Best Way To Snake A Clogged Gutter

Gutters are a beacon to pests for more than one reason.

Best way to snake a clogged gutter.

Turn the hose on at full pressure to try to dislodge the clog. Turn on the water spigot wide open to create as much pressure as possible. If the clog is below grade it s the most difficult to clear and may require excavation. Turn the handle counterclockwise if it becomes hard.

Place the end of a plumber s auger also known as a snake into the underground gutter. Run the snake as far into the pipe as far as you can. Expose the bottom downspout opening divert the flow away from any landscape drain and then use a garden trowel to reach up into the opening and remove any clogged leaves and debris that could have accumulated there. If the water does not flow freely through the downspout use your plumbing snake to clear away the last of the stuck debris.

If the moisture and decaying organic matter in a clogged system isn t the primary draw then it s often the fact that gutters high above. Remove the snake from the pipe. Insert the end of the plumber s snake in the downspout until it meets resistance. Run water into the opposite end of the pipe.

To unclog a gutter downspout try your easiest options first. Watch the end of the downspout for the clog to clear. Run the snake into the opposite end of the drain if it was not long enough to go through the entire pipe from the other end. If you can t reach it simply disassemble the downspout and remove the clog.

Insert a garden hose in the downspout and turn on the water to flush out any debris. Try to free the obstruction with a stick plumbing snake or pressure washer outfitted with a telescoping wand. Use your garden hose to run water into the gutters and through the downspout to be certain that it is no longer clogged. Turn the handle clockwise to extend the end of the auger.

But normally you will not have this problem. If the amount of water coming out is less than what is going in there is a blockage. Start by cleaning the bottom downspout opening. Feed the snake from the top of the downspout until it hits the obstruction which will usually be found at a curve in the downspout pipe.

Turn the crank and work it back and forth to loosen the clog.