Hey guys,

We just bought a new house, and we're finding all sorts of things that need improvement.

Today's concern- our downspout connection. The owner shortened the downspout, and set up some rain barrels. But unfortunately he did a really poor job of it.

Here's the existing set up:


The problems: First off, the downspout isn't angled downward enough. So the water pools in the downspout, resulting in leaks:


The previous homeowner also opted for zip ties instead of proper downspout straps:


So, my masterplan is this:



Cut the downspout at a higher point. Wrap it around the corner of our house, and over the fence. This will give me a steeper angle on the downspout. I was also thinking of adding an additional downspout strap. Any problems with this plan?

I also have a few lingering questions:

• What's the best material to use for filling in old holes in brick mortar?
• Given our house's layout, what's the best rain collector setup? I live in Canada, so we have harsh winters. The existing rain barrels are really flimsy and poor quality. I was thinking of getting this EWC-10- 55 Gallon Rain Barrel , but I'm not sure if it's the most durable set up.
• Is this flexible plastic tubing the best thing to use for bringing the downspout around the corner?

 

Can not tell what's going on in the last picture.
In the first picture there's more then enough slope.
If I had to guess why it's leaking it would be because it was installed wrong.
Male fitting needs to be on the up hill side.

 

Number one, what exactly is the point of the rain barrels? To provide additional habitat for mosquitos? They will obviously be a problem in the wintertime when they are a solid block of ice.

Secondly, why is the rain barrel right in front of the window? Wouldn't it make more sense to have it right in line with the corner of the house? And the problem isn't the slope of the downspout, it's the vinyl connector. Your idea of cutting the downspout higher is good, but use a pair of "B" elbows to get over the fence instead of that flexible vinyl one, and eliminate the short downspout below the words "not slanted enough".

Fill the holes with a dab of vinyl mortar patch or similar..

 

XSleeper- the rain barrel is there because the alley is actually really narrow. It would be really difficult to access and use it if I moved it there. I want to have some rainbarrels because water is actually quite expensive in our municipality, so we were looking for a cost-effective way to water out plants. Thanks for the tips on the adjustment of the downspout, by the way.

joecaption- yeah, the dark lighting really made it tough to get a good photo of the side of the house. But I'm not quite sure what you mean when you say that the Male fitting needs to be on the up hill side. Is there a photo of this set up online that I can look up, just so I ever a better idea of what you're talking about?

 

I'm suggesting you move it 2 feet to the left.

 

The upper pipe should always fit inside the lower pipe or fitting so that it's like a funnel.

 

I don't see any improperly lapped joints.

 

XSleeper- I had the same thought, as well (see below). I guess I can remove that tiny planter to make the re-adjustment easier. I'm really not attached to it, or anything.


PJMax- thanks for clarifying the pipe fittings! However, the existing pipes do seem to fit the way you say they should. which leads me to believe that the flexible, vinyl pipes should be replaced. But of course- correct me if that sounds wrong...

 

This is what you would do to get over the fence, it will eliminate any horizontal joints.

 

I think you need you barrels up higher on a platform or something, otherwise you will get very little flow out of the barrel when using the water out of them.