[a900]

I've been doing a gutter job today with the vac on a house surrounded by pine trees. Some of it can only be done with the vac and it is slow progress with the little vac I have as it keeps blocking at the gutter end and the vac end. Took twice as long to do the job.

So my question is those with the big vacs. Ones like this ... https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/nilfisk-alto-attix-961-01-single-phase-wet-d/

Do they block with the pine needles?

[Nick Day]

Hi,

Pine needles are a gutter vacs worse enemy!! It doesn't matter what power vac you have (we've had up to 4200 watt machines). That's why on our kits we developed the weed hook, we go along and get the majority out with that and then the vac should be able to suck up the remnants.

[the king]

i find pine needles allways block the swan neck grrrrr  i think a metal neck would help as they should slide down easer

[Nick Day]

Unfortunately it doesn't, we used to do aluminium necks and had the same issue.

[a900]

Don't like the idea of throwing the needles out the gutter but might be faster to do that then tidy up the mess than deal with the jams

Anyone else found any solutions other that deal with it and price higher. 😂

[Smurf]

I can't see the point in clearing gutters of pine needles etc and unblocking downspouts if roof valleys on a property still look like this   

Tarp the floor and do it off ladders using a progutter tool attached to a wfp is what I do. 16 bags later Job Done! 

[a900]

I wish I got pictures now. I cleared the only roof valley on the property at the back with the conservatory below. House was l shaped with a conservatory below the valley.

Used 12m of vac poles and ended up dragging most of the material down to the con roof below as there was so much. The rest I used the vac for entirely.

I managed the job by using the vac with no attachment so the vac end sat on the tiles and edge of the gutter, rather than in the gutter. This took the worst off without blocking. Then used the thinner vac end to get into the gutter and finish off. Just took longer than would have liked.

[Nick Day]

That's the best way we found if using just the vacuum on pine needles, they just do take longer!! I remember the second job I ever did with the kit I had bought at the time (before we started making them) was pine needles, that was a shock!!!!

[Smurf]

I was going to say a blocked roof valleys above a conservatory is one of my pet hates as the last thing you want is lumps of blown mortar, broken bits of tiles etc falling down and damaging the roof be it glass or plastic. Same goes when clearing gutters above them  too. On one job  I actually put an old mattress on the conservatory roof first to try protecting it from getting smashed. 

[slap bash]

This why I am using my power washer with an extendable  lance more and more. The vac frustrates me far too much. I blast them all out then use a leaf blower to clean up.
Between the cost of a good vac and the cost  carbon poles . I am regretting investing in a vac.
The only draw back is it messes down the walls but I only do gutter where I clean the inside and outer as well as window clean.

[a900]

I was going to say a blocked roof valleys above a conservatory is one of my pet hates as the last thing you want is lumps of blown mortar, broken bits of tiles etc falling down and damaging the roof be it glass or plastic. Same goes when clearing gutters above them  too. On one job  I actually put an old mattress on the conservatory roof first to try protecting it from getting smashed. 

Got visions of you carrying around an old mattress in your van.


And I defo wouldn't have wanted to jet the material out. I cleared enough to at least half full a wheelie bin and that would have made a right mess over the property and conservatory roof.

[Smurf]

I was going to say a blocked roof valleys above a conservatory is one of my pet hates as the last thing you want is lumps of blown mortar, broken bits of tiles etc falling down and damaging the roof be it glass or plastic. Same goes when clearing gutters above them  too. On one job  I actually put an old mattress on the conservatory roof first to try protecting it from getting smashed. 

Got visions of you carrying around an old mattress in your van.


And I defo wouldn't have wanted to jet the material out. I cleared enough to at least half full a wheelie bin and that would have made a right mess over the property and conservatory roof.

After the survey I said to the owner "Sorry was too much of a high risk job for me so I don't really want the job."
Then he said "what if I can get an old mattress up there would you want to do it then?"
My reply was "I might but only if you also sign a wavier as I do not want to be held responsible for any damage."
To which the chap agreed....Motto of the story is always try to cover yer arse and no the chap was not gay 

[Smurf]

I tend to use old school ladder method on pine needles myself that's if there is safe ladder access.

With the ladder setup I use makes it easy and safe to do.

[a900]

If access is good that does look faster smurf.

Nick, going back to the original question. Do you notice much of a difference with the bigger vacs you sell in clearing pine needles over the smaller ones?

[Nick Day]

In all honesty there's no denying the bigger vacs are better at getting the pine needles, I have even cleared them very occasionally without problem with the Viper if there were leaves and some muck underneath the needles. However there are times when it can still be a nightmare!! I always tell people no matter what machine they're buying from us that pine needles are a pain!

[Smurf]

In all honesty there's no denying the bigger vacs are better at getting the pine needles, I have even cleared them very occasionally without problem with the Viper if there were leaves and some muck underneath the needles. However there are times when it can still be a nightmare!! I always tell people no matter what machine they're buying from us that pine needles are a pain!

The vac I use has a 100 mm intake but don't mean jack as it's the 50 mm head, bends, hose and even the 100 mm intake that still gets blocked with crap. Some jobs a guttervac just can't handle so that's when you need to look at alternative methods to get the job done.

I may even try a leaf blower setup on the next one as should make less of a mess than a tesliscopic pressure washer attachment blasting wet crap everywhere. Still if all fails using a pressure washer method is defo my last resort I can reluctantly call apon if I need be.

[Nick Day]

Like I say Smurf pine needles are the Bain of gutter vacs!! That's why we developed the tools we did because we started off using other makes of kit and found we couldn't get the job done without the need for ladders. However we got some work for schools and a housing association which was strictly no ladders so that's how we developed out kits to do the job from the ground.

[Smurf]

Nick, how much would you charge me for a set of tools that would slot directly into the top of CFTMOD50 http://www.carbonfibretubes.co.uk/standard-tubes/ I'm using currenty so I could try them out?

[Nick Day]

Hi Smurf,

Yes we can make a head that fits your poles

Mod note: Please contact advertising@cleanitup.co.uk if you're interested in advertising with us

[a900]

I would be interested in what you could put together 2.

Email me info@wetwindows.co.uk with some more info as I use the same poles and would be interested in alloy attachments