Frozen Gutter Downspout

Many contractors employ equipment that injects steam and or hot water into your gutters and through your downspouts to get rid of ice.

Frozen gutter downspout.

Looks like the freezing is backing up to the gutter making me concerned the ice build up could overload the gutter with weight and cause it to pull away from the roof. There are a few likely scenarios that can cause ice accumulation in downspouts. Frozen downspouts occur during the winter during or after winter weather occurs. Frozen downspouts can cause costly damage.

If the ground is safe and level grab a ladder and pour warm water into the top of the frozen downspout or gutter. Others recommend taking ice melt to the gutters see below a few say heat the gutters to clear them. Over time the ice may back up into your gutters themselves thereby creating extra weight on your entire guttering system. A downspout is an integral part of a home s gutter system.

If there is a large amount of snow on the ground that is covering the bottom mouth of the downspout. When winter storms hit gutters and downspouts sometimes freeze into solid blocks of ice and homeowners understandably worry about gutters pulling away from the roofs or ice dams forming. You can also use a hose connected to a hot water tap to spray water on the outside of your frozen downspout. Consistently frozen downspouts require immediate attention.

Though the results are guaranteed the cost can run you several hundred dollars and if any residual water stays inside your. On line advice about frozen downspouts varies. This can lead to your gutter and downspout tearing away from your roof or siding leading to more costly and larger problems such as water leaks and improper drainage. I ve got a frozen downspout on the corner of my house due to multiple high snowfalls this year crazy low temps from polar vortexes indiana.

Whether some of your downspouts remained clogged with debris when winter hit or your gutters are just reacting to all the snow and cold here s how to manage them. Right about now with all the below freezing temperatures snow melting and re freezing are plummeting michigan there are a lot of gutters out there that are frozen solid. A bit of warm water should be enough to break up frozen chunks and clear the blockage. Unfortunately dealing with frozen gutters is rarely simple or inexpensive.

Some say just leave it alone. The downspout is responsible for taking the water collected by the gutters and dispersing it out and away from the home s foundation. Should i try to thaw out the downspout. The only sure fire way to melt the ice in frozen gutters is to hire a professional.

Yet another recommends running electrical heat tape to prevent melting. First resist the urge to go after the ice with a hammer or axe. One recommends whacking the gutter from an upstairs window with a baseball bat. It will cause your downspouts to freeze.