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Rainwater diverter

rafuk73rafuk73 Posts: 68
in Problem solving
Hello,

I have a water butt which is connected to my downpipe by a rainwater diverter which sits between two parts of the downpipe. My friend told me to get rid of the diverter and the butt and just have one solid downpipe stretching from gutters to the ground. He said the diverter is the main culprit in blockages as leaves are getting stuck there and all the rain water is then staying in gutters. Could you please advise if you have the same issue.

Posts

  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Well you don't want a lot of debris going down the pipes anyway so better to fit a leaf catcher at gutter level if you're getting a lot of leaves up there.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I had a similar problem so I bought one of these to lay in the gutters - 
    https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003V1JJZM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    I found the clips they provide weren't easy to fit, so I just used some thin plastic coated wire to hold it in place every 6ft or so.
    It's been there for nearly 3 years now and no problems so far.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Yes and there's another thread on here about dealing with the overflow if you have a pipe directly in.  Keep the driverter. 
    AB Still learning

  • rafuk73rafuk73 Posts: 68
    Thank you all. But I still want to know if the diverter causes blockage of the downpipe with leaves?
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    It depends on the type of diverter as there's a few different styles. If it's one that needs maintenance like this then yes it would. The ones I use narrow the pipe slightly but I've never seen anything stuck in them. You can also get filters that fit above your butt and shed leaves out onto the floor like this. The chances of a blockage holding pressure all the way to roof level seem slim and as I said if you're getting that much debris down the pipe then you have other jobs to sort out before worrying about the diverter.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • rafuk73rafuk73 Posts: 68
    Thank you
  • cmarkrcmarkr Posts: 142
    A cheap DIY alternative to the hedgehog in gutter device linked above is to cut chicken wire into short lengths then roll it into a cylinder the diameter of the gutter. Place it in the gutter to avoid the leaves filling the gutter.
    I've done this over my downpipes and it's effective at stopping the leaves blocking the drains. I live in a bungalow so can easily access the gutters to clear them of the leaves so don't need to do the full lengths.
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