CALL OR EMAIL US TODAY FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE – 202-276-5004
FAMILY.ROOFING@YAHOO.COM
At Family Roofing, we take great pride in our experience, expertise, quality and customer service. It is our mission to provide excellent workmanship and complete customer satisfaction from start to completion of a project. Our reputation is based on service, safety and quality, regardless of how large or small the job.
CLOGGED DOWNSPOUTS
WHAT ARE DOWNSPOUTS?
Your gutter system consist of gutters and downspouts. The gutters are the horizontal trough that collects the water on the sides of your roofing edge. The downspouts are the vertical pipe that carries the water from the gutter to the ground.
Downspouts come in all different shapes and sizes, but they all perform the same task. Getting the water to the ground. Most homes have 2×3″ rectangle downspouts, or 3×4″ rectangle downspouts.
WHAT IS A DOWNSPOUT CLOG?
Downspouts are the only way for the water to drain through your gutter system. Meaning all the water that lands on the roof goes into the gutter which drains down and out via the downspouts. Basically it is the only road through which all water must travel to drain.
When debris goes into the gutters it eventually flushes through the downspouts. However, once something becomes lodged inside the downspout it begins to form a blockade. Water is still able to pass but eventually more and more debris will get snagged up and a clog forms. A downspout clog is when the water no longer flows through the downspout.
SIGNS YOUR DOWNSPOUTS ARE CLOGGED
There is one key point to remember when it comes to gutter problems. You won’t be able to know there is an issue if you do not check the gutter system during rain. Especially downspout clogs. Since the debris gets lodged inside of the downspout you are not able to see it.
Gutter Overflowing Near Downspout
One of the first signs people often notice that they have a downspout clog, is when the water overflows the gutter nearby. If you have water going over the gutter directly near the downspout, then you likely have a clogged downspout. The gutter could also be loose in that location, but you would see a gap behind the gutter.
Clogged Downspouts cause water to overflow the gutter near the downspout. Whenever you have water overflowing your entire gutter system. That is a for sure sign that you have clogged downspouts throughout your gutter system. All that water has to go somewhere, and if the drain is plugged then it will eventually overflow. If your gutters are completely filled with water like this, they are pulling themselves loose from the wall. Therefore, if you see this happening, you’ll want to get the gutters cleaned before expensive damages occur.
No Waterflow Coming Out Of The Downspout
All water that lands on your roof will travel through the gutter system to where it drains out of the bottoms of the downspouts. Unless you have underground drains you will be able to see all of the draining water. But what does it mean if no water is coming through the downspout? As you might have guessed it means the downspout is clogged. If there is moderate rain and little-to-no water is coming through the downspout, then something is up. And that something is a clog in your downspout.
Downspout Leaks
Water can leak from the downspouts in several locations. The next photo is a diagram that identifies the different parts of the downspout and the seams that the water can leak from.
The different parts of the downspout are identified and anywhere they intersect is a seam that can leak.
Your gutter system consists of gutters and downspouts. The gutters are horizontal and the downspouts are vertical. The place where the gutter and downspout meet is called the gutter outlet. Basically the gutter has a hole cut in it and an outlet is installed. Once the downspout is properly connected to the outlet with a couple screws the outlet is no longer visible.
Water leaking from the gutter outlet is very common and it means only one thing. There is a clog in the downspout below. Most clogs in the downspout occur in or near the elbows. The debris tends to get caught up in the twists and turns. Therefore, if the outlet is leaking and it’s near an elbow, there is a clog in that elbow.
Water Leaking From Downspout Seams
In the photo above you can see the three different seams that are marked. All downspout sections are sleeve style. That means they become thinner on one end and slide into the next section. Water can leak from any of these seams. Especially if any sections were sleeved the wrong direction. When something is sleeved in the wrong direction, that means the thinner section is pointed up instead of down.
Water Leaking From Elbows
As you may have guessed water leaking from the elbows is also an indication of clogs in the downspout elbows. However sometimes the elbows weren’t pushed back together tight enough last time they were cleaned. If you can see any sort of gap or if the water is pouring through the elbows, then it may be loose and need to be pushed back together or re-secured.
Downspout Splitting Open/Pulling Apart
Downspouts essentially are a single sheet of aluminum folder over and crimped together. The crimp seal is always installed facing the home. Therefore you never see it because it’s on the back side of the gutter.
When the downspouts become clogged and are left unchecked for a long time more and more debris stacks up in there. Over time from more and more rain and debris everything gets compacted. The gutters will be overflowing every time it rains at this point because absolutely no water gets through.
Eventually if nothing is done the crimped seal of the downspout will uncrimp and the downspout will split apart. Once the crimp seam on the back side of the downspout is ripped open, the downspout is beyond repair and has to be replaced. Water is able to freely pour out of the seams.
HOW TO FIX A CLOGGED DOWNSPOUT
There is only on way to take care of a downspout clog, and this is to clean the downspout. The first place to start is you will have to physically take the downspout apart at the elbows. Most downspout clogs occur in the elbows of the downspouts. That is because this is a high seam area but mostly because of the twists and turns. The longer the clog was there, the more compact the debris will be inside the downspout. If there is a lot of debris, you may have to remove the entire downspout from the wall to get it out of there.
If you have trees very close to the home it’s likely that you have a downspout or two that become clogged all the time. There are a few solutions to help with this so you don’t need to pay for so many gutter cleaning services.
Gutter Covers
The best way to prevent debris from entering the gutter system is gutter covers. There are many types of gutter covers available on the market at many different price points. Gutter covers are one way to keep debris out of your gutters and downspouts.
CLOGGED UNDERGROUND DRAINS
Keep in mind that if you have underground drains they can also become clogged. The signs and symptoms of clogged underground drains are exactly the same as clogged downspouts. You’ll first want to verify that your downspouts are not clogged before hiring a plumber to clear your underground drains.
Puddles of water by the underground drain indicate a clog.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF A DOWNSPOUT IS CLOGGED UNDERGROUND?
When downspouts are clogged underground you will notice water seeping out of the crucial points of the gutter system during rain or a downpour. The best time to notice if your gutter is clogged is observing during a downpour of rain.
Signs of tell tale signs:
-
Water pooling or puddles/ overflowing from downspouts – look at the bottom of the downspouts and check if water is gushing out of them and spilling out of the adapter seams. This can only be observed during a downpour of rain. If water is coming out of pipes, it is a clear sign that you have a clogged downspout. Also, if there are pools of water around the base of the pipe is another clear giveaway. Other signs are damp or swampy over saturated ground or mildew concrete could be caused by water from clogged downspouts.
-
Gutters overflowing – the rate of overflow will tell you if you have a partial clog or a fully clogged downspout. Gutters once fully filled will start to overflow like a water fall. The water can enter the home and cause severe damage to the interior. Sometimes you will need to call a licensed plumber to use specialize equipment to clear out the downpipes or to install more downspouts to divert the water away from the house faster.
-
Water leaking or damage in basements – one of the main causes of water leaks in a basement of a home is caused by leaking downspouts. If a downspout empties near a home wall it can easily trickle into the foundations and enter the basement if the water seal of the home is damaged. Always check the boundary walls of your home to detect water standing that can leak into your basements.
