What Is A Rain Barrel Diverter And Why You Need One

Conserving water is something we should all strive to do, because even the smallest effort we make can accumulate to make a difference over time. If we all commit to small changes in our lives, we can keep life on Earth sustainable for our future generations. One of the easiest ways to reduce water consumption is to get yourself a rain barrel to collect rainfall, but without the best rain barrel diverter, this can be problematic for many people.

What Is A Rain Barrel?

A rain barrel is used to collect rainwater for later use (not for drinking) on things such as water plants, washing cars, or even cleaning. It is a simple device that involves a large barrel (or several) that are connected to your home’s gutter system to collect the overflow of water. Some models have some sort of filtration to keep large debris from getting into the barrel as well.

The Problem With Rain Barrels

If the rainfall is more than expected, and your rain barrels are full to the brim, then they are likely to overflow. If you aren’t paying attention, and have not taken any precautionary measures, the overflowing water will either damage your basement or the foundation of your house, depending on where the rain barrels are placed. Water damage can be very costly, especially if it damages your foundation. Many people avoid using rain barrels simply out of fear of water damage.

The Solution

Luckily, there are solutions to overflow from rain barrels. This solution comes in the form of a rain barrel diverter - a device that senses when your barrels are near to getting full and diverts water into your downspout, so that none of the water gets into your foundation. This can entirely prevent water damage issues associated with rain barrels. Additionally, the diverter can more efficiently filter out debris from your water barrels, so you end up with cleaner collected water. Another benefit of a rain barrel diverter is that it makes the entire system sealed, to prevent any insects from getting in your collected water. Some people still get a diverter even if they are not collecting rainwater in barrels. This is to divert water away from the foundation of their home and help prevent costly water damage. In other words, a rain barrel diverter allows water to flow out of the downspout (on the side), leaving only the debris to flow downwards through the downspout. We highly recommend that you install a rain barrel diverter, as well as a rain barrel system to collect rainwater. You can use that water for a number of purposes, as long as you don’t consume it because it is not treated. You can help the planet by saving water, as every gallon counts. Collecting rainwater is unlikely to impact your daily life, and thus there is no valid reason not to do it. The benefits of rainwater collection clearly outweigh the drawbacks, so why not start conserving water now?