What’s the Purpose of Rain Chains?

Rain chains are becoming increasingly popular in the Western world, expanding from their Japanese origins to become a common feature of landscape architecture designs in Europe and the United States.

What is a rain chain, and what is its purpose? Read on to learn more.

Rain chains as a water feature

Rain chains are designed to turn a regular gutter downspout into a much more aesthetically-pleasing water feature that adds some life and visual interest to your property.

These chains are simple to install. They’ll typically come with installation kits that make it easy to attach the chain to the gutter. All you need to do is remove the downspout, replace it with the installation kit at the connection point and then put on the rain chain. You can replace as many downspouts on your property as you want.

If you like to use water collection barrels for gathering rainwater, you can use rain chains to transport the rainwater in the barrel. Other people simply like the sound water makes as it runs down the rain chain and falls to the ground, barrel or other designated area.

Some people simply use rain chains to enhance the aesthetics of their landscape architecture. They can add a lot of charm and visual interest to a garden and require very little maintenance, and they’re capable of staying out all year-round, but they do also serve as a functional alternative to downspouts and work just as well.

Using the rain chain

Rain chains transport rain from the roof or gutter into your area of choice. It might send the rain into a rain barrel, or it could send them to a decorative basin that doubles as a water feature and a source of rain collection. The water you collect can then be used for irrigation purposes at another time. Collected rainwater can also be used for composting, cleaning, bathing pets, washing vehicles or filling other water features on the property.

You do not have to attach a rain barrel or basin to a rain chain, though, just as a downspout does not necessarily have to be directed toward a rain collection system. It is recommended you engage in water collection, though, if you live in a hotter part of the country that sees a lot of droughts or if you simply want to be more conscious about conserving water at your home.

Rain chains are designed to be durable and resistant to the elements. You can find powder-coated rain chains that come in various colors or simple silver aluminum chains that resist rust and oxidation.

Interested in learning more about rain chains, their functionality and what the purpose of rain chains is? We encourage you to contact the team at Gutter Master with any questions you have. Our experts are more than happy to assist with your rain chain installation, and we are pleased to provide you with more information about these popular landscaping features. Reach out today to schedule a consultation—we look forward to working with you!

Categorised in: Rain Chains

This post was written by Writer