[macleod]

...WAHR says to avoid working at height if there is a safer way to work...

now we all know that W/C's (Window Cleaners) have adopted WFP but my question is what about gutter cleaning...?

If you can 'clean' a gutter using a system from the ground then is this 'safer' and if so the same WAHR apply to G/C's (Gutter Cleaners?).

any thouhts?

[sair]

it certainly does if your planning to use a ladder

[stuart webster]

I would personally question the amount of muck comming out of the gutters all over the house. (Using a gutter lance) You cant just flush it all down the downspout, it will go everywhere if it's packed. So if you fell you must use ladders, you need to follow the regs in the planning stage.

[Sarah Sarill]

Yes
Yes
and.... IME 90 % of gutter jobs can be done safely (and without debris fall out) with any form of lance or Vac system.

The remaining 10% you just dont do !!!!

Greatmoney earners and any costs for purchasing a safe alternative to ladder use can be VERY quickly recouped.

Sarah

[stuart webster]

Does it suck it out then?

[Sarah Sarill]

No

As far as Iam aware the only piece of kit on the market that sucks (other than DIY) is the Onmivac which retails at about £1200.

The majority of debris is small enough to pass easily down the drainpipe without clogging or indeed raining on the operative.

As I said before - the ones you can see that have bushes growing out from them we dont touch !

Becauseyou work from the point of the downpipe and then away from it you are breaking the moss up in smal pieces.  This technique and the 40 deg angle of the tip (which is also placedon the bottomof the gutter to avoid excess spray) will ensure you are keeping MOST of the water and moss in the system and down the downpipe where it is collected and thrown away.

Lancing is not the dryest of jobs but the small amount of brick water does not put people off and dries quickly.  We have never been to do a job and left any house covered with muck,although we did get a bit when practicing on our own house and when our technique was not good !!

As with anything else its all abosut using the tools that do the job effectively with minimal risks to your own safety and for us lancing is the solution.

Having said that we are now confident that we get most of the debris out but would like a would like a camera system attached to show the customer the results.

Have you got a different experience of the lance then bear ?

Sarah

[Londoner]

I haven't got one of these systems but I go along with Sarah's comment about a camera.
I don't like the idea of being totally blind. A 12v B+W suveillance camera complete with monitor (thats a TV to you and me ) starts at around £60. It shouldn't be too hard to get the camera mounted on the end of a pole.