On line advice about frozen downspouts varies.
Best way to thaw gutters and down spouts.
Here are some things you can do to prevent ice in gutters and downspouts.
If your gutters sit flat water will just sit in the gutter and freeze.
Gutter cleaners say a little prevention goes a long way to save you from frozen folly.
That allows water to easily flow to the downspout.
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.
Consistently frozen downspouts require immediate attention.
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.
The downspout is responsible for taking the water collected by the gutters and dispersing it out and away from the home s foundation.
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.
The reason for the weight of ice is that debris in the downspout is getting wet.
Strategies to safely thaw a frozen gutter don t get out your hammers ice picks or axes.
Make sure your gutters are properly sloped.
For starters it s prudent to list some of the ways not to thaw iced over gutters.
Another way you can thaw is by running hot water down the outside of the downspout near the blocked area.
Attempting to break up the ice with a hammer this can dent your gutters or cause them to separate from the roof using a hatchet axe or shovel to break up the ice see 1.
The best thing to do is make sure your system is cleaned regularly every six months says brad ladner owner of atlanta s best gutter cleaners in roswell georgia.
This should be good enough to thaw minor ice buildup and break up the blockage.
Should i try to thaw out the downspout.
A downspout is an integral part of a home s gutter system.
Some say just leave it alone.
This could cause more damage than good.
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 until it warms up again.
If you live in a colder part of the world you may run into a situation where your downspouts become frozen.
Over time the ice can back up into your gutters creating additional weight on your entire gutter system.
Others recommend taking ice melt to the gutters see below.
Downspouts collected ice inside where the downspouts were dented or bent.
Long term prevention involves checking for bends and dings in the downspouts before winter sets in.
The wrong way to thaw gutters.
