Home › Learn From The Pros › What Not to Do When Your Downspouts Are Frozen What Not to Do When Your Downspouts Are Frozen March 13, 2023 Downspouts offer effective drainage of your gutters and help protect your home from water damage. During colder months when temperatures drop, these downspouts are in danger of freezing. With frozen downspouts unlikely to drain effectively, it’s beneficial to understand the causes behind freezing and how best to respond to this issue without further damaging your gutter system or home siding. Reasons Why Downspouts Freeze According to gutter contractors in Baxter, MN, frozen downspouts can have numerous causes, including cold temperatures, poor insulation and clogged gutters. Extreme cold weather and freezing rain make it more likely for your downspouts to freeze over. Poor insulation of your gutter system also means that snow or sleet could melt on contact and freeze within the pipes used for drainage. An accumulation of debris like leaves, sticks, birds’ nests or dirt can also cause trouble for your home. They clog up the gutters and can even prevent effective drainage when temperatures drop below the freezing point. What NOT to Do When Downspouts Are Frozen If you’re trying to handle gutter cleaning in Baxter, MN, for frozen downspouts, there are some things you should avoid to keep your home as safe as possible. Do NOT Use Hot Water When gutters become clogged or frozen, it can be tempting to try to dissolve the issue with hot water. Whether you’re using a bucket and rag or high-pressure hose, this is not recommended for many reasons. Brittle metals like copper can rust during extreme temperature variations, so you don’t want to expose a frozen copper gutter to hot water. Additionally, downspouts are often connected directly to the foundation of a home using an elbow joint. Pouring hot water into these tight spaces may damage floors and walls inside. You’d only be left with more damage. Do Not Use a Hammer It might be tempting to smash ice away with a hammer. This is never a wise idea. You may break some of the ice off, but you’ll also risk damaging and denting your gutters in the process. You could even accidentally dent your siding nearby. Do NOT Use a Blow Dryer Although warm air typically provides effective melting solutions during non-extreme temperatures, it won’t help in this case. The blow dryer will not provide sufficient heat during the extremely cold temperatures that caused the downspout to freeze in the first place. It could take hours or longer to make any progress, causing you to freeze in the meantime. You’ll need professional-grade tools to provide the kind of power necessary for unblocking or melting such an obstacle. Reach Out to Advantage Seamless Gutters! Continually exposing your gutters or home siding to below-freezing temperatures can be dangerous. It’s always best to reach out to experienced gutter professionals like Advantage Seamless Gutters in Baxter, MN. We’ve been providing reliable services in the area since 1989, proudly serving our local community with exceptional care whenever they needed us most! To request a service, call us at (218) 270-2663 or fill out our online form.