What are rain hoppers?

Author: Dr. Damian Heller MD  |  Last update: Thursday, August 21, 2025

Rainwater hoppers, also known as hopper heads, are an essential part of any guttering system. They sit at the top of the drainpipe and help to increase water flow during periods of heavy rainfall.

What are Victorian rain hoppers?

A hopper head fitted just below a gutter was the Victorian way of enabling their drain pipes in heavy rain to carry 66% more water. How I hear you cry? Water flowing from a gutter down a drain pipe only runs a third full.

What is the purpose of a drain hopper?

Drain hoppers are a type of drainage fitting that has a larger opening at the top compared with the bottom. Traditionally, they were designed to increase the flow of drainpipes in heavy rainfall, however, they're also suitable in situations where a number of outlets run into one place.

Do I need a gutter hopper?

But while they do look nice, gutter hoppers also serve a vital purpose for the roofline, too. In conditions of heavy rain, downpipes generally run to a capacity of around one-third full, but the hopper allows the downpipe to divert much larger volumes of water and reach full capacity.

What are rain catchers used for?

Rain barrels capture water from a roof and hold it for later use such as on lawns, gardens or indoor plants. Collecting roof runoff in rain barrels reduces the amount of water that flows from your property. It's a great way to conserve water and it's free water for use in your landscape.

FloPlast's Universal Hopper: RHS1 | Product Showcase

Do rain barrels attract mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes need water to lay their eggs and grow. Rain collection devices create a perfect environment for them.

Where do you put a rain catcher?

Choose a downspout on your house or garage that is closest to the plants you water the most. If you choose to set up a drip irrigation hose, remember that Upcycle's rain barrels operate by gravity so be sure you install the barrel so the water can run downhill.

Where should water from gutters go?

Gutters and gullies should only collect rainwater and connect to the rainwater drain. Wastewater pipes should not be connected to the rainwater system. If the rainwater gutters and gullies are connected to the wastewater drain, rainwater could overwhelm the drain and cause flooding.

What is the purpose of the hopper?

Hoppers come in a range of shapes and sizes, but they're all designed for the seamless transportation of materials. Depending on your purpose, you can utilize hoppers as either: containers for waste removal. containers for parts of material storage before use.

Is it okay to have no gutters?

Without gutters, water never makes it very far from your home. Often it will land directly below where your roof ends and stand in pools unless there is a natural slope present. That high volume of water can create problems.

Do you need a gully for rainwater?

Without a drain gully, you can risk the systems getting blocked and potential floods.

What is a spoon drain?

A spoon drain is a concrete drain formed in line with the ground surface and its purpose is to collect stormwater before it can soak into the ground. Stormwater falling on the ground is directed towards the drain and the bottom of the concrete drain is sloping. It takes water away before it can soak into the ground.

What does a gully trap look like?

A gully trap is a basin in the ground outside the building and is connected to the nearest building drain/sewer so that foul gases from the sewer do not come to the house. It also prevents the entry of cockroach and other insects from the sewer line to waste pipes carrying wastewater.

What are the two types of hoppers?

There are two types of hoppers, conical and wedge-shaped. The hopper shown below to the right is conical whereas a wedge-shaped hopper is a trough with a narrow slit, as shown to the left.

What was a common material used in guttering in the Victorian period?

Cast Iron overtook lead as the chief material for guttering during the Victorian era and dominated the field until the development of plastics.

What are covered hoppers used for?

Covered hopper cars, which are equipped with a fixed roof, are used for cargo like grain, sugar, and fertilizer, and Portland cement that must be protected from exposure to the weather.

Is Hopper good or bad?

Ratings and reviews: According to Google Play, Hopper has an average rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on over 100,000 reviews. The app has more negative reviews (1 or 2 stars) than positive reviews (4 or 5 stars), with a ratio of 40% to 36%.

Why is it called the Hopper?

History. The term hopper is derived from funnel shaped storage bins that contained grain, coal, or animal feed. The movement of the grain as it poured into the storage bin has been likened to 'hopping' or dancing.

What are three interesting facts about Hopper?

A loner and a traditionalist, Hopper painted a vision of a modern alienated America
  • Down by the river. ...
  • He trained as a commercial illustrator. ...
  • Scratching a living. ...
  • True art takes time. ...
  • He was fascinated by architecture. ...
  • A school of one. ...
  • Rugged Individualism. ...
  • He made few statements on his work.

Where does water go after the gutter?

Street gutters carry water to storm drains that let water fall beneath the street. The grates on storm drains stop large objects (and people!) from falling in. An underground pipe carries water out of a city or town. The water pours into a large waterway— a lake, river, or sea.

Is it OK for water to sit in gutters?

Standing water can lead to severe problems for your foundation. If the water cannot run off your gutter as intended, it'll eventually overflow and leak around your home's foundation.

Does a kitchen sink drain to a sewer line?

The connection between your kitchen sink and bathroom sewage pipe might not be immediately obvious, but it does exist. Both your kitchen sink and bathroom fixtures, like toilets and showers, are connected to the main sewage system of your house (not directly to one another, however).

What state is it legal to collect rainwater?

California. No regulations or laws against rainwater harvesting.

What happens when the rain barrel is full?

It shifts the flow of water from the barrels and directs it back down the existing downspout automatically when the barrels are full. In other words, any time your rain barrels are full, rainwater will flow out as it did before you had a BlueBarrel System.

How to collect rain water from gutters?

Rain Barrels

This method is the most common and one that many people are familiar with. This involves installing a barrel at a gutter downspout to collect rainwater. The actual barrel may be a recycled barrel or a new commercially available rain barrel.

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