Rainwater catchers: handy accessories for roof drainage

The vast majority of garden owners are likely to rely, at least in part, on rainwater for irrigation. After all, it's not just free. It also reduces unnecessary consumption of drinking water.

With a rainwater collector built into the downspout of the gutter, water can be easily extracted during rainfall. Collected in rain barrels, it is then available to water the garden during dry spells.

The most important facts about rainwater harvesters at a glance

• Watering the garden with rainwater saves money and avoids unnecessary tap water consumption.

• With a rainwater collector, the water can be fed directly from the downspout into the rain barrel.

• Rainwater collectors are available in various designs and are equipped, for example, with a stopcock or even an overflow stop.

• For metal roof drainage systems, care must be taken to ensure that the material of the rainwater collector is compatible with that of the downpipe.

• When installing the roof drainage system, it is important to ensure that it is adequately sized.

• Those who call for a garden shed of their wishes should think of equipping it with a roof drainage system as well.

Why using rainwater makes sense

Running water is becoming increasingly expensive. Therefore, watering the garden with tap water is an expensive proposition. In addition, in some areas, during prolonged droughts, water shortages make it restricted or even prohibited to use tap water at home for this purpose.

Aside from this, tap water is often quite hard and sometimes even contains small amounts of chlorine, which is of course far from ideal for plants. So using rainwater for garden irrigation makes sense not only in terms of water bills, but also from an ecological point of view, as well as for the plants in the garden.

To be able to collect enough rainwater, in addition to an adequately sized roof drainage system, you will need a rain collector with which to drain the water into the rain barrel.

Rainwater can be collected with a water pump.

How does a rain barrel work?

When it rains, due to the slope of the roof, the rainwater flows first into the gutter and then into the downpipe connected to it. Through this, it can either be directed to the sewer system or feed the rainwater infiltration system.

Alternatively, it is possible to collect the water in rain barrels and use it for watering. For this purpose, a rainwater collector is installed on the downspout. With this, water flowing down the inner walls of the pipe can be collected and directed via a connected hose or tube into a rain barrel placed next to it.

Rainwater collectors are available in a wide variety of models. For example, some models have a shut-off valve that can be closed once the rain barrel is full. Some rainwater harvesters are also equipped with a convenient overflow shut-off. Thus, excess rainwater is returned to the pipe quite automatically.

Aside from this, there are also very simple rainwater collectors, which consist of a curved sheet. If it is open when it rains, it blocks the passage of water through the downpipe and diverts it directly into the rain barrel. When it is folded back, water can flow freely down the downspout again and the outside of the pipe is sealed.

Designing Roof Drainage Properly

Without a roof drainage system, water would run down the walls of the house in case of rain and cause moisture damage to the building in the long run. Therefore, every homeowner must address the issue of roof drainage and install a properly sized system. This includes suitable gutters and downpipes, which can be fitted with a rain trap if required.

When planning the roof drainage, one of the things to consider is the roof area and what is known as the runoff coefficient. In addition, it is important to consider the design rainfall intensity. This is a certain amount of rainfall that the roof drainage system must be able to handle without overloading.

When buying gutters and downpipes for roof drainage, there are not only different sizes to choose from, but also a range of different materials. These include plastic as well as a variety of metals, such as zinc and copper.

Although plastic roof drainage systems are particularly cheap. However, they cannot normally compete with metal systems in terms of longevity. However, not all metals are compatible with each other, so that a combination of any material is not always possible. This circumstance should of course be taken into account when purchasing a metal rainwater collector.

Roof drainage for garden sheds

If you own a garden shed, you are basically free to decide to equip it with a roof drainage system as well. However, without a roof drainage system, even garden sheds can suffer from moisture damage, which is why the installation of gutters and downspouts is usually highly recommended.

Aside from this, it gives you the opportunity to use a rain collector and rain barrel to collect extra water that you can use to water your garden during dry spells.

So by installing a roof drainage system, which is of course much easier compared to residential homes, you are not only contributing to the longest possible life of your garden shed. In addition, you are ensuring that you have as much rainwater as possible for watering.

Buy rainwater collectors

If you need a rainwater collector or other building components for your roof drainage system, you have come to the right place in our shop. This is because our range offers you a selection of high-quality rainwater collectors with which you can equip your downpipes.

Buy rainwater collectors and other essentials, such as gutters, online and have your order delivered easily. With us, you will enjoy low prices and high quality that is sure to satisfy you.