Resource Centre

Helping RSPCA

Gutter-Vac strongly believes in giving back to the local community.  We take pride in helping local communities, whether it be by sponsoring a local sport teams, donating a gift voucher to a fund raising event or participating in our National RSPCA Pro Bono program.

In 2009 Gutter-Vac launched its national RSPCA Pro Bono program.  In a national initiative with RSPCA Australia, Gutter-Vac operators provide RSPCA shelters across Australia with their services to help maintain their shelters, reduce mosquito breeding grounds and the spread of heartworm.

The dog heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, is an increasing major veterinary health problem for dogs. Heartworms are parasites that live in the heart and main blood vessels of the lungs of cats and dogs. They are spread between infected animals by mosquitoes.  The infection is now found throughout all of Australia. Dogs can be severely affected, with major vessels becoming blocked with chronic infections; death usually results in such cases from heart failure. Prevention is the best solution for the heartworm disease as treatment of the disease can be dangerous and expensive and it may not be able to reverse the damage already caused by the heartworm. Mosquito control in residential areas where dogs and cats live can break the transmission cycle of heartworm disease.

The RSPCA animal shelters are usually in rural/suburban areas and are covered with trees which lead to blocked gutters which are breeding grounds for heartworm carrying mosquitoes. Blocked gutters cause a build up of rotting sludge which is an ideal food source for heartworm carrying mosquitoes and a perfect place for them to lay their eggs.  We hope that by ensuring the RSPCA has regular professional gutter cleans we can help to reduce this epidemic affecting our family pets.

In this community initiative each Gutter-Vac franchisee will be responsible for cleaning an RSPCA shelter in their territory each year for free. The Gutter-Vac wet and dry vacuum technology can remove that sludge from the gutters quickly & easily.

Rainwater tanks are another household item that are used to store water.  Without clean gutters, all the water born debris will go straight into your rainwater tank and contaminate your water.

When your gutters are full of leaves, the wind will blow them over the back of the gutters and into the soffit (the area that runs from the top of an exterior house wall to the outer edge of the roof) and the ceiling of your home.  Leaves in this area are a genuine fire hazard.

Full gutters are a fantastic breeding ground and food source for a whole range of vermin including beetles, cockroaches, mosquitoes, mice, rats and spiders.  Many property owners will get their property treated for pests, but then leave their gutters full of debris.  It is only a matter of time before those vermin will re-infest a property.

Everything that goes down storm water drains ends up untreated in our rivers, lakes and the ocean. Pollutants in storm water are having a disastrous impact on all aquatic life, not only harming fish, plants and wildlife, but reducing the water quality for humans.  The rotting debris that fill your gutters are extremely high in nutrients.  While those nutrients are fantastic for your gardens, they aren’t fantastic for our creeks and rivers, in fact, they are a pollutant. 

If your gutters are full of debris when it rains 2 things can happen, the first is that your gutters & downpipes may get blocked and if that happens then there is a chance your ceiling will flood and property will get damaged.  If you are lucky and your gutters don’t block, then the nutrient rich waste that is sitting in your gutters will end up washing into the storm water and polluting our waterways.  See more on our environment page.

Your gutters need love too.  We recommend regular gutter cleaning and a preventative maintenance plan for your gutter cleaning.

Remember, there is no such thing as a gutter protection device that will completely eliminate the need for regular gutter cleaning and maintenance.  Don’t neglect your gutters.

Having permanently fixed gutter protection devices installed in your gutters may cause long term problems for your home.  While many gutter protection devices will stop large leaf debris from falling into your gutters, they won’t stop the fine dirt and dust from getting in, slowly building up and eventually blocking your gutters and downpipes.  Unfortunately, if permanent gutter protection devices have been installed in your gutters, there is no real way to clean the gutters without cutting or removing those very expensive guards. See our gutter cover page  for a cost effective gutter cover solution.