Gutters Overflowing
#1
05-19-15, 10:09 AM
Gutters Overflowing
I'm having a problem with my gutters overflowing. They were cleaned last spring. All downspouts drain into underground pipes. I have four videos here that show some of the problems. Ideas for a fix?
Videos here: https://drive.google.com/folderview?...TA&usp=sharing
Videos here: https://drive.google.com/folderview?...TA&usp=sharing
#2
05-19-15, 10:27 AM
Group Moderator
I see a lot of water in the videos, but none of the pictures show the downspouts or the underground pipes.
You say the gutters were cleaned "Last spring". Well sugar, that was a year ago, so you might want to get on a ladder and check them again. You could also have a clog in the downspout elbows that was missed when the gutters were cleaned. So I would suggest you take apart the downspouts and ensure that they are not clogged. Also, there are 2 sizes of the downspouts... 2x3 and 3x4. You should definitely have 3x4 downspouts. (The downspouts are what connects the gutter to the underground piping.)
You may have a clog in your underground pipes, so you should probably check the outlet and see how much water is coming out of it. Plumbers aren't crazy about cleaning out underground drain pipes, so you might have to call a handyman if you need someone to snake the underground pipe.
You say the gutters were cleaned "Last spring". Well sugar, that was a year ago, so you might want to get on a ladder and check them again. You could also have a clog in the downspout elbows that was missed when the gutters were cleaned. So I would suggest you take apart the downspouts and ensure that they are not clogged. Also, there are 2 sizes of the downspouts... 2x3 and 3x4. You should definitely have 3x4 downspouts. (The downspouts are what connects the gutter to the underground piping.)
You may have a clog in your underground pipes, so you should probably check the outlet and see how much water is coming out of it. Plumbers aren't crazy about cleaning out underground drain pipes, so you might have to call a handyman if you need someone to snake the underground pipe.
#3
05-19-15, 10:31 AM
Quick thoughts/ suggestions:
1) reclean the gutters (I find it necessary to do that every year. In fact several of your vids look exactly like my gutters when I haven't recleaned them)
2) clean the downspouts
3) check to see if the underground pipes are clogged
4) Would it be possible to add more downspouts, even if they are not emptying into pipes, it might be possible to properly direct the runoff away from the house.
1) reclean the gutters (I find it necessary to do that every year. In fact several of your vids look exactly like my gutters when I haven't recleaned them)
2) clean the downspouts
3) check to see if the underground pipes are clogged
4) Would it be possible to add more downspouts, even if they are not emptying into pipes, it might be possible to properly direct the runoff away from the house.
#4
05-19-15, 12:39 PM
I have spoken to two companies and have gotten some advice. I plan to:
1. Have them cleaned.
2. Add two additional downspouts - 1 at each problem spot.
3. Raise the gutters - some are two low meaning that you can see daylight between the gutter and the roof. Both estimators said that they were too low.
I wanted to see if this is good advice. Highest bid is $645 which I think is doable.
I hope that doing these things will solve the problem. As one of you mentioned, nobody is willing to dig up those pipes.
1. Have them cleaned.
2. Add two additional downspouts - 1 at each problem spot.
3. Raise the gutters - some are two low meaning that you can see daylight between the gutter and the roof. Both estimators said that they were too low.
I wanted to see if this is good advice. Highest bid is $645 which I think is doable.
I hope that doing these things will solve the problem. As one of you mentioned, nobody is willing to dig up those pipes.
#5
05-19-15, 01:37 PM
Super Moderator
Your pipes don't need to be dug up, they just would need a snake run thru to remove any clogs.
The plumbers here will probably roll their eyes at me, but I call Roto Rooter for those things. That's what they do best.
The plumbers here will probably roll their eyes at me, but I call Roto Rooter for those things. That's what they do best.
#6
05-19-15, 01:44 PM
Shady, I'm not a plumber but how about 
Before I'd call someone [I always try to diy] I see if running a water hose up the outlet or disconnecting at the entrance will get good water flow at the other end.
Before I'd call someone [I always try to diy] I see if running a water hose up the outlet or disconnecting at the entrance will get good water flow at the other end.
#10
06-07-15, 03:55 AM
Gutters are working now. Turns out they were just totally clogged. The company I used provided pictures. So, the people that cleaned them last year didn't do a very good job, but took my money anyway. Glad it was an easy fix.
The problems: First off, the downspout isn't angled downward enough. So the water pools in the downspout, resulting in leaks:
The previous homeowner also opted for zip ties instead of proper downspout straps:
So, my masterplan is this:
Cut the downspout at a higher point. Wrap it around the corner of our house, and over the fence. This will give me a steeper angle on the downspout. I was also thinking of adding an additional downspout strap. Any problems with this plan?
I also have a few lingering questions:
[LIST]
[*]What's the best material to use for filling in old holes in brick mortar?
[*]Given our house's layout, what's the best rain collector setup? I live in Canada, so we have harsh winters. The existing rain barrels are really flimsy and poor quality. I was thinking of getting [url=http://www.amazon.com/EWC-10--Gallon-Barrel-Enviro-World/dp/B00FWN9QK0/ref=sr_1_2?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1433549867&sr=1-2&keywords=rain+barrel]this EWC-10- 55 Gallon Rain Barrel [/url], but I'm not sure if it's the most durable set up.
[*]Is this [url=http://www.amazon.com/Flex-Drain-85010-Downspout-Extension-White/dp/B000V212AO/ref=sr_1_8?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1433549678&sr=1-8&keywords=rainwater]flexible plastic tubing[/url] the best thing to use for bringing the downspout around the corner?
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