Blocked Downpipe – What To Do
Preventing blocked downpipes at your home is best done by having your gutters cleared out regularly. However, if you do discover your downpipe is blocked, it is advisable to clear the blockage as soon as possible. Rainwater will not run freely away from your roof and home if your downpipe is blocked. This means that there is a risk of damage to the pipe itself and damp developing in your walls.
Unblocking a downpipe is definitely the hardest gutter cleaning job. Because of its difficulties, it is often best left to a professional. However, if you would prefer to tackle the situation yourself, you will need to make sure you have a ladder, a bucket, gloves, a hand trowel and a hose or watering can.
Begin by setting your ladder safely against the brickwork. Ensuring it is secure and getting someone to foot the bottom for you is strongly advised.
Once in position at the top of the ladder, use the trowel to clear the gutters and entrance to the downpipe of any leaves and debris. Deposit whatever you clear from your gutters into your bucket.
The easiest way to clear your downpipe is to dismantle the pipe and clear it out by hand. Take apart the offset bends where most blockages occur. Once it is clear, you can simply reassemble and attach back in to place.
If your property is surrounded by a lot of trees, or you find that your downpipe regularly gets blocked, it might be an idea to invest in fitting a downpipe guard. This is a sort of mesh cap that sits at the entrance to your downpipe to prevent large amounts of debris from getting in there. They are not very expensive and are easy to fit.
Of course, not everyone is happy to go up a ladder to do this sort of thing, and if you have any concerns or doubts in your ability to work safely at height, it is always best to get a professional to do this for you. Having a downpipe unblocked by a professional gutter cleaner is not a very expensive job and at least you know it will be done properly and safely. If you are getting someone else to do this for you, make sure you get them to water test so you can see that it is now running clear and doing it’s job of removing rainwater from your home.
If you need some help with a blocked downpipe, get in touch for a free quote.