the way they are designed, if the water doesn't flow down the outside of the pipe, it will not go down the diverter. I actually made a very simple fix for mine but my simple is not every persons simple..
At the time I needed some flexible plastic so I cut a circle out of an old ice cream container to fit in the diverter. This covers the hole but it needs to be raised slightly so water can still overflow down the pipe when the butt gets full. So I cut 4 little pieces of plastic and glued them onto the diverter with a hot glue gun. Then I glued the circular plastic "roof" onto the pipe hole and now all rain water goes into the butt first, then down the pipe once full.
I was looking at waterbuttsdirect, and then looked at evergreener, was amazed at the price difference, admitedly, I was originally looking at ones tht look like brown wooden barrells, but even the basic green ones, are 3 times the price, of evergreener, which also come with stand and diverter. The one thing I couldnt see on the site was dimensions, which are important, as I said because there is a dog flap, and outside tap there, which need access. Also I see on evergreener, people complaining about delivery; taking a month, dumping butts in front garden not inging bell when there was folk in, anyone else had problems like this?
Hi mrtjforman. I think my problem may well be that the water does not flow down the outside of the pipe as you describe and so very little water goes into the butt but goes straight down the downpipe ( I have checked there are no blockages anywhere), so now I will try your solution. Thank you very much.
It is possible that the diverter has been fitted upside down in which case there would be no flow to the water butt. It is very unlikely that there would be no flow down the inside walls of the downpipe which should be caught by the diverter.
Thanks steephill, I'll check, but the flexible hose fixes low down in the diverter so Im thinking that it probably is the right way up. I will check though. Thank you.
Just to clarify, with my diverter I couldn't see the crud that was bunging up the diverter until I took the diverter out of the downpipe. It wasn't the connecting pipe that was blocked, but inside the diverter above the outlet where the pipe attaches.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Thanks Jenny. I have had the diverter out of the downpipe and it is fine. Also checked everywhere I can think of and there doesn't appear to be a blockage anywhere. Hopefully with the next downpour I will be able to collect some water :-).
Good luck, I hope you've got it fixed. Just a thought - is the rain getting into the downpipe at the top? Could there be rubbish blocking it there? Harder to check if you don't have long ladders.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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I would either give them a ring or send and email explaining your problem.
By Phone: 0800 316 4454 (Freephone)
By Email: [email protected]
Once you have managed to removed to down pipe and checked/clean the diverter you should find it's OK. If your having trouble with the screws on the down pipe bracket spray it with WD40 leave it for an hour or so to work and then try but be careful you done strip the head, if you do you wont find it easy to get the screw out.
At the time I needed some flexible plastic so I cut a circle out of an old ice cream container to fit in the diverter. This covers the hole but it needs to be raised slightly so water can still overflow down the pipe when the butt gets full. So I cut 4 little pieces of plastic and glued them onto the diverter with a hot glue gun. Then I glued the circular plastic "roof" onto the pipe hole and now all rain water goes into the butt first, then down the pipe once full.