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CamaroMan
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# Posted: 15 Dec 2025 10:02pm
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Hi- up in NorCal building our dream off grid cabin - bought a kit on Amazon but was wondering if I route roof water into a vertical 4” pipe with say a 5/16 drain hole in the bottom and a leave filter - the first run off will fill the pipe and slowly start dripping and the over flow will fill our tanks. When the rain stops the abs pipe empties via 5/16 hole and resets. On next rain it again traps the first gallon or two before overflowing to tanks.
Thoughts?
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 15 Dec 2025 10:31pm - Edited by: gcrank1
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A couple years ago I was winter 'shopping' for such ideas and found a number of diy online by using 'rain barrel' as primary search. Iirc the best looking of the bunch used a floating ball to shut the downpipes when full and divert to the barrel.
I never did make one....spring came and we had to get the rain barrel collecting so I set up a filter on the top (a screen and metal sieve for the big stuff and a fish pond filter material beneath) and collect straight off from the above section of metal roofing.
In season I toss in a bit of unscented bleach at the beginning of the month, never had Any green growth inside. At season end I drain most and brush out with a broom (quick clean up) and dump so it is ready for the next year.
It's been working great though the barrel sure would fill faster if it was collecting from a gutter run.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 16 Dec 2025 06:06am
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I have built one before. I found that the hole in the bottom clogged up real easy. Filtering the water before it gets into the gutter is best with something like gutter guards.
If your roof is asphalt the water is really only good for watering plants.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 16 Dec 2025 10:19am
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O and I have made other "first flush" systems that where way easier to maintain and build. For instance one was a 5gal bucket half filled with gravel and had a hole in it over the lid of a IBC tote. Went 2yrs under white pine trees before I took the system appart.
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Steve961
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# Posted: 16 Dec 2025 06:41pm - Edited by: Steve961
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This is what I built. It's worked well for the past 10 years. It uses a field hockey ball in the main tube that rises and cuts off the first flush rainwater.
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