It’s important to keep your gutters clean to prevent them from clogging. Elbows in downspouts are the worst culprits, and the flexible metal cable of a plumber’s snake is the best way to clean them out. Insert the end of the snake in the downspout until it meets resistance, then turn the crank and work it back and forth to loosen the clog. Insert a garden hose in the downspout and turn on the water to flush out any debris.
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October 15th, 2009 at 4:34 am
Very good advice. With leaves all over the roof during this time of the year, this is a perfect time to inspect your gutters and as you say elbows section of your guttering system.
joe t. Says:October 15th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Thanks, Mike, and you’re right. Late-autumn or early-winter (or whenever the trees are bare) is the right time to clean out your gutters. Many people wait until the spring, but it’s much better to clean out the leaves prior to all the winter snow melt and spring rains. If you wait until spring or summer, the downspouts, elbows and drop outlets are usually already clogged.