Raingo 2" Gutter / Vacuum Adapters

thingiverse

I'm interested in building a gutter cleaner like the one shown in this video, but I've encountered some challenges. Schedule 20 PVC pipes are hard to find locally or cost around $15 for an 8-foot section from vacuum shops. However, if you order 60 or more units, the price drops to around $6-$7 including shipping and tax. Unfortunately, no local suppliers can place this large of an order. The Raingo 2-inch downspout seems like a viable alternative. It's rigid enough and made from thin, lightweight vinyl. You can find it for about $11 per 10-foot section at most local Lowe's or Home Depot stores. Here are the parts I've managed to gather so far. The diameter of the vacuum hoses is measured from the Shopvac/Rigid, while the gutter cleaning tube comes from Rigid. Although I'm almost done with all the necessary parts, I might add one or two more in the future if needed. The print time for this project is around 13-15 hours with a layer height of .28. https://youtu.be/-cRUheSAXM4 [Update 2] After finishing my assemblies and using them, I can confirm that the coupler I made is strong enough to handle the cleaning of second-story gutters. However, please be aware that wet or damp soils in the gutter will accumulate at various points. It's best to clean the gutters when they're completely dry. If you notice signs of wet soil, it's better to wait until they've dried out. I measured the weight of the soils stuck on the Rigid gutter tube and found that it fills up a 16-ounce cup and weighs almost 1 pound. With this much weight added inside the tube, the far end feels really heavy, causing the lower section to bend around 40 inches from the coupler. To resolve this issue, I cut away the excess (38 inches) just before the bent part and used that bended end with the Shopvac tube. Overall, I think the length is too long and should be reduced on one section for ease of maneuver. I also added two additional brackets (2 feet) on the lower section, 40 inches away from the coupler, which helped it survive the extra weight accumulated from wet soil. However, it's still best to clean the gutters when they're completely dry so that nothing gets stuck on the connectors/joints and side walls. As a side note, I found out that a single-cell power bank doesn't provide enough stable power for my setup, causing the D-Link camera (DCS-930L) to lose its connection or reset itself. Switching to a 2-cell power bank resolves this issue except adding more weight.