Unfortunately dealing with frozen gutters is rarely simple or inexpensive.
Frozen gutter drain.
Over time the ice can back up into your gutters creating additional weight on your entire gutter system.
The only sure fire way to melt the ice in frozen gutters is to hire a professional.
Step 1 get out the hair dryer.
It s important to nip such problems in the bud.
When winter storms hit gutters and downspouts sometimes freeze into solid blocks of ice and homeowners understandably worry about gutters pulling away from the roofs or ice dams forming.
Striking frozen downspouts with a hammer or baseball bat in the hopes of breaking up the ice inside them may cause more damage and make the situation worse.
First resist the urge to go after the ice with a hammer or axe.
If the frozen portion of your downspout is on the ground level and if it is near an outlet you can simply plug in your hairdryer to an extension cord and warm up the portion of the downspout that has become frozen.
Your pvc pipes can get damaged and any frozen water in your pipes can clog your drain.
When drains are clogged the water may find its way into your foundation exactly where you don t want it to be.
Many contractors employ equipment that injects steam and or hot water into your gutters and through your downspouts to get rid of ice.
Consistently frozen downspouts require immediate attention.
For best results start near the bottom of the downspout and work upward.
Instead use a hair dryer or consumer grade heat gun to heat up the outside of the downspout near the ice blockage.