A rainwater downpipe can quickly clog. This is usually the case when moss or leaves have already collected in the gutter. If the rain gutter is not checked regularly, the downpipe becomes clogged and the water can no longer drain.
In a nutshell
- Rinse the downpipe with a high-pressure cleaner
- if heavily soiled, disassemble the downpipe for cleaning
- Clean the downpipe with a pipe spiral
- check the rain gutter regularly as a preventive measure
- Downpipe is ideally cleaned at least once a year
Table of contents
- Clean rain gutter
- use a high-pressure cleaner
- Heavy contamination
- Use pipe or cleaning spiral
- Leaf grid for prevention
- Overflow with inspection opening
- frequently asked Questions
Clean rain gutter
The first step in cleaning a clogged downpipe is to clean the gutter first. This should of course be done more often as a preventive measure. If the rain gutter is not cleaned together with the downpipe, the pipe will be clogged again after a short time:
- Set up the ladder on solid ground
- Remove loose leaves from gutter
- Remove moss and any small branches
- Be careful not to push any additional dirt into the downpipe
- then a new blockage occurs immediately after cleaning
After this simple cleaning, the water often flows away again because the downpipe was not yet affected by the blockage, only the gutter.
Tip: You can use gutter shovels, which are available in well-stocked specialist shops, to clean the gutter. The blades adapt to the shape of the rain gutter. Leaves and moss can be easily removed with these.
use a high-pressure cleaner
A good way to clean a pipe and make it permeable to water again is to use a pressure washer. Cleaning is easy with the special attachments available for this purpose:
- Open the pipe clamp near the floor with a screwdriver
- The downpipe is thus exposed
- Push in the high-pressure cleaner
- turn on water
- Dirt is pushed up into the gutter
- then clean the gutter
Tip: If you don't have a high-pressure cleaner, you can rent one for a day from a hardware store or other specialist retailer.
Heavy contamination
If the downpipe is very dirty and the blockage cannot be removed with the high-pressure cleaner, further steps are required. It should be noted in advance where the rainwater is escaping. The clogged area is then always below this seam. This is exactly where action must be taken.
How to proceed:
- Loosen the pipe clamps at the appropriate point
- remove clogged parts from pipe assembly
- disassemble
- clean each part individually
- Remove coarse dirt with a handle brush
- then rinse with a high-pressure cleaner
- alternatively, a hard jet from a water hose helps
- finally put everything back together
Use pipe or cleaning spiral
If no high-pressure cleaner is available, the downpipe can also be cleaned with a so-called pipe spiral. However, care must be taken when working as scratches may remain on some materials. In addition, the purchase of a mechanical cleaning spiral is too expensive and not worthwhile for a private household:
- use manual cleaning spiral
- into the downpipe from above
- move the crank slowly
- simple turning movements loosen the dirt
- this is transported upwards by rotating movements
- the spiral itself is thereby further sunk by turning
- old leaves and other come back in gutter
- so the dirt can be removed
At the end, a water hose can be used to check whether the water is draining again.
Tip: The cleaning spiral is preferable to the high-pressure cleaner, especially in the case of heavy soiling, because this way you can avoid disassembling the entire downpipe.
Leaf grid for prevention
So that it doesn't even get dirty and clogged downpipe can occur, leaf grids are suitable for prevention:
- fasten after cleaning or directly during installation
- Fasten wire mesh over the rain gutter
- along the entire length
- Depending on the length of the rain gutter, a lot of material is required
A notice: The tighter the wire mesh is made, the better small leaves and other dirt and dirt in the air are kept out of the gutter.
Overflow with inspection opening
Even if cleaning is not very difficult, an overflow with inspection opening was installed in the downpipe, it is even easier. Such an overflow is available in specialist shops or hardware stores and can also be ordered online:
- install in the lower area of the downpipe
- Dirt can be removed via an opening
- Ideally, cleaning should be carried out every few months
- at least once a year
- Downpipe stays clean and free
frequently asked Questions
If you live in your own house and are the owner, then you are responsible for cleaning the downpipe yourself. However, if it is a rented property, then ask the landlord that he will take care of the cleaning and possibly send an expert.
If the downpipe is clogged, the water can no longer drain properly. Over time, more and more leaves or small branches get deeper into the pipe due to the incoming water pushed, then it can quickly not only lead to a blockage but also to the breaking or bursting of the pipe come. The water then usually escapes at a seam above the blockage.
If the water still does not drain after you have cleaned it yourself, it is advisable to call in an expert and have a complete cleaning carried out. Because then it is in all probability not a blockage of the downpipe but it has already reached the attached channel. The expert will not only clean the downpipe but the entire drainage system and check for impermeability and open it again.
