Water Butt Not Filling Up. Any Ideas How To Fix?

[ladybirder]

I can see what's wrong now. Last night I pulled the hose that comes from the lid into the down pipe away from the down pipe. I could see something which could be the mechanism blocking the hole where the water should come out of the DP then into the hose then into the butt. Then when it was raining this morning I went out to see if any water was actually getting out of the DP, past this thing that is blocking the hole. And hardly anything is coming through, just the odd drip. BTW whatever it is blocking it is hard, cold, and either silver or white - sorry difficult to see.
Any help appreciated. Thank you.

[boxtops]

Can you actually take the hose off? We've got one into our butt and we can unfix it from the downpipe - when I took mine off, it was full of earth and moss which had been driven off the roof in the heavy rain. Perhaps the thing you can see is a bit of plaster or a small bit of flashing (or a seagull, if you were round here), which has been washed into the downpipe.

[EcclesCake]

Is your water butt full?

Perhaps you are describing the gizmo that diverts water to butt or straight down drain pipe when butt is full.

[boxtops]

That's what I thought it was, eccles - the water won't go in if the butt is full, but ladybirder says her butt's not filling.

[Ratty2E]

It's probably a blockage caused by a build up of debris. Detach the bottom of the drain pipe and remove the diverter and whatever it is should fall out or at least be easily dislodged.

[EcclesCake]

Yes, re read it a couple of times and think I now understand.

Do you have any drain rods that you could try to dislodge any blockage with if gravity doesn't do the job?

[Maydup]

When you do manage to dislodge whatever it is, you might need a filter on the top of the drainpipe. We have one and its amazing what they collect up. Mind you, we have a single storey house and van reach the top of the drainpipe on a step ladder.

[ladybirder]

Wow, what a lot of answers. Where to start? Boxy, yes, that is what I've done, I've unfixed it from the down-pipe. That is how I can see what is blocking it, as I have described (hard, cold, either silver or white). I'm wondering if it is part of the mechanism that's slipped?
Eccles you talk about a gizmo that diverts the water. What does it look like? That's what I'm thinking could be blocking the hole. I can just about poke it with my finger but it won't budge. Don't have any rods. Am nervous about splitting the DP as it is sealed. Hope some of this helps. X

[boxtops]

There isnt any sort of valve inside my pipe (which sounds like what you describe) - with mine I have a flexible pipe which is jointed into the downpipe, gravity diverts the water down the flex pipe until the butt is full, in which case the water just flows back down the rest of the down pipe. What sort of diverter do you have? mine's something like this http://www.wickes.co.uk/rain-diverter-kit/invt/543003/?source=123_74&tmcampid=104&tmad=c&tmplaceref=PPC_ggl_0006635&tmcustom=mkwid|W5fPyZGt_dc|pcrid|7531858372|match||plid|&gclid=CNaN06j62rwCFSYTwwodZgoA1A

[ladybirder]

Mine's something like that boxy as well. I've just been out again and what ever it is blocking the hole it is metal.
Should I get a plumber? Or can I take the down pipe apart myself - not confident of getting it back correctly?