Rainwater down pipe blocked (Clearing a Blocked Gutter)
A rainwater down pipe blocked is usually caused by leaves and debris build up from the roof and gutter and over hanging trees which then falls down the down pipe and builds up over time blocking the natural flow of water.
There are several things which you can do. Again, prevention is better than cure and getting your gutters cleared out on a regular basis will almost always prevent the down pipe from blocking in the first place.
Putting a balloon guard (debris filter) inside the neck of the down pipe is essential to prevent leaves and twigs getting into your down pipe and for only a couple of pounds it is an investment everybody should make. Just ensure that it is not too small and slides down the down pipe, causing a blockage!!!!!
Once the blockage is in the down pipe, it is a bigger job to treat so prevention is definitely the way to approach a blocked down pipe.
Treating a blocked down pipe depends on where the blockage is, how long the down pipe is and if there are any access points within the pipe. If you live in a house, then the down pipe can usually be unblocked with a combination of a flexible drain clearing rod to dislodge and a very powerful jet wash to blast water through the pipe and force the built up debris and/or plant growth to be expelled at the bottom.
If you are in a high flat, sometimes the down pipe is extremely long; especially in Victorian tenement blocks. Modern pipe fittings usually have access points, but old Victorian pipes are often solid pipe connections back to back. If you are lucky enough to have the blocked down pipe at the top or the bottom, then a cleaning rod or jet wash may be long enough to reach in. If the block is in the middle though and doesn’t seem to be clearing with these tools, you may have to cut the pipe and re-attach once the block has been removed. This is an absolute last resort though and it seldom comes to this.
If you can’t clear your blocked downpipe yourself, call Glasgow Plumbing Services for the Professional Plumbers in Glasgow.
Hi, can you give me a quote please?
My gutter was recently replaced and it seems that the down pipe from the gutter is blocked. There’s a leak in the cast iron pipe that’s spraying water everywhere.
Thanks,
Hi David, I have just sent you an email looking for more information in order to be able to give you a proper quote.
For example, if your property is the top floor of a 5 story tenement flat, cleaning out the gutters and downpipe is a different job to going up on the roof of a bungalow or a house.
It is very possible that we would have to assess the gutters and downpipes when on site but if you have any pictures of the blocked area (if you can see where the blockage is). that would be very beneficial in providing you with a quote.
I hope this helps and you can reply back to the email I sent you or give us a call at a time that suits you so that we can discuss your problem.
Please don’t leave your telephone number here on a public forum for anybody to see.
Speak to you soon David.
Our downpipe was blocked but as your article suggests, it was just a build up of leaves so we managed to clear it using our jet washer.
My downpipe seems to blocked during heavy rain,how much would it be to clear it.
Hi Samantha,
If it is only being blocked when it is heavy rain, there is a good chance that leaves, twigs and dirt and getting congested to start to block your downpipe.
Obviously it is better to get this seen to sooner rather than later as the blockage will inevitably get worse and worse until there is a complete blockage which could cause problems with your roof and/or leakage into your property.
Depending on the status of the blockage just now, it could be a quick manual unblock and thhe job is done. Or it could require jet clearing to remove the more deep rooted and stubborn blocked areas.
The best thing to do is to give us a call and give us some details about your job and we will be able to give you a full quote over the phone. Is it a house; or is it a flat and do you have access to the roof space to check the gutters and downpipes?
Looking for a quote, To get down pipes cleared and repaired or replaced if necessary
Hi Eveline. Thank you for contacting us. The best thing to do would be to give us a call and our admin team will take some details from you including the height of the property (bungalow, house, flat, office block etc) to see if this can be done from a ladder or scaffolding would be required etc. They may ask you to send some pictures to get an idea for the job entailed and will give you a proper quote based on the requirements of your job.
I’m sorry that I can’t be more specific but I hope that you can appreciate that we would need the details of the property and job in order to provide you with a true quote.
Best wishes, Stevie.
Great post on gutter cleaning and we agree that prevention is a much easier process than a blocked drain which is why we also recommend a balloon guard.