DIY Rain Chain
I love rain chains! I think they look so much better than a regular downspout.
If you're not sure what a rain chain is, click HERE to find out all about them.
But the copper ones are usually pretty expensive to buy so I decided to see if I could make one.
It took me a while to figure out where I was going to get copper to make the chain. Then I was walking through the hardware store and saw a 20' length of flexible copper tubing...the type that is used to install refrigerators. Perfect!
The next problem to solve? How to get chain links that were round.
After a couple of failed attempts, I finally figured out how to make a coil of out of the copper.
Third problem to solve? How to cut the coil into links that could be made into a chain.
Again after a couple of failed attempts, I figured out how to cut the coil into links...using a reciprocating saw made a pile of links in a hurry.
Finally, I used pliers to join the links together.
The finished chain was a little more than 5' long...which was the perfect height to hang from the first story eaves of my house and have the chain reach just above the top of my rain barrel.
Next step was to install the rain chain, which meant first removing the down spout that was there. That left a hole in the gutter (sorry for the dirt...I was so excited to put it up, I didn't bother to clean :)
To make a gutter installer, I bent another small piece of copper tubing (mine was about 15" long) into a "V" shape with ends.
Pull the rain chain through the hole in the gutter and attach the installer to the end of the chain.
Then let the chain back down so that the ends of the V are resting on the bottom of the gutter.
The rain chain looks great when it is hanging on its own.
But it is really pretty when there is water running down. And it really does work!
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Love it! Such a fantastic job making the rings! Going on the real cheap, got a length of chain from a recycle store find, some old small jello or dessert molds already had, painted them all with Rustoleum Hammered Metal Copper spray paint. A couple of years and holding up well. Look almost as pretty. Still, inspired to try your process for another downspout! Should age with beauty like me, lol!
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best of all, water that has passed over copper picks up copper atoms - which prevent mosquito larvae from hatching, which can happen with "un-copperized" water, if the water stands as little as 24 hours.
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