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 The gutters and downspouts along the edges of your roof are the water transportation system of your rainwater harvester.
• Material — Gutters and downspouts can be made from aluminum or plastic. It's the size, not the material that's important.
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Size — Gutters and downspouts have to be large enough to carry the water running off the roof. Most home gutters come 5 or 6 inches wide. 3-inch-diameter downspouts attach to the 5-inch gutters; 4-inch downspouts go on 6-inch gutters.
Forroof collection areas up to 1000 square feet, a 5-inch gutter and 3-inch downspout are large enough to carry the water. Larger roofs' collection areas should have the larger size gutters and downspouts.
• Filters — Be sure there are some kind of screens, such as the one in the illustration, to keep leaves and other debris from clogging the downspouts. In areas where mosquitos are a problem, use a fine-mesh, aluminum window screen to keep the insects away from the standing water in the barrel.
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Collection Area | Storage Facility | Harvesting Rain Water
Barrels Sources | Build your own
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