The perception of a gutter cleaning gadget, especially a robotic, electronic, or remote-controlled device, is it simplifies the task. Before investing in gutter cleaning tools, here are some tips to help you decide if one of them is right for you.
Attachments that Use Water
Gutter cleaning gadgets that use water are generally designed to be attached to a garden hose (nozzle at the end of an extension pole; extender fastened to garden hose). While they can handle small sized clumps of debris, they seem ineffective in breaking up larger clumps and moving it along the gutter channel. Another common objection regarding attachments that use water is there isn’t enough water pressure created to get rid of sludgy debris without scrubbing.
Attachments that Use Air
Gutter cleaning tools using air work off a leaf blower or a shop vacuum. While some types are intended to be used from the ground, they can become unmanageable or difficult to maneuver. These kinds of attachments that use air work better if the person operating it is on a ladder. When blasting leaves, twigs and other bits of debris, you have to be careful that the gunk doesn’t land on the roof or back into the gutters.
Gutter Robots
Two major criticisms concerning gutter robots are they tend to spit the debris up on the roof and get stuck in the gutter channel or flip over. The general consensus appears to be that cleaning a gutter system with a remote-controlled gadget takes longer than when the gutters are cleaned manually.
Other Things to Consider
Some products work better than others. Before investing in a gutter clean gadget consider the following:
- most remote controlled devices work better on even surfaces
- attachments that use water or air tend to handle dry and/or smaller clumps more easily
- attachments using extension poles operated from the ground perform more efficiently on one-storey structures
- even with a gutter cleaning attachment designed to hold a camera or a mirror, you can’t really see what you’re doing
