[hankscorpio]

Hi Everyone.

A few months ago we had a french drain put in our basement to alleviate water problems in the basement. We figured it would dump out the water after it rains....not so. Apparently we are on a Spring and the sump runs pretty much every 10 minutes, more when it rains. When the contractors put the discharge on it comes out the house and runs maybe 8 -10 ft from the house into some ivy. I have a little swampy area behind my house maybe 50 feet back. I want to extend the discharge back to that area so that we dont constantly have a puddle in our yard in a walkway.

From what i understand the best thing to do is dig a trench to that area, put down landscapers cloth, then gravel, then pvc, more gravel, and then fill back over with dirt. This is definitely somethign I intend to do myself with some help from friends. The contractors would want upwards of 1000 bucks to do it.

The idea seems simple and I'm not that worried about doing it. The question i have is does anyone have any advice on grading this trench to ensure the water doesn't stay in the pipe and freeze. There is a natural grade in the yard toward that back swampy area so I have that going for me. If i get this all done and water still flows strongly after the pump discharges does this mean I've done it correctly? or is it possible some is staying in the pipe and could cause a problem?

Any suggestions or advice is much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Grampa Bud]

If you already have pitch towards the swamp you are in business. Get your hands on a 2-4 foot level and lay it on the ground right where you want your drain extension to run and note the position of the bubble. Place the level about midway from the house to the swamp. (Remember the bubble)
Now dig a trench about 18 -24" down and about 6" wide from the house to the swamp. Lay 2" schedule 40 PVC in the trench -glue joints at the 2" couplings, 90's, 45's, 22 1/2's or whatever- so that the pipe is completely installed in the ground but not hooked up to the house and with 4-6" height over the water in the swamp. Then, remembering the bubble (Hopefully a full bubble off of level) lay the level on the pipe about every 5 feet and gently lift the pipe as dirt is dumped alongside the pipe until the pipe will lay by itself at the desired original pitch. You will have to do this a few times until the pipe is pitched and tamped in by foot. Then just bury the trench with the dirt you have already dug out, tamp it -by foot- plant grass seed,fertilize, water and hook up to your sump pump discharge. When you do hook up, do put a TEE, with the branch leg on the house discharge. The end that the branch curves 90 deg. to should look down to the pipe you have just placed in the ground. Then put a Threaded Female Adapter with a screw in plug in the top or open end of the TEE. Then in the off chance the far end of the line (at the swamp where SHREK lives) freezes some winter you only have to undo your plug, put on a screw x barbed adapter, and an 1 1/2" flex hose and you're back in business. You don't need gravel, and fabric,and and more gravel or even Shreks permission. You live there too.

 

[jomama45]

Exactly as Grandpa Bud said, but I would recomend SCH 35? (the lighter drainage pipe with coupling ends on already) 3" or 4", as 2" may bubble over the top with every pump cycle. This leaves a good gap to monitor for freezing, & make sure to intall the tee as he stated, & have a hose fitted with a thread connecter ready if you need it in winter.

 

[hankscorpio]

Thanks guys. Can you explain the TEE a little more? I'm not sure what you mean. Also the drainage pipe coming out of the house is 1 1/4. Is there an adapter to go up to 2"?

 

[Grampa Bud]

Yes there is an adapter. Just ask for a 2 x 1-1/4" PVC adaptor. If you take the letter T and rotate it 90 degrees clockwise, with the house on your left you will see the configuration. The vertical leg of the T is called the branch. All three ends of the T should have hubs so that you can put a pipe into the T. On the branch of the T you will put the 2 x 1-1/4 adaptor into the T and put the 1-1/4 " discharge pipe from the house into the adaptor. When you lay your hands on the actual T in the store you will see a smooth curve from the branch of the T to one end of the T. The end of the T that goes directly to that smooth curve is the end that goes to your pipe in the ground.

 

[hankscorpio]

Thanks, Gramps. So is the point of the TEE like a clean out? So if the pipe froze and wasn't discharging properly i could push the ice through with the hose? Or run warm water through it I guess?