Your downpipes are the unsung heroes of your home infrastructure. Don’t believe me? Just imagine finally getting home after the rainiest drive you’ve ever experienced only to find the most unwelcome of surprises. A single blocked downpipe that has chosen exactly this moment to protest – hopelessly blocked whilst those gutters are overwhelmed and overflowing like a waterfall.
How to unblock a downpipe: 6 super-simple DIY steps
But don’t let despair set in – help is right here. Let’s guide you through how to unblock downpipes that are staging their silent yet torrential protests. First things first, though – what’s caused that blocked downpipe? It was probably months of maintenance neglect, with all those fallen leaves and accumulated debris caked in by the downpour. But don’t feel too guilty, because we have a blocked gutter downpipe to fix:
Bonus Read: Do Downpipes Have To Be Connected To Stormwater?
1. Safety first
Before we do anything else, put on some decent gloves to protect you from those deadly spiders and some eyewear to keep infested debris out of your body. And the ladder? Make sure it’s compliant and stable – and tell someone you’re about to climb it!
2. Do a visual inspection
So you’re up on that ladder now – what’s next? Before you even climbed up there, you should have checked the openings at the bottom – but now check them at the top as well. Can you see any blockage? The problem area tends to be quite near the top or at any elbow sections, so hopefully you can pull them out by hand.
3. Do some more manual cleaning
For blocked downpipes that don’t resolve at #2, you might need a cheap plumber’s snake – or even a long piece of stiff wire so you can do some probing and prodding. Feed it down, twist and push, and with a bit of elbow grease and luck, that blockage might be broken up.
4. Flush it with water
Hopefully, you’ve either dislodged or loosened all of that stuck debris – but you might now need the garden hose to really flush it all out. Just stick it in, turn on the tap at full pressure, and hope for the best.
5. Check for resolved drainage
You’ve done your garden hose flush – how did you go? Check at the base of the downpipe and check if water is now flowing freely. If it’s still backed up, we still have a problem.
6. Regular maintenance
Oh dear, your downpipe blockage is still a downer of a problem. At this point, just make a mental note that once it’s all resolved by a professional, you need to check and clean and flush those downpipes more often than you have to date. Also consider leaf or debris guards, which you can install yourself.
Need a local blocked downpipe Pro? We can help
Do you need a tradie, local plumber or professional downpipe cleaner? That’s because when it comes to learning how to unblock downpipe infrastructure at your place, the pros are always going to bring their advanced techniques and specialised equipment that will make your DIY efforts look feeble. From high-pressure water jetters to CCTV drain inspection cameras, high-tech drain augers and much more, nothing will ever be missed if you give Tradie Near Me a try.
Our unique network of only the best local professionals close to your area connects you with the expertise you need to swiftly identify and rectify the immediate and underlying issues that cause those blocked downpipes – like deep blockages, structural defects or improper installation. Benefit from upfront pricing, fully guaranteed workmanship and much, much more by giving Tradie Near Me a whirl today.
