WAY off topic...

[Chuck]

but I figure, you guys know everything....

the gutters on my house need cleaning. I hate getting up that high on a ladder.

the house is a 2 story..gutters are probably 20' above grade.

I know that HD and others sell a telescoping pole that you hook to a garden hose for this purpose...but its only long enough for a cape or ranch type house...single story/low roof line situation. but it makes me wonder:

How about if I take a couple of lengths of pvc pipe, (with threaded fittings, so it can be taken apart)...attach the necessary elbows at the business end so it hooks over the top of a gutter and points down inside, glue a cap on the end, then drill a hole in the cap to serve as a nozzle...then connect this to my compressor. ?? (I think using water would make the looong pole a bit unwieldy...heavy). think this would work?
I have a "dust-off" nozzle blower thingy for my compressor...great for quickly blowing away sawdust or what have you...I've used it for blowing the pine needles off the roof of my trailer, too. this would sort of be like a long-handled extension of that....

[yukionna]

Originally Posted by chuck

but I figure, you guys know everything....

the gutters on my house need cleaning. I hate getting up that high on a ladder.

the house is a 2 story..gutters are probably 20' above grade.

I know that HD and others sell a telescoping pole that you hook to a garden hose for this purpose...but its only long enough for a cape or ranch type house...single story/low roof line situation. but it makes me wonder:

How about if I take a couple of lengths of pvc pipe, (with threaded fittings, so it can be taken apart)...attach the necessary elbows at the business end so it hooks over the top of a gutter and points down inside, glue a cap on the end, then drill a hole in the cap to serve as a nozzle...then connect this to my compressor. ?? (I think using water would make the looong pole a bit unwieldy...heavy). think this would work?
I have a "dust-off" nozzle blower thingy for my compressor...great for quickly blowing away sawdust or what have you...I've used it for blowing the pine needles off the roof of my trailer, too. this would sort of be like a long-handled extension of that....

Tell me when you plan on starting so I can stop by to document the adventure/contraption with my camera!

P.S.
There's no such thing as an off-topic post in an "Off-topic" forum!

[markdoane]

Should work. Wear a raincoat if there is "wet" stuff up there.

You might want to use 1 1/2" cellular ABS. It's more rigid, and I think it is lighter than solid 1" PVC, so it would be less floppy.

edit:
20 ft - 1 1/2" ABS = 2.9 Kg
20 ft - 1" PVC = 3.0 Kg

[safari57]

Chuck

I have a two story house and a ton of trees out back so my gutters fill up all fall. I bought an extension kit for my Sears shop-vac that gives me up to 30' (and I can add more lenths) of tubing and it comes with a u-shaped nozzle. It's designed for cleaning gutters. I put in on either the blower or suction side of the shop-vac depending on whether I'm removing just leaves or gunk. I've not had to climb onto my roof for several years now. I also use the blower end to blow back up the drain pipe to make sure it's clear as well. I think the whole kit was $29 five or so years ago. I use it on the house, my large shop, and it seems to make the rounds to the neighbors place as soon as he hears me out doing mine. The only thing I had to modify was the extensions are in 2' lengths and they tended to blow apart there's so much pressure when using it as a blower so I put a small self tapping screw at each connecting joint that holds it together. The first time it blew apart it happened at about the 15' level and I had to jiggy poke to get the u elbow unhooked from the gutter - causing my wife a bit of humour. Mine works great. If you need a pic let me know.

Barry

[wahoonc]

Yuki I want a copy of that tape!

Also may I reccomend Gutter Helmet we are cursed with pine straw in this part of the country and it is the ONLY product that seems to work. I used to install this stuff years ago and most of the installations that I did 10-12 years ago are still in place and working away.

Aaron

[Chuck]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

Yuki I want a copy of that tape!

Also may I reccomend Gutter Helmet we are cursed with pine straw in this part of the country and it is the ONLY product that seems to work. I used to install this stuff years ago and most of the installations that I did 10-12 years ago are still in place and working away.

Aaron

I called them! won't work on my house, apparently, because of the drip-edge vent. the guy came out, took one look, and said, "nope, sorry". so from there, I tried various covers, including the one's that mimick the "gutter helmet" functionality, but they don't work. oh, sure, they keep the crap out of the gutters...but the water, too. runs right off and onto the ground.

I'll check out the Sears thing...sounds like it'll work on any shop vac, right? I figured someone must have already come up with something. no sense in re-inventing the wheel.
so much for all of your dreams of winning the $10,000 on "americas funniest home videos"....

[Chuck]

Originally Posted by safari57

Chuck

... I bought an extension kit for my Sears shop-vac that gives me up to 30' (and I can add more lenths) of tubing and it comes with a u-shaped nozzle. It's designed for cleaning gutters. ...

I found this on their website, but it doesn't look nearly long enough....

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes

[azflycaster]

Have you thought about spud gun technology?
An extended barrel with a few extra fittings on the end and bang you are done. Are you insured?

[nairnchyz]

Is Gutter Helmet a mesh material? I have never purchased this product but have noticed it at both Home Depot and Canadian Tire. It's a mesh that you roll out and cover your eaves to prevent leaves from getting in. From the look of it I don't think rain water would run over top of it as the openings in the mesh are a good size.
Problem we have here in the frigid north is the freeze - thaw cycles that raise havoc with the roofing materials and shinges.

Bob

[safari57]

Originally Posted by chuck

I found this on their website, but it doesn't look nearly long enough....

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes

Chuck, it is the kit but you need to pick up an extension kit as well. It's cheap, add's another 10' if I remember right. With the gutter kit shown and an extension kit, added to the pieces my shop vac came with, I do my gutters which on the back of the house are 30'. You might need two extention kits depending on how much lenght they add. If you are using the blow option versus the suction make sure you wear a hat as you might be surprised at what gets blown out of the gutter. At various times I've had everything from a dead squirrel and bird (small crow) to nuts and branches that can cause serious harm to someone without the original padded top I had twenty years ago.

Barry

[A-Merry-Can]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

Have you thought about spud gun technology?
An extended barrel with a few extra fittings on the end and bang you are done. Are you insured?

oh, i have GOT to get the plans for THAT!



jp

[herrgirdner]

"Is Gutter Helmet a mesh material?"
No, it is a plastic covering with a slot at the edge of the gutter. I've tried those mesh coverings and they soon fill the gutter up with pine needles and sticks from our ash trees.
I like the shop vac idea. Let us know how it works out... 30 foot wow...
regards