Drain Blocked by Plaster?

Danny30

Hi all. I went today to check on the builders in our recently purchased home only to notice that they had drained the plaster buckets in the outside gutter drain. I went this evening to empty the drain and noticed that there is a hole but no drain for the water to go in.
I am worried that they have concreted over the drain but when I sent the builder the images he said that the water drains to the side and he will show me tomorrow when I see him. 

The question I have is whether it is possible to have a guttering pipe leading to a drain hole while with a metal grill but without an actual drain or has  the plaster blocked the drain. Any ideas?
Pictures attached below

FreeBear

Rain water should drain to a soakaway and not in to the foul water sewer - A lot of older houses did discharge rain water into the main sewer, so you should lift a manhole or two and check. If your rainwater doesn't go in to the sewer, check that the local water company isn't charging for it.

As for the builders tipping their buckets down the drain, any drain - They should know better. If not, they need a good hard kick up the backside. Plaster, cement, paint residue, and other assorted building !!!!!! will clog the drains up as well as having an environmental impact. I would be insisting that the builder has your drains professionally cleaned at their expense before you make the final payment.

Danny30

FreeBear said:

Rain water should drain to a soakaway and not in to the foul water sewer - A lot of older houses did discharge rain water into the main sewer, so you should lift a manhole or two and check. If your rainwater doesn't go in to the sewer, check that the local water company isn't charging for it.

As for the builders tipping their buckets down the drain, any drain - They should know better. If not, they need a good hard kick up the backside. Plaster, cement, paint residue, and other assorted building !!!!!! will clog the drains up as well as having an environmental impact. I would be insisting that the builder has your drains professionally cleaned at their expense before you make the final payment.

Thank you for your input. Yes, a very silly thing for them to do.
Do you think that they blocked the drain or is it possible to have a drain with no drainage hole? Feels a bit odd but I don't know much about drainage. I am not sure whether I can trust him if he says it;s fine so maybe I would have to get an independent plumber out to check it. 

baza52

throw a bucket of water down it and see if it drains away.

Astrozombies

The how will be under water on one side of the gully. Put your hand down and have a prod around. I might be blocked with old paper or leaves or anything.  You'll feel where the hole is/should be and can usually prod a hole through it to get it to drain.

FreeBear

A picture will help...

This is a fairly typical square gully - A pig to rod unless you have a very flexible drain snake or there is a rodding eye close by.

EssexExile

After our builders left I found that a similar drain in our garage was blocked. I just got a big old spoon from the kitchen & ladled out the mess from the bottom of the gulley, then all was well.

Then I washed the spoon & put it back.

lesalanos

It's fairly normal for them to get blocked with leaves or anything like that.

As per freebears pic there it will drain to the side.  It's a case of digging out what's there.  From experience put a bin bag over your arm before you delve because it stinks down there !! 

Danny30

Thanks all.