My rain barrel overflowed and flooded my compost bin at 5am

So we finally got decent rain here in Phoenix last Tuesday, which should be a win, right? My 50 gallon rain barrel filled up in like 20 minutes. But I forgot to check the diverter hose, it was kinked from some weeds. Water went everywhere, straight into my compost bin that I had just layered up. Now everything is soaked sludge and the lid blew off. My neighbor saw me at dawn with a mop and a flashlight, just staring at a puddle of wilted kale stems. Has anyone rigged up a simple overflow valve that doesn't cost $80? I'm about to just drill a hole and stick a garden hose in it.

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troy_adams2mo ago

Honestly I used to think those fancy overflow valves were just a ripoff, like why pay $80 for something a hose can do. But after reading your 5am disaster, I totally get it now, convenience is worth something when you're standing in the dark with a mop. I had a similar setup where I just drilled a hole near the top and shoved a PVC elbow in there, cost me maybe $4 in parts. The trick is to angle it down and away from anything you care about, otherwise you just move the flood problem. And trust me, don't use a regular garden hose, it kinks and collapses under pressure, you'll be back to square one. For the compost, just turn it a few times once it dries out, it'll be fine, but I'd rather skip that mess altogether.

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