"dummy" overflow gismo in tub

I live in a 6 year old townhome condominium community so fixtures are new. The overflow drain in the tub in my guest bedroom does not function. It is there with an opening under the round metal gadget but water does not go in, down or out of the tub when filled to the brim. I have tried and so did another resident.

Is it possible that this is a "dummy" and only looks proper for inspection and passing code regulations? Or is this overflow not required?

Thank you

Valerie

Or it may be that there is a test plug or cap in the overflow.

Tke the "round metal gadget" off and LOOK at it. Do not be like the Greek philosophers who debated for weeks about how many teeth a horse has, until someone actually opened a horse's mouth and counted them. WE can debate ad infinitum about what you COULD have and NEVER get the right answer until we actually see it.

hj said:

Tke the "round metal gadget" off and LOOK at it. Do not be like the Greek philosophers who debated for weeks about how many teeth a horse has, until someone actually opened a horse's mouth and counted them. WE can debate ad infinitum about what you COULD have and NEVER get the right answer until we actually see it.

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And so the obvious answer was there all the time.

And so the obvious answer was there all the time

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I don't know about obvious.
Like hj mentions, you can guess, or you can pull the cover off and look.