The Myth Surrounding Conservatory Gutters Holding Water

Many people believe that conservatory gutter, like standard house roof gutter, should be free from standing water and that any water seen inside the gutter signals a problem. This misconception leads many people to contact us to resolve a problem, which often does not exist.

The following is a couple of questions that we find ourselves asked time and time again.

The guttering on my conservatory has been fitted level, is that correct?

Yes, it is perfectly normal for conservatory gutter to be fitted level. A conservatory roof sits on top of the ring beam, which runs round the top of the conservatory frames. It is onto the ring beam that conservatory gutter brackets are fitted to hold the gutter lengths in place.

The frames are fitted level, so it follows that the ring beam is level and subsequently the brackets and guttering are level. The effect of the guttering being level is that it will hold a certain amount of water.

Why does my conservatory gutter always hold water?

Modern conservatory gutters, which are usually a high capacity ogee style, are fitted level and so will always hold water. Assuming that the guttering is not blocked by debris, the amount of water they hold is governed only by the number and position of outlets.

Excess water held in the gutter can strain the gutter brackets and lead to them snapping, especially during colder months and if too few brackets have been fitted. A gutter holding more than 25mm of rainwater would benefit from additional outlets.

Stop conservatory gutter from holding too much water

Fortunately, adding additional outlets is quite easy, especially if you know the manufacturer of the gutter. Fitting a gutter running outlet between two straight lengths of gutter, or a stop end outlet at the end of a length of gutter, will allow an extra downpipe to help clear the water in a timely fashion.

If you don't know the gutter manufacturer then an additional universal gutter spigot, like the Hunter R400 Uni-Fit, can be fitted to most conservatory guttering.

Be sure to consider where the water runs to when fitting additional downpipes. An existing drain or gulley is ideal, or even a water butt. You should be careful not to direct the rainwater towards concrete foundations as constant running water can cause erosion and future problems.

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