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Jargon-busting Glossary of Guttering Terminology

Posted on by Rainclear_Systems Posted in FAQs, General

There are often times when we are asked for something by a customer and there is a moment of confusion until we match the name a customer uses for an item with the way we refer to our products.

Neither name is more correct, but we've put together this 'glossary of terms' of the names and descriptions we use for our products alongside those we've come across that are equally valid, but will make us pause for thought!

as a helpful guide to hopefully avoid getting the wrong product delivered or, worst still, bespoke fabricated!

Gutters

Cast Iron Half Round Guttering

Alternatives: Gutters, Troughs, Channel

Guttering is the horizontal element of a rainwater system.

We offer metal guttering in Cast Iron, Aluminium, Galvanised Steel and Copper.

The traditional Cast Iron & Cast Aluminium guttering comes in 1.83m (6ft) lengths

The contemporary Extruded Aluminium (SnapIT range) Galvanised Steel & Copper guttering comes in 3m lengths (9ft 10in)

 
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Galvanised Steel Half Round Guttering

Galvanised Steel Half Round Guttering

Pearl White Cast Aluminium Case Study

Pearl White Half Round Cast Aluminium Guttering

Cast Iron Eared Downpipe

Cast Iron Eared Downpipe

Alternatives: Drainpipe, Rhones

Downpipes are the vertical element of the rainwater system which carry the rainwater safely away from the foundations of your building into the sub-surface drainage pipes either via a downpipes shoe above an open grate or by connecting directly into the drainage system. If this is the case a leaf/bird guard to avoid debris entering the downpipe and some form of access should be inserted into the downpipe to allow easy removal of debris that might otherwise build up and cause a blockage. A rainwater diverter linked to a water butt could offer this access while also collecting rainwater to use washing the car or watering the garden.
https://www.rainclear.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/snapit-downpipe_2.jpg

SnapIT Aluminium Swaged Downpipe

Pearl White Cast Aluminium Case Study

Square Pearl White Cast Aluminium Downpipe

Gutter Guard Brush

Gutter Guard Brush

Alternatives: Guttering Leaf Guard=Gutter Brush or metal mesh/tray Downpipe leaf guard=Wire Basket/Balloon

For your gutters, we sell leaf guard brushes to keep them free of leaves and other debris. Once installed you should not have to keep checking and clearing your gutters. Especially crucial if you are lucky enough to live surrounded by trees and foliage. For your downpipes, we sell bird / leaf guards – a galvanised steel basket that sits in the mouth of the guttering ‘outlet’ that leads from the guttering into the downpipe. This prevents birds making nests in and leaves and other debris from entering the downpipe. You will not need both. For your soil pipes we sell a galvanised steel ‘balloon’ that sits in the open top of the soil pipe system. This prevents leaves or birds from entering the system.
Gutters before and after installing Brush Leaf Guards
Galvanised Steel leaf guard 'Basket'

Galvanised Steel leaf guard 'Basket'

Galvanised Steel gutter guard 'tray'

Galvanised Steel gutter guard 'tray'

Fluted, flat backed hopper

Fluted, flat backed hopper

Alternatives: Hoppers, Rainwater Head, Gutter hopper box

A hopper head fitted just below a gutter was the Victorian way of enabling their drain pipes in heavy rain to carry 66% more water.  How I hear you cry?
Bespoke decorative hopper

Bespoke decorative hopper

Modern SimpleFIT Cast Iron Soil Pipes

Modern SimpleFIT Cast Iron Soil Pipes

Alternatives: Cast Iron LCC waste & grey water drainage pipes

We sell both cast iron LCC and SimpleFIT soil drainage systems which are ideal for traditional style, heritage or listed properties. These systems carry the grey water and waste water from the property to the sub-surface drainage/sewage system. they are the pipes you can see on the exterior of the property that need to be in keeping with they traditiaonl style of the property. We do not sell the sub-surface pipes that you can not see.
Universal PVC Diverter with Filter in Grey

Universal PVC Diverter with Filter in Grey

Alternatives: with or without a filter, in cast iron or plastic, with or without an on/off tap

We’ve chosen a range of efficient and stylish rainwater diverter products Universal Diverters fit most downpipe systems and are an ideal choice for an easy, trouble free connection. For specific options on Cast Iron, Aluminium or Steel please contact our customer service team. These products are a great way of harnessing rainfall when it’s plentiful and then, when water is scarce, it’s ideal to be able to access free, collected rainwater to keep gardens thriving and cars clean, for example.

Cast Iron Eared Diverter

70 Degree Bend (x 2 make a swan neck)

70 Degree Bend (x 2 make a swan neck)

Alternatives: Can also simply be called an 'Offset' - Not to be confused with the single piece 'Fixed Offset' (see next item)

In the Galvanised Steel Range offsets are achieved using 2no. 70 degree bends To achieve a larger ‘offset’ (or distance from one piece of downpipe to the next, or from an outlet in the guttering to the downpipe) a cut length of downpipe can be inserted between the two bends. (A single piece with a ‘fixed’ offset of 60mm is also available – see next section)

Steel 2 part offset illustrated

Cast Aluminium two part offset

Cast Aluminium two part offset

In Cast Aluminium Two Part (112.5 degree) Offsets are available: in 63mm & 76mm diam pipe with up to 457mm or up to 685mm offsets (to cut down to required length if necessary)
SnapIT two part, swaged Offset with swept bends

SnapIT two part, swaged Offset with swept bends

In our Extruded Aluminium with swept bends and swaged neck Two part offsets are available: in 63mm & 76mm diam pipe with up to 400mm or up to 750mm offsets (to cut down to required length if necessary) In Cast Iron only fixed offsets are available Fixed Offsets are single pieces that come in a set ‘offset’ from the position of the original downpipe/outlet. (see next item)
Galvansied Steel 60mm Fixed offset

Galvansied Steel 60mm Fixed offset

Alternatives: Can also simply be called an 'Offset' - Not to be confused with the single piece 'Fixed Offset' (see next item)

Fixed Offsets are single pieces that come in a set ‘offset’ from the position of the original downpipe/outlet. In the Galvanised Steel Range A single piece with a ‘fixed’ offset of 60mm is also available. In Cast Iron only fixed offsets are available: in 3″ diam pipe with a 76mm, 114mm, 152mm, 228mm, 304mm, 381mm, 457mm, 533mm, 609mm, 685mm* (*not from stock), 685mm & 762mm offset in 4″ diam pipe with a 76mm, 114mm, 152mm, 228mm, 304mm, 381mm, 457mm, 533mm*, 609mm*, 685mm* , 685mm* & 762mm* offset (*not from stock)
Cast Iron Fixed Offset

Cast Iron Fixed Offset

Traditional LCC Cast Iron Soil Uneared Access Pipe

Traditional LCC Cast Iron Soil Uneared Access Pipe

 Alternatives: Rodding Eyes

An Access Pipe is a length of downpipe with a door that will open to allow you access to remove blockages from the downpipe once the rainwater system is installed

Spigot= the plain end of a section of a pipe fitting into the 'socket' of the next one

The Cast Iron and Cast Aluminium guttering feature ‘spigots’ and ‘sockets’ as a way of describing how one end of the guttering sits in the lip of the next
(other systems employ ‘unions’ instead)

The Cast Aluminium Victorian Ogee gutter system is a left-hand sockets system

If we do a take-off from your architects drawings for you, confusion can be avoided, alternatively follow this guide to choosing which angles you'll need

English Bros Galvanised Steel Case Study Image 007

Internal angle

Argyll Copper Case Study Image 006

External Angle

The downpipe shoe Alternative: A downpipe cover & rubber seal

The downpipe shoe is one way to end the downpipe – to an open grate, Alternative: A downpipe cover concealing a rubber seal to connect the downpipe directly to the subsurface, plastic drainage system

 

Galv Steel Downpipe connected directly to sub-surface drainage pipes or ending with downpipe shoe to an open grate

Alternative: Wrap-around Outlet, Swiss Outlet, Prefabricated Outlet

The ‘Outlet’ in guttering terms is the part that links the horizontal (guttering) to the vertical (downpipe).

They can be designed to include the ‘stop-end’ element if they are planned to sit at the end of the run of gutter, or they can be open at both ends to sit anywhere else along a run of gutter called the 'drop’

 

An outlet sitting here, at the end of a run, could include the stop-end if the system comes with ‘spigot’ or ‘socket’ outlets

‘Running’ outlet

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