Any new system will invite many questions and this page hopefully will answer many of them for you.
- Are converted gutters difficult to operate?
No, they are very easy to operate, and there are only three things you need to remember in using them:
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Hook and pull the gutter near the center of the span - Pulling near the center is important because pulling anywhere else, especially near the ends will not work and is not good for the rotating brackets or gutter.
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When pulling, stand a few feet back from the gutter - The rotating brackets are not designed to be pulled straight down. Even if they were, doing so would put you directly under the gutter, guaranteeing a leaf shower.
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Clean gutters after a few days of dry weather - Dry leaves are light and easy to remove from the ground, deck or where ever they land. Wet content is much heavier and tends to stick making it much more difficult to work with on the ground.
- How difficult is GC123 to install?
With GC123 your current gutters are converted if they are in usable condition. GC123 adds brackets that enable you to rotate your gutter, and collector boxes that pass water between the gutter and downspout while allowing the gutter to separate from the downspout during rotation.
The Installation page contains links to four guides. Two explain how to convert existing gutters, one for standalone gutters, and one for gutters with a corner. The other two explain how to prepare and install new gutters, one for standalone gutters and one for gutters with a corner.
Any gutter installer or good Do-it-Yourselfer can convert fixed gutters or install new gutters using the PDF installation guides on this web site. If you are not proficient at using ladders, basic hand tools and some power tools, it is recommended that you not try converting or installing gutters yourself.
- Can GC123 be used to convert any gutter?
Straight standalone gutters and long gutter sections connected to a corner are good candidates for conversion.
Buildings with broken roof lines due to many different roof sections are more challenging due to the close proximity and number of corners connected to short gutter sections running between the various straight gutter sections.
Many times only one or two gutters on a home that are prone to rapid filling with leaves and are converted, while other gutters that don't fill at all or do so slowly that rain water can wash the contents away are left as fixed gutters.
- How reliable is GC123?
The materials used in GC123 rotating brackets are heavy gauge aluminum and galvanized steel, neither of which rusts. The collector boxes are constructed of .032 aluminum. All parts are further protected by powder coat paint which provides a tough durable finish with a lifetime equivalent to that of the finish on aluminum gutters and components.
Fixed gutter systems typically fail, not because of intrinsic part failure or breakdown, but because they clog up and cease to operate as a gutter. When this happens rainwater overflows the gutter every time it rains. Eventually the fascia board rots allowing the gutter to pull away and sag, often bending out of shape. At this point the fascia board must be replaced and the gutter reattached if it is in usable condition.
With the safe, fast and easy cleaning that GC123 enables, there is no reason to have clogged, overflowing gutters ever again.
- Is GC123 expensive?
GC123 parts cost an average of $4 per foot for straight gutter sections. Installation cost will vary with installers but typically fall in the $2 - $3 per foot range. The cost of converting a fixed gutter to GC123 is on average equal to approximately two to three years worth of gutter cleaning service for that gutter.
- Will the gutter tip over by itself?
No, it won't for a couple of reasons:
- The upright gutter rests on the rotating bracket support arm between the fascia board and hinge which is located at the front of the support arm. This arrangement places the weight of any leaves and debris in the gutter down on the bracket support arm helping to maintain the upright position.
- In addition to the weight of any contents, a spring mechanism in the hinge exerts a force that tends to keep the gutter seated in the upright position. When the gutter is empty, water falling off the roof or wind will not overcome this retentive force. As the gutter is pulled by an operator during cleaning the retentive force is overcome and diminishes in strength as the gutter moves away from the upright position, allowing it rotate over and empty its contents.
Click here to see a diagram of the how the gutter remains stable in the rotating bracket.
To return to this page from the diagram, use your browser back button .
- How long are GC123 converted gutters?
GC123 converted gutters can be a maximum of 28 feet. Converted gutters are rotated by pulling at the center of the span. As gutter length increases beyond 16 feet, the gutter center rotates forward slightly ahead of the two ends as the gutter is pulled. This does not harm the gutter. The longer the gutter the more pronounced this center-lead-end-lag becomes and therefore converted gutters longer than 28 feet are not recommended.
Long straight gutter spans found on many homes usually have a number of downspouts dispersed along the gutter. As a general rule, one downspout is installed for every 20-25 feet of gutter. Gutter sections longer than 28 feet are separated into converted sections each 28 foot or less. Each converted section drains into one of the existing downspouts.
- How high can GC123 converted gutters be located?
An average person can rotate and upright a second story GC123 gutter (approximately 20 feet high) using the Hook Tool and an extension pole. Extensions poles are available than can reach much higher than this. Beyond 20 feet gutter rotation is possible and depends on the skill and dexterity of the operator.
- Does GC123 work on gutters that go around corners?
Converted gutters can not pass water around corners from section to section like fixed gutter systems can.
Special corner pieces were developed for GC123 that allowed rotaing gutters to connect and work at corners with each converted corner requiring it's own dwnspout.
In practise the special requirements for these corners proved expensive and difficult to install and therefore are not available.
A product of Triangle Handyman LLC, Angier, NC 27501
Made in the USA Patent Pending
Copyright 2009-2016
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