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Gutter vac buying advice.

Gray

Member
Messages
31
Hi, Firstly I'd like to say hello to everyone, only registered today. I'm looking to expand my business and purchase a gutter vac but don't have a clue about them. Obviously need a decent one but don't want to spend silly money. Any advice gratefully received.

 
Mine came in very useful today against frozen gutter muck! So useful in fact that it stayed in the van taking up space!

There ok but having used one for a while now, my thoughts are you can do a better job with pro gutter tools, and a watering can/hose to flush gutter through.

There only good for jobs you cannot get a ladder up to and really high stuff. But they only get out 80/90% from most guttering I find.

 
Plus i've only just joined this site today o_O Have been doing wfp since last April, so hence expanding to gutter vac, think most ppl have gutters

 
I should imagine this time of year there pretty useless, but have to be a safer way than using a ladder. Wats the typical charges? I have no idea!

 
Mine came in very useful today against frozen gutter muck! So useful in fact that it stayed in the van taking up space!
There ok but having used one for a while now, my thoughts are you can do a better job with pro gutter tools, and a watering can/hose to flush gutter through.

There only good for jobs you cannot get a ladder up to and really high stuff. But they only get out 80/90% from most guttering I find.
I did a gutter vac job yesterday. They were full of weeds, it sucked them out in clumps no problem, but left muck close to the edge of the gutter :thumbsdown:. Why do they leave so much behind!!?

I left the filter out as it works better with it out. On another thread a poster said he had emailed a company and was advised to leave the filter out for wet jobs. The thing is, the float thing that is supposed to rise when water is sucked in to protect the motors gets full of :turd: and I'm not sure that :turd: is getting up to the motors? Anyone know if this is ok to do?

 
From a safety point of view yes there ideal, I also find you can charge more as customers seem to like the idea of a machine and poles with a camera on the top rather than just a guy on a ladder with a bucket.

I use the SkyVac system and I do think its great, and is a good think to market on social media and websites as add on services.

Recently got into using pro gutter tools and found them to be great, the downside is having my mrs come on jobs with me as I like somebody footing a ladder at gutter heights, just my preference there.

My opinion is there well worth the investment to have in your armoury, but not a perfect solution to all gutter clear jobs.

Price wise I generally charge around £20-£30 a length for a 2/3 bed semi, more if the downpipes are blocked up solid.

 
Glad you said that Trev - i think gutter vac be best for commercial but my gutter work is all residential . I don't think I will bother with gutter vac is I am happy going up ladders with Unger pole and tools

Makes more sense me spending on van or poles

 
From a safety point of view yes there ideal, I also find you can charge more as customers seem to like the idea of a machine and poles with a camera on the top rather than just a guy on a ladder with a bucket.
I use the SkyVac system and I do think its great, and is a good think to market on social media and websites as add on services.

Recently got into using pro gutter tools and found them to be great, the downside is having my mrs come on jobs with me as I like somebody footing a ladder at gutter heights, just my preference there.

My opinion is there well worth the investment to have in your armoury, but not a perfect solution to all gutter clear jobs.

Price wise I generally charge around £20-£30 a length for a 2/3 bed semi, more if the downpipes are blocked up solid.
I'm not really suppose to go up ladders due to a medical condition and wouldn't really want to take the chance hence looking at these vacs.

So charging around £20-£30 per side on a 2/3 bed semi? Do they clean downpipes or is that a removal job and poke something through it?

Ive seen these 3000 Watt Gutter Vacuum Systems and have seen the bloke post on here, does anyone know anything about vacs from aquafed?

 
Hi, Firstly I'd like to say hello to everyone, only registered yesterday and managed sent my post to Gav in a private message instead of a forum!! Newbie Alert /emoticons/wink.png.

I'm looking to expand my wfp business which i started last April and expand to gutter cleaning as i feel there are plenty of ppl who would use the service.

Unfortunately due to medical reasons i shouldn't climb ladders and wouldn't want to take that risk. So safest option purchase a gutter vac but don't have a clue about them or how to charge. Obviously need a decent one but don't want to spend silly money.

Have seen this company posting on this forum 3000 Watt Gutter Vacuum Systems, looks reasonable price but are they any good? Any advice gratefully received. Thankyou in advance Gray :thumbsup:

 
If the downpipes are blocked solid with muck, quite a few are, all depends on tree coverage around the house and how often they have been cleared out then you will have no choice but to go up and poke it down along with a hose pipe or watering can to flush it down to the bottom, sometimes I take the small bend bit off and bring it down to clean out then re fit it.

Vacs are ok and good to have for sure, but as I found out quite quickly if thats your only option you will soon get caught out on a job, so going up on the ladder is unavoidable at times with gutter clears.

I would strongly advise if funds allow to get a gutter cam/monitor with a inspection pole as you can then look before quoting or taking on the job, will give you a good idea if its going to be a easy vac out, or a pig of a job off a ladder with hand tools

I had this job just before xmas which shows what I mean, no vac alone would of cleared this or anywhere close, also had silly gutter hedgehogs in that are the worst invention ever so had to go up and remove them all too….

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Hi, Firstly I'd like to say hello to everyone, only registered yesterday and managed sent my post to Gav in a private message instead of a forum!! Newbie Alert /emoticons/wink.png.
I'm looking to expand my wfp business which i started last April and expand to gutter cleaning as i feel there are plenty of ppl who would use the service.

Unfortunately due to medical reasons i shouldn't climb ladders and wouldn't want to take that risk. So safest option purchase a gutter vac but don't have a clue about them or how to charge. Obviously need a decent one but don't want to spend silly money.

Have seen this company posting on this forum 3000 Watt Gutter Vacuum Systems, looks reasonable price but are they any good? Any advice gratefully received. Thankyou in advance Gray :thumbsup:

Hi Gray and welcome - imo there is gutter work out there but seasonal and needs advertising but if you can get it pays wat, I charge on average £30 per run so a semi detached (3 top runs) would be £90. Takes 2 hours tops. Your problem is must my call outs is because the down pipe at the top is blocked so know where for water to go and for this to be unblocked by gutter Vac is hard if it is deeper so need to go up later and push a hose down. In regards to gutter vac the sky vac Atom is brilliant. Power light and not heavy to get out of van. Go on spinacleans website they sell it. Hope that has helped mate

 
One tip; you can usually tell if the down pipe is full or not when using a vac, run the nozzle over the hole and you can usually hear if it's blocked.

 
One tip; you can usually tell if the down pipe is full or not when using a vac, run the nozzle over the hole and you can usually hear if it's blocked.
YEP - the atom has a blow feature so I run that down the down pipe and if I can hear:feel air at bottom I know pipes cleared

 
Hi, Firstly I'd like to say hello to everyone, only registered yesterday and managed sent my post to Gav in a private message instead of a forum!! Newbie Alert /emoticons/wink.png.
I'm looking to expand my wfp business which i started last April and expand to gutter cleaning as i feel there are plenty of ppl who would use the service.

Unfortunately due to medical reasons i shouldn't climb ladders and wouldn't want to take that risk. So safest option purchase a gutter vac but don't have a clue about them or how to charge. Obviously need a decent one but don't want to spend silly money.

Have seen this company posting on this forum 3000 Watt Gutter Vacuum Systems, looks reasonable price but are they any good? Any advice gratefully received. Thankyou in advance Gray :thumbsup:

P.S don't get that system as it has ally poles you need carbon fibre ones or Arms like Arnie

 
Im starting to find out al

Hi Gray and welcome - imo there is gutter work out there but seasonal and needs advertising but if you can get it pays wat, I charge on average £30 per run so a semi detached (3 top runs) would be £90. Takes 2 hours tops. Your problem is must my call outs is because the down pipe at the top is blocked so know where for water to go and for this to be unblocked by gutter Vac is hard if it is deeper so need to go up later and push a hose down. In regards to gutter vac the sky vac Atom is brilliant. Power light and not heavy to get out of van. Go on spinacleans website they sell it. Hope that has helped mate
Thankyou and thanks, very helpful KieMan.will have a look.

 
If the downpipes are blocked solid with muck, quite a few are, all depends on tree coverage around the house and how often they have been cleared out then you will have no choice but to go up and poke it down along with a hose pipe or watering can to flush it down to the bottom, sometimes I take the small bend bit off and bring it down to clean out then re fit it.
Vacs are ok and good to have for sure, but as I found out quite quickly if thats your only option you will soon get caught out on a job, so going up on the ladder is unavoidable at times with gutter clears.

I would strongly advise if funds allow to get a gutter cam/monitor with a inspection pole as you can then look before quoting or taking on the job, will give you a good idea if its going to be a easy vac out, or a pig of a job off a ladder with hand tools

I had this job just before xmas which shows what I mean, no vac alone would of cleared this or anywhere close, also had silly gutter hedgehogs in that are the worst invention ever so had to go up and remove them all too….

View attachment 8936 View attachment 8937 View attachment 8938 View attachment 8939 View attachment 8940
Nice, those hedgehog things are ****, took one out of a gutter not long ago and had loads of stuff growing in it which was actually causing the gutter to overflow....

That looks like it would have been a difficult job :eek: lots of ££ to sort that.

 
Nice, those hedgehog things are ****, took one out of a gutter not long ago and had loads of stuff growing in it which was actually causing the gutter to overflow....That looks like it would have been a difficult job :eek: lots of ££ to sort that.
Yes there terrible things! They were the root cause of the problem there, the house backed on to a pine forrest and the hogs just blocked the gutters from doing there job, it took a while to convince the owner to bin them as he wanted them put back in, but I won in the end and they went in his wheelie bin!

Funny thing was some greasy salesmen prob told him the reverse and made him spend £800 on having them put in, as he told me thats what they cost fitted.

Took me the best part of a day to remove them, clear the gutters out and all the **** pilled up above in the roof sections that had no where to go, was a decent earner I think around £250, I did a full clean on that house, gutters/fascia and all window frames and windows. That was the other funny thing, he had a window cleaner who he said was "Great" and did not want to change over as I tried to plug for the job, I should of took some pics of the frames, they were solid green before I cleaned them. Never understand some folk and there expectations lol!

 
Yes there terrible things! They were the root cause of the problem there, the house backed on to a pine forrest and the hogs just blocked the gutters from doing there job, it took a while to convince the owner to bin them as he wanted them put back in, but I won in the end and they went in his wheelie bin!
Funny thing was some greasy salesmen prob told him the reverse and made him spend £800 on having them put in, as he told me thats what they cost fitted.

Took me the best part of a day to remove them, clear the gutters out and all the **** pilled up above in the roof sections that had no where to go, was a decent earner I think around £250, I did a full clean on that house, gutters/fascia and all window frames and windows. That was the other funny thing, he had a window cleaner who he said was "Great" and did not want to change over as I tried to plug for the job, I should of took some pics of the frames, they were solid green before I cleaned them. Never understand some folk and there expectations lol!
£800 quid........ffs....been had.

I've done a fascia clean, Windows, conservatives for a customer, done a good job and improved the look no end but then they say "gonna keep their regular window cleaner, had him years don't want to upset him" ok then........give me a call in a year!!

 
Just personal opinion but I have a spacevac 700 with carbon poles and camera, it is a fantastic piece of kit.

I seldom have to go up to the gutters, unless the downspout is really badly blocked, most of the time I have a long nozzle for the vac that I use to go into the downspout as far as the first bend, most blockages are no further down than that and usually caused by a screw sticking out into the inside of the pipe. There is the odd time the roof is too far over the guttering to get the vac nozzle in and has to be done by hand, harris pole and pro gutter tools and many harsh words usually does the trick!!

Ladders are no problem for me, I do a lot of roof cleans so height isn't an issue. I use a stand off and where needed I use my ankalad too. I have done it both ways, vac and by hand and In my mind the vac is way quicker, no contest, although It probably depends on the system you go for.

A camera is a must have, means one pass is all that's needed, using a camera the alu gutters with the little support bars can be worked around too.

I have so many different ends for my vac I've lost count, most have been made up by myself, 50mm intercooler bends and pipe joiners off ebay and a length of 50mm drain pipe from b&q, the plastic drain pipe can be cut to any length and if you heat it with a hot air gun it can be squeezed down to make thinner nozzles easily, with these you can do nearly any guttering.

It may be a lot of money but its legit business expense so can be claimed as such, they're a great investment no doubt.

 
£800 quid........ffs....been had.
I've done a fascia clean, Windows, conservatives for a customer, done a good job and improved the look no end but then they say "gonna keep their regular window cleaner, had him years don't want to upset him" ok then........give me a call in a year!!
Same for me, did a FSG on a detached house including frames and Windows, just as I started I asked the owner if he had a window cleaner already, yes was the reply, then I asked if he did the frames and sills, which I already knew the answer to, nope! Cleaned them up, took pics of the upstairs ones before and afters and the look on his face was priceless. Asked if he wanted me to carry on with a monthly clean on the Windows and he said no straight off the bat, to which I was quite happy with as he wanted to remain loyal to the cleaner he had, although he was doing a **** job. Told him to call me if anything changes

 
If you can't get up ladders for medical reasons I wouldn't advertise for gutter work, but might get a cheap vac system so you can do select window customers for extra cash... Having done about 30 gutter jobs in the last year, more than half I wouldn't have been able to do with vac alone, but 9/10 would be doable by ladder.

Bare in mind though the cheaper the vac system, the more hard work it will be, so might not be worth the effort at all

A lot of gutters have overhanging tiles combined with the kind of debris that doesn't suit vac poles, I've done one where the gap was about 4mm in parts and full of mud

 

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