Downspouts & Water Barrels

The easiest way to redirect the water to rain barrels is with some big-O. That will slip over your downspout and be flexible to direct it the way you want

You may not need to replace all the downspouts. A rain barrel diverter can be added to the existing pipe and it’ll send water to the barrel, then overflow goes back through the downspout. Cleaner and easier setup.

It’s fairly straightforward. it needs to be upgraded from the existing 3” downspouts to 4” downspouts for better water flow and install a rain barrel at each downspout location. There are two options for handling overflow: we can install a separate overflow connection from each rain barrel, or install a rain-barrel diverter. With a diverter, water fills the barrel first, and once it’s full, the excess water continues through the downspout and drains normally away from the house. The diverter is usually the cleaner and more convenient setup.

It's a solid weekend DIY - moderate difficulty, not hard technically, just a lot of up-and-down the ladder. Going from 3" to 4" is actually one of the best upgrades you can do. How hard is it? Skill level: 4/10 for a single-storey, 6/10 for two-storey If you can use a drill and a tin snip, you can do it. The rain barrel part is the easiest part. Time: 30-45 minutes per downspout location for the swap, plus 30 minutes per rain barrel for the diverter install. What you'll need to replace You can't just put a 4" pipe on a 3" outlet. You need to replace the whole run: 1. Gutter outlet / drop outlet - the piece in the gutter itself. You need to enlarge the hole in the gutter from 2x3 to 3x4. A 4" holesaw or tin snips. 2. Downspout - 3x4" aluminum, comes in 10ft lengths 3. Elbows - 2x A elbows and B elbows per location to get from gutter to wall 4. Straps / brackets - 3x4" brackets, screw into wall plugs, every 6-8 feet 5. Sealant - Geocel 2300 or other gutter sealant, not silicone Tools: Drill, 1/4" hex driver, tin snips, level, ladder with standoff, tape measure. Step-by-step for the downspout swap 1. Remove old 3" downspout and brackets. 2. From inside the gutter, remove the old 2x3 outlet. Cut the opening bigger for the 3x4 outlet. This is the only fiddly part. 3. Dry-fit: outlet -> elbow -> elbow -> straight down. Keep it 1/2" off the wall so it doesn't trap water. 4. Screw brackets into the house - try to hit studs or use proper masonry anchors if brick. Don't just screw into vinyl. 5. Rivet or screw the sections together with 3 self-tapping screws per joint, facing the side so you don't see them. Seal the outlet to gutter with sealant. Common mistake: People leave the old small gutter. If you have 5" K-style gutters, a 3x4 downspout is great. If you have old 4" gutters, they will still overflow at the gutter itself. Adding rain barrels at each location This is actually easier than the downspout part. Don't just run the downspout directly into the barrel - it will overflow and flood your foundation. Use a diverter kit. Best setup for your climate: • Downspout cut at about 3-4 feet above ground • Install a 3x4" diverter like Fiskars or Oatey Mystic. It has a hose that feeds the barrel and automatically bypasses back to the downspout when the barrel is full • Barrel needs an overflow fitting at the top with a hose running away from the house, 4-6 feet minimum • Set barrel on solid, level blocks - full 55-gallon barrel is 450 lbs. Cinder blocks work. • Use a closed-top barrel with mosquito screen Quoting it all not hard to do.

The eaves through have different sizes, the downpipe size is directly related to this one, if you want to install a bigger downspout, it is possible however the outlet on the eves will remain the same size, meaning the collecting of water will remain the same. To match the performance a new eves trough should be installed.