Gumph between guttering and a water butt.

[WaterTight]

Probably done about 5 small guttering/downpipe repairs in over a decade. Usually just work out what bits I need from what's already there. But on this one she's not sure any of it is right to begin with.

The hopper is meant to collect run off from guttering and divert to a water butt. But it was leaking badly and some cowboy charged her "over £200 to put gaffa tape round it"

It's still leaking and not filling up the butt. So I'm guessing its' blocked with leaves and the joints were never done properly. But is it actually a correct set up to begin with? Is this how it should be done? More of less? Like a big open hopper sat there? Or should it be something with a grill/grate on top?

My guess is once I can identify the right bits I should just pull it apart, clear out any crap and then re-do where necessary with properly done joints. I've tended to solvent weld them in the past. Not sure if you guys do that or even think it's necessary.

 

[Ric2013]

That rainwater diverter kit is too high up the downpipe for a start and looks to be upside down.

Installed as is, the water will inevitably overflow at the water butt instead of continuing down the pipe when it is full, if it doesn't leak out around the diverter first.

The choice to fit a hopper at all is unusual in this installation: what was wrong with using a running outlet? This is how I've seen it done with some 1880s cast-iron installations, but I would imagine (never been that close up) that the cut gutter sections would be closer to one another than these are and that the installers would have formed some kind of anti-capilliary drip to prevent the water running along the underside of the gutter.

Grills and grates are all well and good, but you'll get moss and sand coming off the concrete tiles which will need annual cleaning anyway and moss can tend to sit on top of the grate, so they sometimes are more trouble than they are worth.

 

[Ric2013]

Installed as is, the water will inevitably overflow at the water butt

Unless it is upside down, in which case possibly no water will get into the butt.

 

[WaterTight]

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it