Quick verdict
A diverter that cuts into a 2 by 3 or 3 by 4 inch rectangular downspout and sends water through a flexible hose to a barrel, then returns it to the downspout once the barrel is full. It installs without removing the downspout and includes a winter cover. Capture rate is lower on 3 by 4 downspouts, and it does not suit round or metal-drum setups.
Strengths
- Installs without removing the existing downspout
- Automatic overflow returns water to the downspout when the barrel is full
- Fits 2 by 3 and 3 by 4 inch rectangular downspouts
- Flexible hose stretches from 9.5 to 31 inches
- Winter hole cover included
Weaknesses
- Reduced capture on 3 by 4 inch downspouts
- Not for round downspouts or metal drums
- Requires cutting a hole in the downspout; measure the barrel inlet height carefully
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
The Missing Link Between Gutter and Barrel
A rain barrel under an open downspout fills in one storm and then floods the ground beside the foundation for the rest of the season. A diverter fixes that: it taps the downspout, sends water to the barrel through a hose, and once the barrel is full lets the rest continue down the spout. PIHIL’s kit is a generic version of that design for rectangular downspouts, with a flexible hose and a winter cover, installed without removing the downspout.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how downspout diverters of this design work in general use. We have not installed this kit ourselves and the brand is a generic importer.
How It Works
You cut a hole in the downspout at the height of the barrel’s inlet and press the diverter body into it. Water running down the spout hits the diverter and most of it is channelled sideways into the hose and on to the barrel. When the barrel fills to the inlet level, water backs up in the hose, and the diverter passes everything else straight down the downspout. No valves, no attention.
Fit and Capture
The body fits standard 2 by 3 inch downspouts and larger 3 by 4 inch ones. On the larger size the diverter spans less of the flow, and PIHIL states capture is reduced. For most homes the 2 by 3 fit is the common case and capture is good. Round downspouts and metal drums are excluded.
Installation
Measure the barrel inlet height, mark the downspout, cut the hole with a hole saw or snips, press in the diverter, connect the hose to the barrel with the seal. The flexible hose stretches from about 9.5 to 31 inches, so the barrel can sit beside the downspout or a step away. Getting the height right is the whole job: too low and the barrel never fills, too high and the hose runs uphill.
Seasonal Care
Before freezing weather, pull the hose, drain the barrel and fit the winter cover over the hole so the downspout drains normally. A mesh screen on the barrel inlet keeps leaves and mosquitoes out all season.
Build
Plastic body and hose, as with all diverters in this class. Owners of similar generic units report several seasons of service, with the hose being the first part to stiffen in sun.
Who Should Buy It
- Anyone adding a rain barrel to a standard rectangular downspout.
- Homeowners worried about overflow soaking the foundation.
- Renters and DIYers who do not want to cut and shorten the downspout.
Common Owner Complaints
Barrels that fill slowly because the hole was cut too low, lower capture on 3 by 4 spouts and hoses that sag. Careful measuring fixes the first; the others are design limits.
Alternatives to Consider
Oatey’s Mystic Rainwater Collection System and Fiskars’ DiverterPro are branded equivalents. For round downspouts, a Rain Harvesting first flush and downspout kit. Cutting the downspout short with a flexible elbow into a screened barrel works where overflow is not a concern.
Verdict
For a rectangular downspout and a plastic barrel, this kit does the job of branded diverters for less, with the automatic overflow that makes a rain barrel practical. Measure the inlet height twice before cutting and it will quietly fill the barrel for years.
Full specifications
PIHIL Rain Barrel Diverter Kit for Rectangular Downspouts FAQs
The diverter sits level with the barrel inlet. When the barrel fills to that height, water backs up in the hose and the rest flows on down the downspout instead.
At or slightly above the barrel inlet height, so the hose runs level or downhill to the barrel. Cutting too low means the barrel never fills.
The diverter blocks large debris but a mesh screen on the barrel inlet is still wise to keep out leaves and mosquitoes.
Remove the hose and fit the included cover over the hole so the downspout drains normally and nothing freezes in the barrel line.
