Gutter/downpipe unblocking

[LR90]

Has anyone ever had success unblocking gutter downpipes with something like this? https://www.screwfix.com/p/essentials-drain-unbloc...

Would this work, or is it a waste of time? I know the best solution is to pull the pipes apart and dislodge the gunk, but I'd rather stay off a ladder if I can avoid it.

[paulwirral]

Try sticking a hosepipe up if you’ve got access at the bottom, obviously it needs to be decently rigid hose

[ARHarh]

By far the easiest way is to take it off and flush it out with a hose, when its on the ground. If plastic this is easy enough. Not sure how easy it would be with other types of guttering.

[SpanishTony]

LR90 said:

Has anyone ever had success unblocking gutter downpipes with something like this? https://www.screwfix.com/p/essentials-drain-unbloc...

Would this work, or is it a waste of time? I know the best solution is to pull the pipes apart and dislodge the gunk, but I'd rather stay off a ladder if I can avoid it.

I bought one of those years ago. It's a bit flimsy not sure what the exact use case for it is. For the downpipe I'd try the hosepipe or take the downpipe off will probably be the quickest way IMO.

[GliderRider]

SpanishTony said:

LR90 said:

Has anyone ever had success unblocking gutter downpipes with something like this? https://www.screwfix.com/p/essentials-drain-unbloc...

Would this work, or is it a waste of time? I know the best solution is to pull the pipes apart and dislodge the gunk, but I'd rather stay off a ladder if I can avoid it.

I bought one of those years ago. It's a bit flimsy not sure what the exact use case for it is. For the downpipe I'd try the hosepipe or take the downpipe off will probably be the quickest way IMO.

I tried going in from the top, with something similar, and rapidly found that I needed to remove the downpipe as Spanish Tony did, to reach the real blockage which was underground. The tool I was using was much simpler, just a large bowden cable outer sort of thing with a claw on one end and a cranked handle on the other. I'm pretty sure what was coming out was a mix of decayed moss and leafmould, although it looked like it had come from a sewage pipe (yuk!). Once I couldn't get any more out with the cable/claw tool, I put the hosepipe down and ran it for a while until i was satisfied that the drain was flowing freely.

Although I needed a ladder* to remove the brackets holding the downpipe, I could do this from below, so I really wasn't very high (top of ground floor height). If you do use a ladder, tie it on to something solid and not the guttering.

• I may even have used my Beldray Jobezer folding platform, which is a lot safer than a ladder

Edited by GliderRider on Thursday 26th September 15:52