option for capturing rainwater, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

One of the downsides is that the manufacturer, Amerimax, doesn't include a hose as part of the kit.

You'll need to purchase a separate hose or use a different setup if you want to connect your rain barrel to the Flex-Drain.

This kit also lacks UV-resistance, which means it may not hold up as well to prolonged exposure to sunlight.

The screw-in garden hose fitting on the diverter is a nice feature, allowing you to place your rain barrel anywhere as long as it's downhill from the Flex-Drain.

However, the plastic construction of the kit can make it difficult to tighten the fitting securely, which may lead to leaks.