Question 1

My rain barrels have screens on the top.  will these still work with the diverter?

Accepted Answer

I've had this diverter for some time and also used it on rain barrel with a screen. The barrel, after filling, had water running over out the top. I discovered that this diverter is made to use with rain barrels that have no openings to air i.e. completely closed except diverter hose going in. With this type of barrel what happens after barrel is full is that water backs up the hose to the gutter and is expelled down the gutter. The the barrel has ANY openings to air then this can not happen. It is like a straw in water. If you cover the top of straw with a finger then water stays in the straw. If you just pick up the straw the water comes out the bottom.

Question 2

How will it divert water from gutter into barrel? It looks like most of the water will go down the spout.

Accepted Answer

I had similar concerns, and compared what came out of the diverter, and what went down the downspout, and I'd say I got about 20-30% from the diverter, which was really disappointing. I called Oatey CS and they said its only designed to divert about 30-40%. Very disappointing.

Question 3

What about using this system on oversized downspouts ie: 3X4?

Accepted Answer

Fiskars makes a diverter that says it will fit both 2x3 and 3x4 downspouts...heres the info...Fiskars Rain Barrel DiverterPro Kit (5962)

Question 4

does this model offer the ability to manually shut off the diverter?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You just disconnect the hose leading to the barrel and then use the provided stopper to plug up the same nozzle leading from the diverter. (The principle on which it works is that, with nowhere to go, the water just builds up inside the diverter and drains as it would normally) You don't need to removed the diverter itself. I like this diverter. So far it's been maintenance free and works VERY effectively. My two rain barrels fill up very quickly and when full, the rain pours down the normal downspout. I would fully recommend this diverter. Make sure you follow the instructions and don't cut out too much of a gap when installing!

Brand	Oatey
Colour	White
Material	Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Product Dimensions	15.2L x 10.2W x 20.3H Centimeters
Item Weight	2 Pounds
Specification Met	No
Shape	Round
Global Trade Identification Number	00038753142098
UPC	038753142098
Manufacturer	Oatey
Department	Unisex-Adult
Item model number	14209
ASIN	B003E1RJVU

14209 Mystic Rainwater Collection System Fits 2" X 3" Residential Downspouts, white

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