Vacuum gutters?!

My gutters, old wooden types, fill up several times each year with tree fallout. At the moment, it's an orange sort of blossom, and they're full to overflowing. I can see the gutters from the first floor (bay) and attic rooms (roof). I've had them cleaned a couple of times, but at £50 a pop I was thinking of a DIY solution that doesn't involve ladders.

Probably one of my dafter ideas, but I was wondering whether a wet/dry vacuum might at least keep the problem down - dangling the hose out the window and sucking up the tree stuff. One of these:

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it could double up to clean out the coal dust in the cellar so much the better.

Thanks, Rob

Reply to
Rob
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I am no expert, but I think that the hose is very likely to block with leaves/muck.

IMHO you want something with a wide hose - and lots of sucking power. Maybe hire one? At least to try it out.

Reply to
Rod

Provided you can get the nozzle into the gutter safely (and can you reach it all OK from windows?) then the only problem is going to the size of the debris blocking the hose... don't know about you but I get loads of leaves in my gutters, which certainly wouldn't be suckable upable.

I believe you can get a wide-bore hose as accessory for the well-known Earlex machine, which might be better?

David

Reply to
Lobster

You dont say how many floors up it is. 2 floors and you could use a J shaped pipe to blast the crp out with water.

Also if you can reach the gutter from a window using a bamboo stick, why vac it when you could just use a gutter shaped bit of wood on the end of the stick to push the crp along, then push it over the edge.

EML over the gutter will keep out some sizes of tree debris, maybe your next =A350 could go on fitting that instead.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

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I agree. I have a Bosch GAS50. This one comes with 35mm hose and tools and is pretty powerful - for example will crush a HW cylinder flat quite comfortably. At this hose bore, wet leaves will tend to clog it.

There's a 50mm hose and accessories as an option and these will comfortably clean gutters because I've done it. No blockies.

Reply to
Andy Hall

Rather than suck, wouldn't it be easier to blow - ie blast the crud out with water from a garden hose.

Reply to
Reentrant

Now, if you don't mind it being daft:

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Prufer

Reply to
Thomas Prufer

I MUST have one of those!

Reply to
TheOldFellow

In message , Rob writes

I suppose there is a proper fall to these gutters such that they are not retaining a puddle of water?

There are several *horizontal* ones here which collect anything blowing about and grow a jelly like fungal crud:-(

regards

Reply to
Tim Lamb

They do this as part of a value pack with two indoor robots called Roomba and Scooba.

I understand about Roomba, but what does Scooba do?

Reply to
Andy Hall

I think you will have to fit larger gutters first :-(

Chris

Reply to
Chris J Dixon

Washes hard flooring I think.

Reply to
Andy Burns

.. and eats snacks?

Reply to
Andy Hall

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> If it could double up to clean out the coal dust in the cellar so much the > better.

I tried this in my last house some 32mm PVC piping connected to my VAX to try and clean the gutters by leaning out the windows.

Basically....it doesn't work the pipe just blocks and you spend all your time bringing the pipe in and unblocking it.

I notice Earlex do a wide bore hose kit for their vacuums and their leaflet shows a man using it to clean up leaves, so looks like wider bore is the answer.

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admitted defeat after paying £20 to get gutters cleaned and bought a ladder and just cleaned the gutters myself after that.

Reply to
Ian_m

Geo

Reply to
Geo

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I think I'll get an Earlex machine - they seem quite inexpensive, £35 from Screwfix, plus £16 for the big hose come leaf time.

Ladders to the eaves ain't gonna happen ;-)

Here's a couple of pics:

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for the feedback everyone.

Rob

Reply to
Rob

Yebut, I want it for Gutter Cleaner Racing.

Reply to
TheOldFellow

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Does anyone have experience of using the wider hose? I keep dithering about buying one for my own machine (for diy-type use), but can't help feeling that by widening the bore of the hose, the level of suction (and effectiveness) must fall off dramatically - anyone know is that the case in practice?

David

Reply to
Lobster

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>>>>>>>>>>> If it could double up to clean out the coal dust in the cellar so

The suction (or vacuum) will decrease, but the airflow will increase. Depends on what you want to pick up.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

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>>>>>>> If it could double up to clean out the coal dust in the cellar so much

I thought about the wider hose for the Earlex but have suffered very few blockages in the years I have owned it, most often when clearing up leaves that have blown into the garage.

Reply to
Ian_m

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