Wet and Dry Vac to clean gutters
matthelliwell
gutters?
I've got a two story houses and the gutters on two sides of the house
forever get blocked with pine needles and oak leaves due to the
surrounding trees (not to mention moss from the roof). Unfortunately
getting a ladder up to clean them out is a pain due to the surrounding
shed, water feature, fencing etc. Also in the Autumn they really need
doing every couple of weeks. So I'm after an easier way to clean them
out which doesn't involve ladders.
There are to be plenty of commercial systems which use a vacuum
cleaner to suck out the rubbish. They would seem to be ideal if they
weren't £600 upwards (eg http://www.cleaningspot.co.uk/acatalog/Guter_Cleaning.html).
So far as I can tell they are just a vacuum cleaner, a long hose, an
appropriately shaped head and a long pole. Is there any reason why a
normal domestic wet and dry vac wouldn't work? I might have to empty
it out halfway through due to the smaller volume but I can live with
that. I'd just need to find an appropriate hose and head.
Thanks
Matt
Dave Liquorice
> Also in the Autumn they really need doing every couple of weeks. So I'm
> after an easier way to clean them out which doesn't involve ladders.
Every two weeks? Do they actually block and overflow? I think you'd
be better off working out why they block and overflow. Do they have
the correct fall to the down pipes? Gutters are frequently installed
level or even up hill to the down pipes, this is incorrect. The
correct fall will carry the vast majority of most debris away when it
rains.
--
Cheers
Dave.
The Natural Philosopher
seem to end up in the gutters over a 4 week period.
GAP
I'm surprised that no-one has yet suggested you fit your gutters with
that black plastic mesh you can buy in the DIY sheds to stop the
leaves settling in the gutters. The idea is you end up with a convex
curve of mesh above the level of the gutter, any leaves landing on
that will dry up and blow away. And it mostly seems to work in my
experience. Of course that won't stop (all) the pine needles, but as a
previous poster said if you have a reasonable flow then they should
get washed away in the absence of big leaves blocking the gutter.
Whether you'll then end up with blocked drains or soakaway is another
issue of course :-)
Graham (Ecstatic that this house isn't surrounded by trees like the
last one!)
harry
The black plastic mesh is ok with big leaves but pine needls would
wash straight in. The mesh is a pain anyway, it has to be removed to
clean out gutters blocked with small stuff.
Chris J Dixon
>The black plastic mesh is ok with big leaves but pine needls would
>wash straight in. The mesh is a pain anyway, it has to be removed to
>clean out gutters blocked with small stuff.
At an exhibition I did come across a stall where a guy was
selling open cell plastic foam for this purpose. He assured me it
had a 15 year guarantee. I asked him if he saw himself still
selling the stuff in 15 years' time.
Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK
ch...@cdixon.me.uk
Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.
matthelliwell
> On 2 Oct, 06:49, The Natural Philosopher <t...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
> > Dave Liquorice wrote:
> > > On Fri, 1 Oct 2010 13:01:37 -0700 (PDT), matthelliwell wrote:
>
> > >> Also in the Autumn they really need doing every couple of weeks. So I'm
> > >> after an easier way to clean them out which doesn't involve ladders.
>
> > > Every two weeks? Do they actually block and overflow? I think you'd
> > > be better off working out why they block and overflow. Do they have
> > > the correct fall to the down pipes? Gutters are frequently installed
> > > level or even up hill to the down pipes, this is incorrect. The
> > > correct fall will carry the vast majority of most debris away when it
> > > rains.
>
> > if you live under trees..its amazing how may leaves come down and ALL
> > seem to end up in the gutters over a 4 week period.
>
> I'm surprised that no-one has yet suggested you fit your gutters with
> that black plastic mesh you can buy in the DIY sheds to stop the
> leaves settling in the gutters. The idea is you end up with a convex
> curve of mesh above the level of the gutter, any leaves landing on
> that will dry up and blow away. And it mostly seems to work in my
> experience. Of course that won't stop (all) the pine needles, but as a
> previous poster said if you have a reasonable flow then they should
> get washed away in the absence of big leaves blocking the gutter.
> Whether you'll then end up with blocked drains or soakaway is another
> issue of course :-)
I've tried the mesh and the pine needles stick through the holes and
block it up. It is then a pain to have to go around pulling them out.
And the large Scots Pine next to the gutters sheds needles all year.
I've also checked the fall of the gutters. They could do with being a
bit steeper but they would still get blocked, though less often. Also
I don't fancy tackling the gutters just yet as the house has plenty of
other things which I need to do first.
Matt
newshound
>
> I've tried the mesh and the pine needles stick through the holes and
> block it up. It is then a pain to have to go around pulling them out.
> And the large Scots Pine next to the gutters sheds needles all year.
>
> I've also checked the fall of the gutters. They could do with being a
> bit steeper but they would still get blocked, though less often. Also
> I don't fancy tackling the gutters just yet as the house has plenty of
> other things which I need to do first.
>
> Matt
So to answer the original question, I reckon a wet and dry vac would be just
fine, probably with the standard size hose. You might have to fiddle around
to make a suitable u-bend to get into the gutters from below, but this is
uk.diy!
struggler
With what is the roof clad? Ours is red tile and the main problem we
have is the sand which is washed off the tile forms a basis for a sort
of rotted leaves and sand mixture in which the wind blown seed
grminate.
matthelliwell
> With what is the roof clad? Ours is red tile and the main problem we
> have is the sand which is washed off the tile forms a basis for a sort
> of rotted leaves and sand mixture in which the wind blown seed
> germinate.
Clay tiles which delight in shedding moss and grit. I've just tried
attaching the hose pipe to the end of a long pole and hook (actually
one of these: http://www.honeybros.com/gbu0-prodshow/HB58.html). That
did a good job of moving the mess to a big lump at one end but was
less successful and actually getting it out of the gutter. May be an
extra long wand for the pressure washer would do the job (though in a
somewhat messy way).
The problem with the vacuum idea so far is trying to get hold of a
sufficiently long hose.
Matt
rbel
wrote:
> harry wrote:
>
>> The black plastic mesh is ok with big leaves but pine needls would
>> wash straight in. The mesh is a pain anyway, it has to be removed to
>> clean out gutters blocked with small stuff.
>
> At an exhibition I did come across a stall where a guy was
> selling open cell plastic foam for this purpose. He assured me it
> had a 15 year guarantee. I asked him if he saw himself still
> selling the stuff in 15 years' time.
>
I am about to install (next week) some hedgehog gutter stuff
http://www.hedgehoggutterbrush.com/ as an experiment in our most
vulnerable gutters. We have oak and beech on one side and pine on the
other so blocked gutters are a common occurrence - they need clearing
three times p.a.. As leaf fall is just starting I will know how effective
it is fairly soon.
--
rbel
PeterC
It looks good. Please let us know how it does.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway
David123
> Has anyone ever used a wet and dry vacuum cleaner to clean out their
> gutters?
>
Yes, that's something I've done for several years. I fashioned a long
tube from some old waste pipe with a suitably sawn-off s-bend at the top
end, and a compression straight-on at the bottom to connect to my vacuum
cleaner. I needed to duct tape some bamboo canes to the outside of the
pipe to make it sufficiently stiff.
It's very effective, although I do get some strange looks from any
passing neighbours. I like to think they're looks of admiration...
-----
David - long-time lurker on uk.d-i-y, but virgin poster
matthelliwell
> matthelliwell wrote:
> > Has anyone ever used a wet and dry vacuum cleaner to clean out their
> > gutters?
>
> Yes, that's something I've done for several years. I fashioned a long
> tube from some old waste pipe with a suitably sawn-off s-bend at the top
> end, and a compression straight-on at the bottom to connect to my vacuum
> cleaner. I needed to duct tape some bamboo canes to the outside of the
> pipe to make it sufficiently stiff.
That's good to hear. I was looking at the gutter hedgehog stuff and
I'd have to buy about 20m of the stuff to cover the worst effected
area so I wouldn't be saving any money over buying a new vac.
Can you explain to be exactly how you connected the waste pipe to the
vacuum cleaner? That's the only part I'm not sure of before I fork out
some money.
Thanks
Matt
matthelliwell
> Can you explain to be exactly how you connected the waste pipe to the
> vacuum cleaner? That's the only part I'm not sure of before I fork out
> some money.
Actually I've just found I can get 5m or 9m extension hoses for a
Numatic Charles vac off ebay so with a suitable rigid pole and nozzle
I think that might do the job.
Matt
Alan Braggins
I'm still trying to imagine how a gutter gets enough leaves in it that
normal rainflow doesn't clear them away, but not so many that a wet and
dry vac gets clogged so quickly that it's useless. But if it works for
you....
Dave Liquorice
> I am about to install (next week) some hedgehog gutter stuff
Hum, so the leaves get stuck into the bristles on the top and
sand/dust etc from the tile and atmospheric fallout get held in the
in the bottom of the gutter...
Even if the leaves to dry out and blow away they will also break up
into smaller bits that drop between the bristles to be held firm. Can
you tell I'm a little sceptical?
--
Cheers
Dave.