Replies

1. 
   IMERC | Sep 15, 2008 12:13am | #1

   certainly do work...

   figure 8  or folded link chain works really well...

   needless to say steel chain will rust something fierce...

   put them in and then fine tune to suit...

    

   Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming

   WOW!!! What a Ride!
   Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

2. 
   dovetail97128 | Sep 15, 2008 12:33am | #2

   Yes.

   I have experimented with different style chains and size of links.
   The small the links and the tighter the link style the better they work. The link style that seems best to me is a "8" that lays flat.
   I use mutliple small chains as opposed to one larger one. The water runs over the surface of them without being blow away by the wind.

   They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
1. 
   dovetail97128 | Sep 15, 2008 01:55am | #4

   Just found the correct name for the link style. "Twisted Machine Chain" is what I have used most successfully.
   They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.

1. 
   davidmeiland | Sep 15, 2008 02:45am | #6

   Hey Dove, got a link or a pic of that? I have one 10' section of copper loop link on the porch, would like to replace it before monsoon season.

1. 
   dovetail97128 | Sep 15, 2008 02:59am | #7

   http://www.lacledechain.com/hardware/alloymachine.html Top Pic.
   Chain is often used in dog leads and collars, very flexible and lays flat and tight.
   I don't know the size I used but it is about what is used in dog leads. I have 6 strands hanging down out of a standard drop outlet. Arranged them in a circle so that the heavy flow stays inside the circle and the smaller flows run down the chain.
   It does trap debris at the inlet (working on that one, been looking into the foam blocks that fill the gutter)
   Only in the heaviest of rains here do I get any wind blown water problems and even that is minimal.
   I played with a bunch of configurations, funnels, chain sizes before hitting on this solution. The drop is located at the far end of a roof overhang that protects a walkway and I didn't want a solid drop standing all by itself out at the end of the walk.
   They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.

2. 
   dovetail97128 | Sep 15, 2008 03:17am | #8

   Shot a few pics for ya.
   Funnel at top is a cheap plastic deal, same at bottom. I tell myself I am still experimenting, no sense making it real fancy yet. ;-)
   They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.

1. 
   malibuds3 | Sep 15, 2008 01:25pm | #9

   Thanks for the pics but how do you attach the chains and support them? seems like the chains would be expensive

2. 
   dovetail97128 | Sep 15, 2008 04:58pm | #10

   Current version is a wire ring laid into the gutter itself with the chains let down through the drop.
   I want to try making a ring up that will go around the outside of the drop and see if it works better with less trapping of debris.

   They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.

3. 
   davidmeiland | Sep 15, 2008 12:33am | #3

   Had a customer buy some of the copper cup style. They are linked by short yokes of heavy copper wire. Some of the rain follows the wire out thru the linkage holes and falls on the ground. Not my favorite. If there's wind blowing it blows the water off the links.

   Never observed the link style MERC is talking about during a rain.

4. 
   Scott | Sep 15, 2008 02:21am | #5

   I'm not pleased with ours and am in the process of switching to downpipes. They're OK in a very light rain situation, but heavy rain causes huge splashing.

   Plus they tend to clog up around the gutter drain, more so than a regular drain/downpipe combo.

   Scott.

   Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”