Should builder correct bottle gulley mistake?

[flanagaj]

Our plans clearly state that our sink waste was via a back inlet bottle gulley.  Exactly as the image from Wavin below shows.



The builder ignored my plans and instructions and decided to not put lintels in for the soil pipe to exit through the property.   I then had a long argument with him regarding this and he said that you don't do this and a bottle gulley is used in the old school way, with the sink waste exiting through the wall.  He's talking complete tosh and I have just sucked it up.

The one benefit is that it means one less hole in the Radon membrane to have to worry about the detailing for getting it sealed correctly, the downside is an ugly pipe (albeit on the Northern side) which is just a path at the back that you don't really notice.

But it's really niggling me and I am wondering whether coring a hole through the wall is going to cause other issues later on?

[Nickfromwales]

It’s a bit crap seeing the pipe on the wall, but what stage are you at? Is the pipe no longer able to punch through and come up internally? 

 

Why are you having arguments?? You’re paying this goon, so stop arguing and start instructing him!

 

”Put the pipe here, don’t ask questions. If you can’t do it, I’ll get someone else who can (or will)”.

 

🤷‍♂️

[Russell griffiths]

What’s the bottle gulley for ?

pipe down through floor and connect into a chamber. 
the only reason for the bottle gully would be if you had an outside tap positioned above it. 

[Nickfromwales]

15 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

What’s the bottle gulley for ?

pipe down through floor and connect into a chamber. 
the only reason for the bottle gully would be if you had an outside tap positioned above it. 

Or a downpipe? If it’s a combined sewer that is taking rainwater?

 

If that’s a foul then it should just be going to a local IC.

 

Is this bloke older than Jesus? 

[ProDave]

I had the opposite.  A builder that was on the ball.  I had laid the drains expecting to have the sink waste out through the wall and into a bottle gulley.  He said no, lets do it properly and bring that one up inside as well.

[Temp]

8 hours ago, ProDave said:

I had the opposite.  A builder that was on the ball.  I had laid the drains expecting to have the sink waste out through the wall and into a bottle gulley.  He said no, lets do it properly and bring that one up inside as well.

 

Ditto our builder 20 years ago.

[flanagaj]

On 02/06/2026 at 08:00, Nickfromwales said:

 

Is this bloke older than Jesus? 

Unfortunately, he’s got a big ego and apparently knows more than I do.  I’ve reached a stage where I cannot lose another bricklayer as I’m already starting to lose the will to live.  In his defence, he is well known in the area for high quality work.

 

The bottle gulley was used to avoid having to have a 450mm inspection chamber or an internal rodding point.

[Russell griffiths]

Bang an outside frosti tap above it and it won’t look like it’s out of place then. 

[Mr Punter]

I think coring a hole and installing as per your drawing will be good.

 

10 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

frosti tap

I have not seen these before but they look decent.

[Nickfromwales]

4 hours ago, Mr Punter said:

I think coring a hole and installing as per your drawing will be good.

 

I have not seen these before but they look decent.

Fitted a good few of them. Nice bits of kit.