The home plumbing system is not only involved in clean water supply and liquid waste disposal in your house. Home plumbing systems also include other devices, components, and installations all working to keep your house in good condition. That is why we include seemingly non-plumbing devices like sump pumps in the home plumbing system. And that is why we consider gutters and downspouts as part of the home plumbing system. Sump pumps, gutters, and downspouts all work in their own ways to keep rain water away from the house. But we have already discussed the functionality of sump pumps at length on this blog. That is why we will only focus on gutters and downspouts today. Gutters and downspouts are installed along and below the roof respectively to guide rain water away from the roof of the house thereby preventing water damage to your house. Gutters and downspouts do not require a lot of care and maintenance. But they need regular cleaning especially during the fall and winter seasons. The fall season left many leaves on your roof and gutters. Use the following step-by-step cleaning guide to remove all these leaves and any other debris from your gutters and downspouts.
Step 1: Gather All The Necessary Tools
We have repeatedly said that some simple plumbing routines and problems do not require the services of a professional San Diego plumber. There are some simple plumbing issues that you can solve on your own. But we also caution you never to try anything risky in your DIY plumbing maintenance and repair.
Anyway, unless you are not physically capable or you do not have all the necessary tools, you should have a very easy time cleaning your gutters and downspouts. The first thing that you need to do is to gather all the necessary tools and equipment. And the good news is that you require very basic items for this cleanup process. You will need a ladder to climbing to the roof. You will also need gloves to protect your hands while handling the debris. A trowel and bucket will come in handy for removing and collecting the debris. And finally you will need a hose to clean the gutters and downspouts thoroughly.
Step 2: Climb To The Roof
The cleanup process starts with a climb to the roof. You will use the ladder to access any part of the roof. You will keep shifting the ladder from one position to the next to clean all the gutters all round the house.
Step 3: Start With Large Debris
Before you start removing any leaves or debris from your gutters, wear a pair of protective gloves. These gloves will protect your hands from sticks and other sharp objects in the debris. Start by removing the large debris, such as leaves, sticks, twigs, and any other sizable materials. You can dump this large debris on the ground below you and collect it later.
Step 4: Remove Smaller Debris
Now you have to remove the smaller debris. You will need the trowel and bucket for this cleanup. There will be rotten leaves and other smaller debris in the gutters. You will remove all this and put it in your bucket for proper disposal.
Step 5: Hose The Gutters
And finally you need to hose down the gutters and let the water flow through the downspouts. This will clear the gutters and downspouts completely thereby ensuring that this storm water drainage system is in perfect condition.