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Inlet Protection for Storm Drains
Six Systems · Every Inlet Type
Inlet Protection
For Storm Drains
Catch It At The Inlet.
Sediment reaching a storm drain is a compliance problem and a cleaning bill. Filter it at the point of entry and neither happens. Six patented Dandy products, one for each kind of inlet.
- Grated, grateless, curb, field and combination inlets
- All reusable — install, inspect, maintain
- Free shipping on every order
- 6Product systems
- 42Stock sizes
- 5Minimum order units
Start Here
Inlet Protection For Storm Drains
Inlet protection is sediment control applied at the last possible moment — the point where surface water enters the storm system. Once silt is past the inlet it is in the pipe network, and getting it out again means flushing, vactor trucks and downstream cleaning. Filter it at the inlet and the problem never enters.
Every product on this page works the same way. A monofilament geotextile slows the incoming flow, and suspended solids settle out of that slowed water and are held in a containment area rather than carried through. What differs between them is how the unit fits the inlet, and that is entirely determined by what your inlet physically looks like.
That is the only question worth answering first. A grate that lifts out can be enclosed or hung from. An opening in a curb face cannot — there is nothing to hold. A grate sitting in open ground on an active site has different visibility and durability demands from one in a city street. Work out which of the six situations you have and the product choice follows.
The Decision
What Does Your Inlet Look Like?
Six situations, six products. Find yours below.
01
Flat & Round Grates
Encloses the grate
A grate that lifts out, in a street, lot or mountable curb. The bag wraps the grate and goes back in with it. Round grates get true round sizes rather than a rectangular compromise.
View Dandy Bags → 02
Curb & Gutter Inlets
Encloses the grate, plus a dam edge
Same principle as the bag, but with a dam that partially blocks the curb hood — so gutter-borne sediment is intercepted instead of bypassing the grate.
View Dandy Curb Bags → 03
Below-Grate Containment
Hangs beneath the grate
An open-top sack suspended below the grate on internal cradle straps, with a two-foot containment area. No rebar, and it lifts out on the straps to empty.
View Dandy Sacks → 04
Combination Inlets
Beneath the grate, sealed to the curb
The only unit covering both routes in. It hangs below the grate like a sack, and a cylindrical section seats against the curb face to block the curb opening.
View Dandy Curb Sacks → 05
Grateless Curb Openings
Sits against the opening
Nothing to enclose, so the unit lays against the curb face and is ballasted by an aggregate-filled pouch that also seals it to the street surface.
View Dandy Curb → 06
Field Grates
Pop-up dome over the grate
Where the alternative is ringing the inlet with silt fence. Pops open in a second, encloses the grate completely, and comes in safety orange and black for visibility to plant operators.
View Dandy Pop →The Whole Range, Compared
| Product | How it fits the inlet | Best suited to | Sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dandy Bag | Encloses the grate | Flat and round grates, mountable curbs | 17 |
| Dandy Curb Bag | Encloses the grate, dam edge at the curb hood | Curb and gutter inlets with a grate | 8 |
| Dandy Sack | Hangs beneath the grate, open top | Grates where containment depth matters | 4 |
| Dandy Curb Sack | Beneath the grate, cylinder sealed to the curb | Combination grate and curb openings | 3 |
| Dandy Curb | Sits against the opening, aggregate ballast | Curb and median inlets with no grate | 7 |
| Dandy Pop | Pop-up dome enclosing the grate | Field grates, in place of silt fence | 3 |
Sizes always refer to the grate or opening, never the product. Measure what the unit
has to fit before ordering — and on the Dandy Curb, remember the length needed is the opening
plus the overhang each side.
Across The Range
What Every Dandy Shares
Reusable, not disposableSediment removal rather than replacement is the normal maintenance action, so the same units carry through a project.
High-visibility geotextileBright orange monofilament, so units get spotted and serviced. The field-grade Dandy Pop adds black for plant-operator visibility.
Optional oil absorbentsEvery product takes an absorbent pillow or sock, so the same unit handles hydrocarbons as well as sediment.
Patented designsGenuine Dandy product throughout. We never substitute another brand or product type without the explicit consent of the customer.
Five-unit minimumEach product has a minimum order of five, in any mix of that product's sizes.
Free shipping, every orderOn every product, size and quantity, with no threshold to reach.
Inlet Protection Only Works If It Is Serviced
This is the part that gets skipped, and it is what an inspector will look at. A unit full of sediment has no containment volume left, so it stops filtering and starts passing everything straight through — while still looking like protection is in place.
After every storm
Clear accumulated sediment and debris from the surface and the vicinity of the unit. On the Dandy Pop, clear the dome panels too — sediment caked on the outside throttles the flow the geotextile can pass and causes ponding.
The one-third rule
On the sacks, look inside. If the containment area is more than one third full of sediment, the unit must be emptied. Past that point there is not enough capacity left to handle the next event.
Absorbents
If you are running optional oil absorbents, remove and replace the pillow or sock as it approaches saturation rather than waiting for it to fail.
Why Buy Inlet Protection From Landscape Discount
The complete range, not a sample of it
All six Dandy systems in 42 stock sizes, so the recommendation you get fits your inlet rather than fitting what we happen to hold.
Genuine patented product
Real Dandy units throughout. We never substitute another brand or product type without the explicit consent of the customer.
Straight answers on selection
Tell us what the inlet looks like — grate or no grate, curb or field, how much containment you need — and we will tell you which of the six it is.
We answer the phone
When you call you quickly reach a helpful, live person happy to answer your product and order questions. (M-F 5:00 am - 3:00 pm Pacific Time)
Inlet Protection FAQs
What is inlet protection?
Sediment control applied at the point where surface water enters a storm drain. A geotextile filter slows the incoming flow so suspended solids settle out and are held in a containment area, instead of being carried into the pipe network where removing them means flushing and vactor work.
Which product do I need?
It depends entirely on what your inlet looks like. Flat or round grate: Dandy Bag. Curb and gutter inlet with a grate: Dandy Curb Bag. Grate where you want deep containment: Dandy Sack. Grate and curb opening together: Dandy Curb Sack. Curb opening with no grate: Dandy Curb. Field grate on an active site: Dandy Pop.
What size do I order?
Sizes refer to the grate or opening the unit fits, never to the product itself. Measure the grate. The one exception is the Dandy Curb, where the length needed is the inlet opening plus the overhang that extends past each side.
Will inlet protection flood the road in a heavy storm?
The curb products carry a built-in protective overflow, so once flow exceeds what the geotextile can pass the unit overflows rather than damming completely. Keeping units clear of accumulated sediment is what preserves that capacity — a neglected filter is what causes ponding.
Are these reusable or disposable?
Reusable. Every product in the range is designed to be installed, maintained, inspected and reused, which is where the cost advantage over disposable inlet protection shows up across a long project.
Can they capture oil as well as sediment?
Yes, with optional oil absorbents. Each product takes an absorbent pillow or sock fitted inside the unit. Replace it as it approaches saturation.
Why is everything orange?
Visibility drives maintenance. Inlet protection only works if it is inspected and serviced, and a unit you can see from a truck gets checked. The Dandy Pop adds black to the safety orange because it sits in open ground where plant is moving, making it a safety marker as well.
Is there a minimum order?
Yes — five units per product, in any mix of that product's sizes.
How often does inlet protection need servicing?
Clear sediment and debris from the surface and vicinity after every storm event. On the sacks, empty the unit once the containment area is more than one third full. On the Dandy Pop, clear the dome panels as well as the containment area.
What does shipping cost?
Nothing. Shipping is free on every order, across all six products, every size and every quantity.