[ben M]

So can you do all your gutter clearing jobs from the ground?

yes Sir! so far so good but only do 5 or 6 every month.

[Smurf]

It's only then a matter of time then when you do enough jobs you will come accross ones that you can't use a guttervac on. Trust me like this one

So can you do all your gutter clearing jobs from the ground?

yes Sir! so far so good but only do 5 or 6 every month.

[Smurf]

It would be physically impossible to try and suck this type of sod through such a narrow gap.

I even had to bend the guttering to get the broken up sods out.

[ben M]

It's only then a matter of time then when you do enough jobs you will come accross ones that you can't use a guttervac on. Trust me like this one

So can you do all your gutter clearing jobs from the ground?

yes Sir! so far so good but only do 5 or 6 every month.

you are probably right on this one but it is not gutters clearing but roof tiles cleaning, not the same thing!
i don't clean roof,sorry 

[ben M]

It would be physically impossible to try and suck this type of sod through such a narrow gap.

I even had to bend the guttering to get the broken up sods out.

can do it,no prob! probably quicker with a ladder but not safer! but if you like to use your ladder,please do!  

[Smurf]

I'm sure you can 

I like do a proper job that I'm being paid to do unlike some who don't use ladders for whatever reason when they need too.

It would be physically impossible to try and suck this type of sod through such a narrow gap.

I even had to bend the guttering to get the broken up sods out.

can do it,no prob! but if you like to use your ladder,please do! 

[ben M]

I'm sure you can 

I like do a proper job that I'm being paid to do unlike some who don't use ladders for whatever reason when they need too.

It would be physically impossible to try and suck this type of sod through such a narrow gap.

I even had to bend the guttering to get the broken up sods out.

can do it,no prob! but if you like to use your ladder,please do! 

you need to use a ladder to do a proper job? ok fair enough,carry on then 
i am wfp so i don't use ladder, i don't want to take any risks to clear gutters with a ladder, if you think it is worth taking the risk please do it 

[Colin h]

3 weeks ago today,I fell off ladder doing gutter clearing,
Broke 3 bones in my foot.me and my employee will not
Be going up ladders.ive bought a vac

[robert mitchell]

I have removed sods like that with an 1800 vac , even through small gaps .

It's all about technique , you can break them up using a tool made from some crimped 15 mm pipe on an angle adapter .

I have unblocked down pipes with it too but if one was too stubborn people on here have come up with several different tools to use from the ground .

[Smurf]

Sorry to hear that bud, what happened exactly?

3 weeks ago today,I fell off ladder doing gutter clearing,
Broke 3 bones in my foot.me and my employee will not
Be going up ladders.ive bought a vac

[Smurf]

Regarding tenchnique I have an array of tools to break up sods etc when using a guttervac as I've been doing gutter clearing & downspout unblocking for a long time now. Yes a guttervac is a handy tool to have on some jobs but others still need to done by hand.

First example pics I posted was a job I was called out to do and all 3 houses that had plastic gutter guards. They had not been cleared since being fitted so sods were growing all along under the gutter guards and the downspout bends were also blocked too. Needless to say a guttervac would have been usless on that job.

For roofline work where ladders can be setup the trple ladders as posted in the previous pics I use are fitted with an ankalad stabaliser (blue outriggers) which stops the ladder slipping backwards, sideways and also takes the bounce out of the ladder too. Not only that I use a microlite standoff that can rest on roof tiles so make the job easier and safer to do. The ladder is not going to go anywhere and I also have a ladder fall arest system that the likes of sat installers use.

Where ppl get hurt or even killed using ladders they don't use the right ladder safety devices to minimise the risk nor follow basic ladder safety guidance.

I have removed sods like that with an 1800 vac , even through small gaps .

It's all about technique , you can break them up using a tool made from some crimped 15 mm pipe on an angle adapter .

I have unblocked down pipes with it too but if one was too stubborn people on here have come up with several different tools to use from the ground .

[JetVac Cleaning]

Regarding tenchnique I have an array of tools to break up sods etc when using a guttervac as I've been doing gutter clearing & downspout unblocking for a long time now. Yes a guttervac is a handy tool to have on some jobs but others still need to done by hand.

First example pics I posted was a job I was called out to do and all 3 houses that had plastic gutter guards. They had not been cleared since being fitted so sods were growing all along under the gutter guards and the downspout bends were also blocked too. Needless to say a guttervac would have been usless on that job.
I have a gutter vac system and use it a fair bit but would never go to a job without my set of ladders on the roof rack. Both have there uses and sometimes you need to remove broken roof tiles from the gutters ect. Great outrigger system and can I ask where you got it from ?

For roofline work where ladders can be setup the trple ladders as posted in the previous pics I use are fitted with an ankalad stabaliser (blue outriggers) which stops the ladder slipping backwards, sideways and also takes the bounce out of the ladder too. Not only that I use a microlite standoff that can rest on roof tiles so make the job easier and safer to do. The ladder is not going to go anywhere and I also have a ladder fall arest system that the likes of sat installers use.

Where ppl get hurt or even killed using ladders they don't use the right ladder safety devices to minimise the risk nor follow basic ladder safety guidance.

I have removed sods like that with an 1800 vac , even through small gaps .

It's all about technique , you can break them up using a tool made from some crimped 15 mm pipe on an angle adapter .

I have unblocked down pipes with it too but if one was too stubborn people on here have come up with several different tools to use from the ground .

[Smurf]

Hi David, If you do a search google for "Ankalad" you will find who sells them. Likewise do a search for "microlite standoff" They also come up on ebay from time to time as that is where I picked up 2 unused ankalads and a microlite cheap

To be honest I would not still be doing gutter clearing by ladder without them as it makes the job so much safer & easier to do

[Smurf]

Here is another good example why guttervacs are useless on some jobs

Try doing this one by guttervac

[Dave Willis]

Unfortunately unless you have a nozzle that will perform a complete 'S' in the downpipe then you haven't a hope in hell of clearing it.

So far I've not seen a nozzle that can do this. Most vac users are claiming wonderful things because they aren't checking the s bends to see if they are totally clear!
They get out of it by claiming the customer only asked to have the gutters cleared 

[Smurf]

Indeed...Sometimes a guttervac can remove the blockage from not so badly blocked downspouts but then an object that caused the blockage in the first place can remain in one of the bends.

I've found the best way to check & clear blocked downspouts properly is by hand using my gutter clearing ladder setup and if need be take the joints apart.

Unfortunately unless you have a nozzle that will perform a complete 'S' in the downpipe then you haven't a hope in hell of clearing it.

So far I've not seen a nozzle that can do this. Most vac users are claiming wonderful things because they aren't checking the s bends to see if they are totally clear!
They get out of it by claiming the customer only asked to have the gutters cleared  

[Colin h]

Smurf you have done a lot of gutters mate,my ladder slipped back.
If the vac won't do a job then I will leave it,no way am I going up
Ladders again

[Smurf]

Sorry to hear that Colin as must have been a life changing experience for you.
Not to mention the loss of income whilst the broken bones in your foot healed properly.

Was a shame you never new of the type of kit I use on my ladder beforehand as if it had been used would have prevented that from happening.

Smurf you have done a lot of gutters mate,my ladder slipped back.
If the vac won't do a job then I will leave it,no way am I going up
Ladders again

[lee_dewing]

Thanks everyone for your input.

Ross sorry I didn't read your post properly the first time re
Hose top and bottom of downpipe.

Colin h very sorry to hear of your accident mate and a speedy recovery
To you.

I will go ahead with the gutter vac later this year and if I come up
against a downpipe that requires a ladder then I will have to be beat and charge a reduced rate
Or maybe not charge.
Rather walk away out of pocket than risk not walking away at
All.

Gutter vac systems do some good tools; weed hook which having
Spoke to the guy there reckons it gets the crap out the top no need to have vac on but hook gunk out


Smudgers method of squash ball with vac on then turn vac off ball drops down is a great
Idea to test downpipe is clear.
Also will have a camera to see what's going on.

Plan on doing a good job but custie won't be checking it afterwards 
Smurf I see your ladder setup very impressive but what do you do at the side of a semi detached
House tight space as there is no room for all that surely?

Thanks everyone.
Lee.

[Smurf]

I can use both methods and many a time I use both methods on the same job. I also use a vac from a ladder aswell on some jobs too. 

Thanks everyone for your input.

Ross sorry I didn't read your post properly the first time re
Hose top and bottom of downpipe.

Colin h very sorry to hear of your accident mate and a speedy recovery
To you.

I will go ahead with the gutter vac later this year and if I come up
against a downpipe that requires a ladder then I will have to be beat and charge a reduced rate
Or maybe not charge.
Rather walk away out of pocket than risk not walking away at
All.

Gutter vac systems do some good tools; weed hook which having
Spoke to the guy there reckons it gets the crap out the top no need to have vac on but hook gunk out


Smudgers method of squash ball with vac on then turn vac off ball drops down is a great
Idea to test downpipe is clear.
Also will have a camera to see what's going on.

Plan on doing a good job but custie won't be checking it afterwards 
Smurf I see your ladder setup very impressive but what do you do at the side of a semi detached
House tight space as there is no room for all that surely?

Thanks everyone.
Lee.