Blocked downpipe

sarahTT

We have a completely blocked downpipe and the blockage seems to be in the lower third of the thing (or at least that is how for we can push down a strong but flexible hosepipe... though vigorously doing that for a while hasn't unblocked the pipe, unfortunately).

We often have small branches and similar bits on the roof plus the usual moss etc (and foolishly had no pipe guard... though we now have bought one ) and hubby thinks that a few years' worth of all that falling down the pipe have created this blockage. He's looked at dismantling the connection between gutter and downpipe (see pic) but as it's not obvious to us how to do that has so far refrained from any rash actions. He's not the greatest DIYer (at least with anything to do with plumbing) though competent with most tools in the house.

So, how does he go about dismantling the pipe so that we can clean it thoroughly (and refit it and put in that guard)?

Thank you.

Ebe_Scrooge

It should just be a push-fit.  If you slacken off the screws holding the bracket to the wall ever so slightly, that should give you enough wiggle-room to slide the down-pipe downwards a tad, then a bit of twisting should free it from the gutter.

Bendy_House

Hi Sarah.

It would help to be able to see the whole DP. For example, if there's room - even an inch or two - for the bottom of the DP to move further downwards, then that would probably be enough to disconnect the pipe (tho' still held to the wall with a couple of brackets).

Your setup at the top looks a little unorthodox. These are usually slot-fit - one end simply slips in to another - but yours appears to have some solvent-welded parts too.

Anyhoo, one of these elbows will almost certainly not be 'glued', so will pull away.

Worst case, you'll need to unscrew the two(?) brackets holding the DP to the wall.

Best case you can ease the top connection away, swing the dogleg out, gently slip the DP upwards to disengage it from the bottom. Then flush through.

sarahTT

Thank you both very much. We'll certainly remove the brackets (yep, there are two) because from the sound of it the lower part of the pipe is full with stuff and perhaps this even continues into the ground... in which case things get interesting We do have a drain snake (?) though but this is unfortunately too big and inflexible to be used from the gutter downwards.

And yes, the pipe moves an inch or so up and down but we have been careful so far so as not to damage the setup. We'll investigate and if there's a prob I'll turn up again.

chrisw

Do you have a local gutter man? Ours charges £20 per house and saves a lot of messing.

Apodemus

Perhaps a daft question, but if the blockage is further down, why are you wanting to access from the top?  If there is a lot of debris in the pipe, it probably extends down into the top of the soak-away pipe or trap (if you have one).   I'd be seeing if I could dismantle the bottom to clear the blockage and leave that mess of junctions at the top well alone.

Bendy_House

I understand they're removing the whole DP.

Hopefully they'll report back - on their success

RonRamsgate

Our gutter down pipe serves three roof's and its on my property, so i have to deal with it 

Yes it gets blocked with twigs, moss and other stuff. So had an access fitting fitted to the down pipe and twice a year clean it out.
Think there is a video on youtube

EssexExile

In my case it wasn't rubbish falling down the pipe that blocked it but roots growing up the pipe from below. That can be a real problem to sort out.

sarahTT

@Bendy_House You're right, we're looking into removing the whole DP, give it a thorough clean and check the downstream pipe as well (the rod we have will go into the DP but not through the top).

The thing is when it has rained then the gutter is overflowing and the water will not even drain within a few hours (if we knock the downpipe gently, at some point water will sprout from the top assembly as seen in the pic but the blockage seems to be a pretty solid thing.

@chrisw Hm... perhaps we should try that before doing anything rash

We'll certainly report on the outcome.

Bendy_House

If you have a screwdriver that snugly fits the DP bracket screws, then it's usually an easy job to do. If, however, the screws have started to rust, it can be a 'mare.

But, if you can remove the two brackets, you cannot really go much wrong after that - but take photos of the sequence of fittings at each end!

When you replace the screws, consider smearing them with summat like copper-grease, or any other type of grease.

If you post a photo of the lower half of your guttering, then we can advise further.

You won't know what the issue is until that DP is removed. Could be a simple build-up in the lower half, or it could be an accumulation of debris which goes further. But you won't know until, youknow...

Chris's suggestion is a good one, and at that price is a no-brainer! However, if this pipe is blocked, then it'll be a more involved task, even for a 'gutter-fellow'.

This is a 'good' DIY task. It is usually very manageable, and usually goes quite smoothly. And if you do manage to unblock this, you'll feel pretty nifty - a 'DIY buzz'