| JoeSixPack 2005-07-31, 1:21 pm |
|
"Andy Hill" <andy_hill@hp.com> wrote in message
news:k7sja1p7pijo4p3ovoft7sp23nuec6flhv@4ax.com...
> Pudding.Man@Gmail.com (Puddin' Man) wrote:
> Sprinkler's are overkill -- you'll just end up with swamps where your
> gutters
> dump out.
>
> Chunk of 2x4 at either end of the roof peak, attached to fascia. 1/2"
> holes
> even with roof peak. PVC pipe (with lots of 1/32" holes) mounted along
> roofline. Cap PVC at one end, hose adapter on other (better would be
> hose feed
> at both ends, but the hose situation gets a bit more complex in that
> case).
To prevent "swamps" at your gutter drains, try this. A small sump pump
float switch in a rain barrel controlling a water valve or a small pump.
Choke down the water flow to the roof to the point where water flow is only
slightly more than evaporation. That way, the excess water that runs off in
the barrel will lift the float switch and shuts off the water supply. A
small drain in the barrel would allow the water level to drain down and
reactivate the switch and turn on the water supply again.
A further improvement would be this: Set up a rain barrel with a
stock-water float valve at the top. This is similar to a toilet float and
can be found at farm-supply stores. Attach a garden hose to it and it will
keep the barrel filled all the time to the level you choose. Then install a
sump pump in the barrel which feeds the water-soaker pipes on the roof. The
excess would run off and back into the barrel. You could even wire the pump
into a thermostat in the attic, so it would only turn on when the
temperature rises to a certain point. Totally automatic.
|