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Leader heads or conductor heads are components of a roof drainage system which are known by different names, but they all mean the same. They are funnel-shaped elements, connected in most cases to a
Leader heads or conductor heads are components of a roof drainage system which are known by different names, but they all mean the same. They are funnel-shaped elements, connected in most cases to a gutter
Gutter may refer to:
Water discharge structures
* Rain gutter, used on roofs and in buildings
* Street gutter, for drainage of streets
Design and printing
* Gutter, in typography, the space between columns of printed text
* Gutter, in bookbi ...
, and from there to a downspout
A downspout, waterspout, downpipe, drain spout, drainpipe, roof drain pipe,Francis Joseph Patry 1974. Roof Drain ArrangementUnited States Patent 3909412< or leader is a
The purpose of a leader head is to help transfer excess water from the roof onto downspouts, thus preventing the gutters from overflowing and water washing over the walls, which is a common occurrence in areas susceptible to heavy rain cycles. The use of leader heads also offers other benefits to the drainage system. Because the top of the
The purpose of a leader head is to help transfer excess water from the roof onto downspouts, thus preventing the gutters from overflowing and water washing over the walls, which is a common occurrence in areas susceptible to heavy rain cycles. The use of leader heads also offers other benefits to the drainage system. Because the top of the funnel
A funnel is a tube or pipe that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, used for guiding liquid or powder into a small opening.
Funnels are usually made of stainless steel, aluminium, glass, or plastic. The material used in its construct ...
is open, air is constantly introduced into the system and water flows faster through the downspouts. Additionally, some leader heads are designed to receive more than one downspout, or in some cases more than one gutter converge onto a single leader head. Lastly, leader heads have historically provided an opportunity to incorporate a decorative element within their design. These elements, as are the other roof drainage system components, gutters, scupper
A scupper is an opening in the side walls of a vessel or an open-air structure, which allows water to drain instead of pooling within the bulwark or gunwales of a vessel, or within the curbing or walls of a building.
There are two main kinds of s ...
s or downspouts, have to be sized to perform well, according to the amount of precipitation that they are intended to help alleviate.
Leader heads can also receive water from scuppers, as used predominantly through flat roofs’ parapets. In those cases, the leader head provides the transition from scupper to downspout.
Leader heads can be incorporated into a rain water harvesting system, by helping direct the water into collection cisterns. This way, the harvested natural resource, rainwater, can be redistributed as best fits the needs. Whether the leader head fits directly into the collecting tank, or is connected to a down pipe first, contaminants and debris such as such as leaves, twigs from trees, and bird and other animal droppings among others, must be kept out of the tanks. For this purpose leaf guards or leaf diverters are very useful, since they are simple angled screens installed in such manner as to deflect leaves and debris while allowing water to pass through.
In Australia a leader head is known as a Rainhead. Essentially exactly the same thing but with different terminology.
History
Leader heads have their origin in thegargoyle
In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...
s of Romanesque and Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
buildings and have been used since. The principle has always been the same, and though over time they have been redesigned to fit stylistic building trends, their function has always remained a constant.
Today, leader heads are made of a variety of sheet metal
Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process. Sheet metal is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and it can be cut and bent into a variety of shapes.
Thicknesses can vary significantly; ex ...
materials such as copper, steel, aluminum, zinc or brass, or cast materials such as aluminum; historically they were made of lead, copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
or cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...
. Leader heads are also made in different sizes and shapes such as square, round, hexagonal, etc.
Codes (U.S.)
2018 International Plumbing Code , CHAPTER 11 Section 1106 Size of Conductors, Leaders and Storm Drains * 1106.2 Size of Storm Drain Piping * 1106.3 Vertical Leader Sizing * 1106.4 Vertical Walls * 1106.5 Parapet wall scupper location *1106.6 Size of Roof Gutters ''(See associates tables 1106.3 & 1106.6 included in the respective sub-sections)'' 2018 International Building Code , SECTION 1502 ROOF DRAINAGE * 1502.1 General * 1502.3 Parapet wall roof drainage scupper and overflow scupper location *1502.4 Gutters ASTM STANDARDS * B101 Standard Specification for Lead-Coated Copper Sheet and Strip for Building Construction * B32 Solder * A924 Standard Specification for General Requirements for Steel Sheet, Metallic-Coated by the Hot-Dip ProcessSee also
*Gargoyle
In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...
*Downspout
A downspout, waterspout, downpipe, drain spout, drainpipe, roof drain pipe,Francis Joseph Patry 1974. Roof Drain ArrangementUnited States Patent 3909412< or leader is a