Yeah, finer mesh is definitely worth it—sure, you might lose a bit of flow, but honestly, it's barely noticeable unless you're dealing with a massive downpour. Plus, fewer weekends spent elbow-deep in slimy leaves? Sign me up...
Yeah, finer mesh does help, but honestly, I still ended up with some gunk buildup after a few months. Maybe it's just my trees...but I'd still recommend checking it every now and then to avoid surprises. Learned that the hard way last spring.
Yeah, mesh alone won't stop everything—especially if you've got messy trees. I had a similar issue at my place (big maple right next to the gutters, ugh...), and ended up adding one of those first-flush diverters. Basically, it sends the initial runoff (with all the dirt and leaves) away from your main tank. Super easy to install and really cuts down on maintenance.
Also, quick tip: even with the diverter, definitely peek inside every couple months. I once found a tiny frog chilling in there...no idea how he got past the mesh, but at least he seemed happy. 😂
First-flush diverters are great, but I've seen some setups where the diverted water just pools near the foundation—definitely not ideal long-term. Did you run yours into a garden bed or something similar to soak it up? Curious how others handle that runoff...
"Did you run yours into a garden bed or something similar to soak it up?"
Yeah, pooling water near the foundation is a bit like inviting termites over for a pool party—not the best idea, lol. I usually recommend running the diverted water into a gravel-filled trench or directly into raised garden beds. At my place, I set up a simple rock-lined swale that guides runoff straight into my veggie patch. Tomatoes seem pretty happy so far...
