Drain Cleaning Tips »
How Do I Unclog Gutters and Downspouts?

You can use a gutter cleaner attachment for your pressure washer to clean horizontal rain gutters that are high off the ground.

Note: as detailed below, you can use a variety of other tools to clean vertical gutter downspouts on exterior walls. For help to clean underground gutter drains, you can visit our landscape drain tips page.

About Clogged Rain Gutters

Rain gutters frequently clog when leaves, seeds, twigs, and loosened roofing materials collect in horizontal openings and downspouts.

• If you have gutters on a single-story building, it can be easiest to scoop the debris out by hand, or to use an inexpensive gutter cleaning extension that attaches to your leaf blower.
• If your gutters are more than one story off the ground, standing on the roof and clearing out the debris with a leaf blower is often the fastest solution— but could be unsafe depending on the height, pitch and composition of your roof.
• Gutter guards can be expensive to install, and any gutter guard that allows water to pass into the gutter will eventually pass enough solid material to clog the gutters. Once this happens, you'll need to remove the gutter guards before cleaning the gutters— making the job much more difficult.

You can clean most horizontal rain gutters, including gutters that are more than two stories off the ground, using an attachment for your pressure washer and a compatible extension pole. A pressure washer gutter cleaner attachment can remove decayed leaves, seeds, twigs, live seedlings, and other stubborn debris.

Important: before you buy a gutter cleaner attachment, you should first try a sufficiently long pressure washer extension pole from a retailer that offers free returns — since you may need to try several extension poles to find a design that you can operate comfortably when fully extended.

Operating a long extension pole can strain your back and arms. For this reason, a support belt is often recommended when operating an extension pole longer than 12 Ft.

After you choose a suitable extension pole, consider using a Gutter Jet^® pressure washer attachment. The Gutter Jet has essential features for more reliable operation on long extension poles:

• A patented streamlined nozzle that won't hang up on eaves, siding, and internal gutter supports,
• A balanced, recoil-free design that won't kick when pressurized— so you get maximum comfort and control on long extension poles,
• Six non-rotating twisted spray jets to more thoroughly clean your gutters⁠— moving more debris out of your gutter and away from your roof,
• A patented, powered in-line filter that keeps the nozzle spraying at maximum force, and
• A solid stainless steel nozzle and lance that have no moving parts for maximum service life.

To Unclog Gutters With Your Pressure Washer

• Before you begin, put on fluid-resistant work gloves and eye protection.
• Clear the work area of all hazards and obstructions, then connect the pressure washer high-pressure hose, extension pole, and gutter cleaner attachment together.
• As you clean each gutter, align the spray jets with the gutter to minimize spraying of shingles and eaves.
• Operate the gutter cleaner attachment in a smooth, continuous motion between the gutter supports. Continue moving back and forth until no more debris exits the gutter.
• After you have finished cleaning the gutters, use the gentle nozzle of your pressure washer to sweep away any debris from your siding and walkways.

To Unclog Vertical Gutter Downspouts

You can use a variety of other tools to clean vertical gutter downspouts on exterior walls. Start by trying try the easiest options first.

1. First, try cleaning the bottom downspout opening.
   • 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.
   • Then use a ladder to reach the top of the downspout, insert a garden hose down into the top downspout opening, ask a helper on the ground to turn on the water, and see if the clog clears.
   • If the clog has not cleared, it may be possible to force out the debris by creating a seal between the garden hose and the downspout opening with a small towel. After packing the space between the garden hose and top downspout opening with the towel, have the helper on the ground turn on the water to see if the household water pressure can push out the clog.
   • Important: when working at roof height, carefully position the garden hose so that it cannot pull itself to the ground, and use caution not to trip or get snagged on the hose as you move about the ladder.
   • Before you attempt any work at roof height, take into account the accessibility and condition of the downspout, gutters and eaves, the weather conditions, and any other factors that might complicate the job. Do not try this approach if you have no experience working on high ladders or aren't comfortable with the project. And if you're concerned about completing the job safely, consider hiring a gutter service company to help.
2. Try using a handheld drum auger if the downspout is still clogged.
   • This is a good next choice, since the auger can work up or down through the downspout, can pass through most downspout elbows, and can usually break through the clogged leaves and debris.
   • A 25 foot handheld drum auger can be purchased for around $30.
   • To use the handheld auger:
   • Read and follow the auger safety instructions, then put on work gloves and eye protection.
   • Feed the auger into the top or bottom downspout opening by locking the cable, turning the drum in a clockwise direction, and then unlocking and feeding the cable as needed to pass the auger tip through any elbows and blockages.
   • After you have inserted the drum auger all the way through the downspout, pull out the auger cable as you feed it back into the drum. It may take several attempts to remove most of the blockage.
   • Use the ladder to access the top of the downspout, insert the garden hose down into the top downspout opening, ask a helper on the ground to turn on the water, and check to see if the clog has cleared.
   • Note: if you can't reach the clog with a hand held auger, you can try an electrician's fishing tape that can often be pushed through more downspout bends and transitions.
3. Consider installing downspout strainers at each top opening to reduce the occurrence of downspout clogs.
   • You can also install a gutter downspout filter close to the ground that makes it easy to dispose of gutter debris before it can clog landscape drains, and provides an accessible opening for easier downspout cleaning.
   • Note: a sewer jetter is usually not the best choice to clean vertical downspouts, because lower-cost tools can be easier to use, and downspouts often have sharp sheet metal screw tips inside that can damage the cover of a sewer jetter hose.
4. If you're not comfortable performing any of these steps, hiring a gutter service company could save you money in the long run. To find a service company in your area:
   • Start by asking family, friends and co-workers to recommend a company that has performed similar services for them.
   • If you are unable to find a good recommendation from someone you know, search local directories like Google Maps, Yelp and CitySearch for service companies nearby who have good online reviews. Don't always trust reviews from individuals who published very few other reviews, or from people who give only positive reviews to everyone. Be aware that good service providers sometimes get a small number of negative reviews for reasons that might not be relevant to your situation. Look for a company with several reviews that tell a positive, believable story about repairs that are similar to yours.
   • After you find one or more service companies that seem to have a good reputation, search online for the company name and the names of individuals at the company, if known. Take into account both the positive and negative information that you find about the company.
   • Be aware that good service companies sometimes have a backlog of several days during peak times when there are low temperatures, heavy rainfall or holidays. Sometimes heavy demand can be a sign of a company with lots of repeat customers.

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