Best Way To Thaw Gutters And Down Spouts

Here are some things you can do to prevent ice in gutters and downspouts.

Best way to thaw gutters and down spouts.

A downspout is an integral part of a home s gutter system. 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. Make sure your gutters are properly sloped.

Should i try to thaw out the downspout. If you live in a colder part of the world you may run into a situation where your downspouts become frozen. 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.

Others recommend taking ice melt to the gutters see below. Strategies to safely thaw a frozen gutter don t get out your hammers ice picks or axes. Long term prevention involves checking for bends and dings in the downspouts before winter sets in. Attempting to break up the ice with a hammer this can dent your gutters or cause them to separate from the roof using a hatchet axe or shovel to break up the ice see 1.

For starters it s prudent to list some of the ways not to thaw iced over gutters. The wrong way to thaw gutters. If your gutters sit flat water will just sit in the gutter and freeze. This could cause more damage than good.

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. On line advice about frozen downspouts varies. Consistently frozen downspouts require immediate attention. Some say just leave it alone.

Downspouts collected ice inside where the downspouts were dented or bent. If neither of these ways help please do not use force by striking your downspout. 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. 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.

This should be good enough to thaw minor ice buildup and break up the blockage. Rain gutters should slope 1 2 inch for every 10 feet. That allows water to easily flow to the downspout. The reason for the weight of ice is that debris in the downspout is getting wet.