How To Determine If You Have A Blocked Downspout
Blocked gutters are often easy to diagnose; however, you might not find it as easy to recognize if you have a blockage in your downspout. Read on for some tips on how to determine if you do have a problem in this area.
1. Check The Position Of Overflows
Any blockage in your gutters or downspouts can make your guttering system overflow. If you're lucky, you can spot a clogged downspout by tracking where water starts to run over your guttering system rather than through it.
For example, if you can see that water only starts to run over your gutters at the point where they run into your downspout, then you can be pretty confident that the pipe is blocked. Here, water runs through your gutters but stops at the entrance of the downspout. It can't drain down through it because the pipe is blocked at the top or is already full of water because of a blockage lower down.
2. Check Your Gutters For Blockages
Sometimes, it's difficult to identify exactly where water starts overflowing out of your guttering system. If it is raining hard, or you have a big blockage, then water might pour over your downspout and your gutters at the same time.
If you can access your gutters safely, then it's worth taking a look at them when it has stopped raining. If you can see obvious debris in a gutter, then this might be the site of the problem. Your downspout might be clear, and your system might work again once you clean out the gutter. However, if your gutters are clean and clear, then the problem is likely to be in your downspout.
3. Check If Water Goes Down The Drain
Your downspout carries water from your gutters and into your drains. Take a look at the point where the pipe feeds into its drain when it rains.
If you can't see any water coming down through the pipe, or if you feel that the volume of water doesn't match the water running through your gutters, then your downspout is likely to have a blockage.
If you think, or know, that you have a blocked downspout, then call in a local roofing services contractor. They can check your system, find the problem and fix it. Your pipe might simply need a professional clean. Or, if it has reached the end of its useful life, you might want to have it replaced.
For more information, contact a roofing service such as Rhema Roofing Service.