UPDATE: Gutter Vac (3+ Years Later)

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The main issue with this design seems to be finding Central Vacuum tubing AKA schedule 20 PVC. It is no longer used in homes due to coxe changes I believe. So most places stock schedule 40.

I wanted to get some more, and I could only find it online at a not ao great price unfortunately. But still not too much.

Great video and design. Somehow I think I am going to need two elbow sets (one with 90s and one with 45s) because some of my 2nd story gutters are not directly above the ground but instead above my porch roof or the garage roof, the latter extending from the front of the house. To reach those gutters, the elbow would need to enter the gutter at an angle (and I'd need to hold the pipe at an angle as well).

I think/hope a third shorter PVC section with a second ABS pipe to hold swappable elbows on top of the two main PVCs with the ABS connector should do it. I'll let you know if. that works.

Also my shop vac hose is made for smaller diameter attachments, but it looks as if it will take a 2.5" hose. Hoping that works out as well.

Thanks again I will build one tomorrow.

Very cool idea, Id like to add a 1/4" line and add a sprayer with valve at bottom to add water to it, for those hard to remove gutter clogs.

Mike. I used your links for the vacuum pipe and abs pipe. Called home depot and unfortunately the pipes are not carried by homedepot any longer. The 90 is but not pipes.

Great design. How did you mount the camera to show us how well this thing cleans while in action?
Thanks,
Doug

I made one of these years ago as getting on roof and using leave blower made too much of a mess and 2 stories up made it even harder, plus the pool solar heating was on this side of the house.

The extra point I picked up off your design was cutting little holes around the inlet which I will give it a try.

This is a great video. We live in the PNW. Where are you located?

Great video! Very helphul. I love homemade solutions to everyday problems and your videos are very well done. Thank you!

Thank you for this 😊

I live in the Boston area, no one around here carries central vac pipes only schedule 40. Any ideas???

My shopvac uses a 1-7/8 hose. Is there some kind of adapter

Thanks for the video, I followed recommendations and made my own, overall it worked well but I had to make a few modifications. I can only reach the second floor gutters from an angel so instead of two 90 degree elbows I joined a 45 degree and a 90 degree to make a 135 degree, that I think worked better than the 180 degree even for my first floor gutters, because when I switched from suction mode to blow mode, standing right below the gutter was a very bad idea. The extension from the shop vac fits but I had to hold it in a weird way because the connected pipe was moving around inside the extension, I drilled a small hole and used a small screw to stabilize the pipe inside the extension, that worked much better. 2 inch pipes are a bit small for large leaves, but there is no other feasible options so I can cope with that. I appreciate you taking the time and making the videos, both videos are very helpful. I had stopped climbing the ladders ever since one of my friends fell from the ladder when cleaning the gutter and killed himself a few years ago, your videos provided a solution to my problem, it is much appreciated.

I have a store bought version of what you have and it doesn't work for me really. I can see it being useful if you have trees nearby, but I don't and the main thing that clogs my gutters is moss.

I had to make a scraper attachment for my tool so that the hose can scrape and suck up debris at the same time and I would say it is 95% effective. Every few years I do go up and give them a thorough cleaning and a spray down with silicone lubricants to keep the surface slippery and as unfriendly as I can for moss.

Last year my son came along with his drone and gave me a birdseye view and it made life so much easier, if you have one use it, but I wouldn't go and buy one just for this task.

How did you add the camera attachment?

Any thoughts on whether pvc conduit (for electrical work) is thinner or thicker than central vacuum tubing? I am unable to find a local supplier that sells small amount of central vacuum tubing :(

Bro this tubing is impossible to find!

Never cleaning manually not getting on ladder

Schedule 20?…huh
Maybe schedule 30 or so…hard to find any even on Amazon…I should say impossible for now.

Having a hardhat would be nice just in case it falls directly down onto you

Outstanding! Thanks.

Do you keep the filter inside the wet dry vac or remove filter?

This works great. Easy to build and cheap. Great video!

Does anyone know where I can find this lightweight tubing in the UK?

Is the black ABS pipe different than the extension pipe that comes with a vacuum cleaner?

What are you using to film the gutter with. Would be nice to make sure it is completely clear while doing it.

Thanks Mike! My 1 and 2 story gutters have always been a worry so I will try to make one. I found five sections of central Vacuum tubing, each 5 ft. in length. I will connect them with couplers and pvc cement except for one connection I was planning to use male- female adapters so that I have the device in two segments that I could screw together or apart for different gutter heights and for ease of storage. Have you tried using male- female adapters? Thanks.

What is your gutter camera?

Was excited to do this, but no luck finding the schedule 20 pvc. I've searched everywhere online and don't know any electrical store in my area that would supply it.

I cannot find the piping anywhere. Amazon doesn’t have it and both HD and Lowe’s do NOT have it…. Any other suggestions?

Genius.. thank you

Your design is brilliant simplicity. Thank you for posting how to build a gutter shop vacuum attachment!

Is that a Ford N-series utility tractor in your garage? Did you grow up on a farm? We had them back on the Ohio farm; they were great workhorses 👍

One issue was locating the central vacuum tubing. Many big box hardware stores have dropped it and ABS tubing. I couldn’t find a supplier for either in SE Texas.

I’m going to include places I was able to get the tubing. Did find ABS easier to get through Amazon.

1. Quality Home Systems
2. Vacumaid Central Vacuum Systems
3. Central Vacuum Online

I tried to include the links but the algorithm kept taking my post down. So search and find the companies yourself.

We have Sweetgum trees that have seed pods the size of ping pong balls that don’t rot and fill up the gutters. These get wrapped up in pine needles which also don’t rot. So gutters are usually filled to the brim with junk.

Once I built the device it took 2 passes to get 3+ years and Beryl Hurricane debris out of the second floor gutters. I am so happy there is no need to climb dangerous ladders anymore.

Found that but reversing the air flow back and forth from vacuum to blowing; it broke up the thick debris allowing it to then be vacuumed up. As you said if you blow out the debris it rains down all over you making a big mess.

I cleaned out 2 full shop vacs of leaves, seed pods and needles over a morning.

As in your video I also ran into several nests of paper wasps also! Since we’ve been stung several times this year it was great not having them after me on a ladder!

Thanks again for brilliant design and build of the gutter cleaner.

Only downside i see is this does not help elbows for when gutter cantilevers into another gutter

They do not sell the 2 centeral vacuum tubing at Home Depot or Lowes ?? Where do you get the 10 foot sections locally ??

Nice ford 800

As a home gamer, is it possible to hose clamp the 180 degree CVT tubing to a pole saw handle while 2.5” duct channeled debris into a shop vac? I think it would be incredibly heavy but it would also use existing, multi use materials. Thoughts?

I'll give you a 10!

I'm looking to buy a shop vac to do this for my small handyman business, but I noticed almost all the rigid shopvacs with higher HP have a 2.5" hose/attachement indicator.
You mention in the video yours was 2", so would this create issues finding pipe or getting enough suction? Thanks!

Good job ✅

Great tip on using the central vac tubing vs PVC. Exactly what I was concerned about when I first thought to using PVC - weight. I too need it for a 2-story gutters. Great video. Thank you!

I decided I just had to have a camera mounted on mine (otherwise built pretty much to this spec - except very little use of glue in favor of removable rivets). I found an $8 mini spy camera on AliExpress and had it setup in no time. It streams video directly to a cell phone - without even using my wifi router - and I got a wrist strap mount so I can watch easily but still have the use of both hands! So now I can see how things look and if I missed something. I thought this was cool before. Now I have taken it up a notch!

great, thanks

Can't found the Central Vacuum Tubing, how about Charlotte Pipe??

I also clean my gutters twice a year......from the ground thanks to your video! I tywrapped a small bristle brush to mine to agitate the shingle crumbs. Thanks for great vid!

Anyone here ever attempt 3 stories or 30ft of this design? Better then leaf gutters?

Such a great idea😊
Will be my next project to make one. Great videos
Well done