Use Your Rain Gutters to Harvest Water & Save Money!

All Aluminum Gutters

531 Sunrise Highway, West Babylon, New York 11704

(631) 816-2498

Every time it rains it should act as a reminder of how much money you’re wasting. Not following the logic? If you use your hose to water your garden or plants instead of using rainwater you’re throwing your money away. After the initial cost of setup, harvesting rainwater is a free alternative to using your garden hose. So how do you get started saving money? There are three key items involved in the process: The collection area, the transportation system, and the storage facility. All you need are a few supplies, your roof, and of course your trusty gutters!

Collection Area - The most obvious choice for a collection area is the roof of your home. The bigger the roof, the more rainwater a person can harvest. If your garden or household plants are on the smaller side, you can use your shed’s roof for a smaller collection of rainwater. The next time you are watering your garden and plants, gauge how much water you are using in a certain span of time. That can help you determine how much you need to collect.

Transportation System - Your gutters and downspouts will be the transportation system for the rainwater. You can modify your current downspouts to direct the rainwater into a storage container instead of onto the ground. The material of the gutters and downspouts do not matter, so aluminum or plastic both work. What matters is the size of the gutters and downspouts. If you are replacing or installing new gutters, remember that 5-inch gutters attach to 3-inch downspouts and 6-inch gutters attach to 4-inch downspouts. The last part of the transportation system will be a gutter debris filter, placed between the gutter and downspout. This will prevent any unwanted debris or insects from collecting in the rainwater storage barrel.

Storage Facility - Barrels are the most efficient way to store your rainwater. The bigger the barrels, the more water you can store which is good during the dry times of the year. You can use multiple barrels to increase the capacity of your storage. To set up your barrels, attach short pieces of hose to each, connecting them and allowing water to flow through. The placement of these barrels is the most important part of the whole operation. You’ll want to place the barrels directly under the downspout on a self-made platform using cinder blocks.

To see diagrams for each element of the harvesting system or to learn how to make your own rain barrel, click here.

And there you have it! Your very own rainwater harvesting system. Now you can save money on your water bill while giving your plants and garden fresh rainwater. Before starting this DIY project, make sure that your gutters and downspouts are in good working order. Trust the professionals at All Aluminum Gutters to repair old leaky gutters, install new ones, or clean out your existing system. For more information, call 631-816-2498 today!