How to clear a blocked guttering down pipe Information, help and tips on many areas of roofing including trusses, tiling, venting, insulation etc....

[Tasador]

I have a constant drip from my guttering even in dry weather but worse in heavy rain. Seems to be coming from a joint section near the top of the down pipe. The guttering is old, not the plastic type. I can't get hold of the handyman who sorted a problem with the downpipe previously but I seem to remember him digging near the base of the downpipe. Can a blocked pipe be cleared from the bottom? Unfortunately I don't have a ladder.

[thedoctor]

Hi. yes, sometimes it is possible to clear a downpipe from the bottom but obviously this depends on where the blockage is. If you find the point at where the downpipe enters the ground (probably via a gulley of some kind) you should be able to clear the area under the pipe outlet. This may solve the problem as, by clearing an exit from the pipe, the water (and any other rubbish in the pipe) may be able to get out through gravity alone. However if this does not solve the problem you will need to find a way of poking something flexible (preferably a drain rod) into the pipe to clear it.

It sounds like this is a regular problem and if so it would be a very good idea to buy (or hire) a ledder to clean the gutters regularly. You can get some tips on ladder safety and gutter cleaning from this page https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/laddersafety.htm and if you want tobuy a great quality ladder which will not bend, rust, twist or buckle as some cheap ladders can do, you can get one in our DIY Superstore here - https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/DIY-superst ... dders.html You can buy cheaper ladders, we know that, but you cannot buy better and if safety is important to you then this is a good move. Good luck with the job and please do let us know how you get on.