What Are Gutter Downspout Filters And What Are They For?

Surely if at any time you have considered placing a tank to collect the rainwater from the roof and use it later, you have thought about how to make it reach the tank as clean as possible. Well, that's what gutter filters exist for. A complement that allows cleaning the water that passes through the different sections of a pluvial evacuation system of plant debris and large particles so that it is kept in better condition.

What is a downspout filter?

As we have anticipated, these devices are placed in the downspouts of the rain collection systems , generally in those that have water recovery tanks, to filter it and thus eliminate plant debris, residues or pollutants.

Generally this type of filters use a mechanical action to separate the waste from the water. This is usually done by means of a metal mesh placed in a section of the downspout so that the remains of vegetables or soil continue down the downspout and the clean water comes out through a conduit that connects the downspout with the tank.

Although we can find different types of filters for downspouts on the market, in all cases we must count the work of professional gutter installers since it is a modification of the original assembly.

Types of filters for rainwater

In general, when we consider placing a filter there are two options available that we must assess:

Filters for external water tanks . In this case, they are usually filters that are placed on the downspout and connected to a tank that is placed next to the duct.

Water filters for underground tanks . They tend to have a greater filtering capacity since these tanks usually have more capacity and can be placed in the downspout itself or even in the tank itself.

Filters functions in downspouts

There are many reasons that can make us want to use this type of system, we can summarize them as follows according to their usefulness:

To obtain a water free of residues with which to water, clean the car, etc.

As a first step to clean and purify rainwater in situations where you want to reuse it for domestic use.

Before a disinfection and purification system to obtain drinking water in areas where there is no access to it.

Although in any case we must remember to do periodic maintenance of the filters to guarantee their correct operation.