Guttering advice

[chriselevate]

I currently have white ogee FloPlast guttering installed and on pretty much every union it’s leaking/dripping.

I’ve tried replacing the rubber seals with the same branded ones and cleaning them out etc but I just can’t get them to stop dripping.

Is this a common issue/problem with this brand/design? It seems to me that the black rubber seals are quite flat and don’t create a great seal. I’m also wondering if the unions have been fitted too level and therefore the gutter going in/coming out of the union is not sitting as flush as it could do on the seal.

Thanks for any advice help.

 

[sxturbo]

Disconnect the joins again,

Squirt some white dowsil 791 in the seals, then click back together.

It shouldn't leak again

Our of wonder when fitting new seals did you grease them first? Doing this sometimes helps the seal

 

[chriselevate]

Yeah, I’ve been tempted to silicone them up but wondering if switching brand and refitting is going to be a better, cleaner and longer term solution. Yes, I used silicone spray on the rubbers before reassembling them.

 

[mrrusty]

upvc guttering IMHO is all awful. The coefficient of thermal expansion of uPVC is big - typically 0.07mm/deg/m so a 6m gutter run between say high summer - 30 degrees and winter -5 changes length by 35 x 0.07 x 6 = ~15mm - it's no wonder joints leak. Personally I like steel gutter, like they use extensively in Europe e.g. https://www.guttersupplies.co.uk/steel-gutter-c-34/

 

[chriselevate]

Thanks. Yeah I know what you mean. The uPVC stuff isn’t great is it. I’m guessing the steel guttering is quite a bit more expensive and quite different looking. Adding this style guttering onto white fascia boards might not look too I keeping I wouldn’t have thought.

 

[chriselevate]

Has anyone used FreeFlow guttering? Is it any good do you know?

I saw it in a local suppliers and it looked like the seals on the unions were a lot better the ones I’ve got in my FloPlast so wondering if these will be better and less prone to leaks.

 

[mrrusty]

If you want white ogee without leaks it might be worth looking for someone local offering aluminium seamless guttering.

 

[Alastairreid]

Upvc lasts for decades without issue if installed properly.

 

[chriselevate]

Which brand? I’ve spent the whole day (annual leave) to redo a 13m run of floplast ogee and now I’ve finished it, it’s still leaking. I’m so annoyed with it tbh.

 

[Alastairreid]

I've installed them all and never had any problems.

 

[chriselevate]

Using which brands/shape of gutter? What sort of fall do you aim for? Do you use unions in place of a bracket?

 

[chriselevate]

So far so good. Took all the flowplast ogee down and refitted it all and it seems to be leak free at the moment. Hopefully it'll stay that way. Thanks for your help everyone.