Best Way To Thaw Gutters And Down Spouts

Some say just leave it alone.

Best way to thaw gutters and down spouts.

If you live in a colder part of the world you may run into a situation where your downspouts become frozen. The downspout is responsible for taking the water collected by the gutters and dispersing it out and away from the home s foundation. Consistently frozen downspouts require immediate attention. Strategies to safely thaw a frozen gutter don t get out your hammers ice picks or axes.

2x3 and 3x4 downspout gutter elbows choose from 30 degree 45 degree 75 degree 90 degree 30 degree style a 2x3 low gloss white 4 6 out of 5 stars 68 19 60 19 65. Gutter cleaners say a little prevention goes a long way to save you from frozen folly. Another way you can thaw is by running hot water down the outside of the downspout near the blocked area. If neither of these ways help please do not use force by striking your downspout.

Should i try to thaw out the downspout. Here are some things you can do to prevent ice in gutters and downspouts. For starters it s prudent to list some of the ways not to thaw iced over gutters. If your gutters sit flat water will just sit in the gutter and freeze.

On line advice about frozen downspouts varies. Make sure your gutters are properly sloped. This should be good enough to thaw minor ice buildup and break up the blockage. Looks like the freezing is backing up to the gutter making me concerned the ice build up could overload the gutter with weight and cause it to pull away from the roof.

Rain gutters should slope 1 2 inch for every 10 feet. Long term prevention involves checking for bends and dings in the downspouts before winter sets in. A downspout is an integral part of a home s gutter system. Others recommend taking ice melt to the gutters see below.

Whether some of your downspouts remained clogged with debris when winter hit or your gutters are just reacting to all the snow and cold here s how to manage them until it warms up again. The reason for the weight of ice is that debris in the downspout is getting wet. This could cause more damage than good. I ve got a frozen downspout on the corner of my house due to multiple high snowfalls this year crazy low temps from polar vortexes indiana.

The wrong way to thaw gutters. This can lead to your gutter and downspout tearing away from your roof or siding leading to more costly and larger problems such as water leaks and improper drainage. Over time the ice can back up into your gutters creating additional weight on your entire gutter system. The best thing to do is make sure your system is cleaned regularly every six months says brad ladner owner of atlanta s best gutter cleaners in roswell georgia.