#Rain catch system down spout diverters install
#Rain catch system down spout diverters crack

This caused the water to overflow the barrel instead of going down the downspout. But over time the weight of the water packed down the dirt and dropped the level of the barrel below the level of the diverter.

It worked perfectly when I first set it up. If too high, the water starts flowing out the gutter system and the barrel never fills to the top. If the barrel is too low, the water overflows and never goes into the gutter system. Level with the top of Barrelīut to make this work properly the level of the downspout must line up with the top of the barrel. This prevents the water from overflowing out of the barrel. Here’s how it’s supposed to work: When the barrel is full, the diverter sends the water automatically into the gutter system as if the diverter wasn’t there. Where I ran into trouble was lining up the height of the rain barrel and the diverter on the downspout. And I’m not the most handy person when it comes to these types of things.

#Rain catch system down spout diverters install

InstallationĪlthough it took me longer than the marketing materials suggested, I was able to install the Rain Reserve. I recommend a Oatey downspout diverter instead. I’ve used this Rain Reserve to fill my rain barrel for about 10 years. In fact, the gutter will function exactly as it did before installing the rain barrel.

#Rain catch system down spout diverters crack

Otherwise, it will freeze and crack when the ice expands.Ī diverter will allow you to remove and store the barrel. Second, before winter sets in, you want to be able to remove the rain barrel. Why not? Because the water will drain into your basement.Īfter about 8 years the sun started to breakdown the plastic. Here in New England (and most places), downspout diverters are necessary for a couple of reasons.įirst, you need a diverter because, once the rain barrel is full, you don’t want the excess water spilling next to your foundation. Read the rest of the my review to avoid making the same initial mistakes I did.

Rain Reserve automatic downspout diverter: A couple of other issues.

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Here’s a really nice video of the Oatey unit set up. My recommendation is to buy an Oatey downsp o ut diverter instead. I CAN’T give it an unrestricted thumbs up. The bottom line is I like it (with a few caveats). Now that I’ve used the Rain Reserve for a while, I’m can tell you how it’s performed compared to the Oatey diverter. This in no way affects my recommendations.īut I’ve learned a lot in 10+ years, and I now recommend the Oatey Mystic Rainwater Collection System instead. That means if you click and buy from my partners, I will make a tiny amount of money. This article may contain affiliate links. Let’s take a sec to get the legal words out of the way.

It has collected literally thousands of gallons of water. I’ve used the Rain Reserve Automatic Downspout Diverter for 10+ years, and it’s served me well. This gives you an easy, cheap way to collect all the water that falls on your roof. A n automatic downspout diverter routes water from your home’s gutter system into your rain barrel.