Underground Downspout Installation..
- Thread starter Warstud
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I did not watch the video but will say I think freezing of the water will be an issue.
Here it is a big problem. I've had on a few spouts (in the winter) just attach a pipe and still deal with the ice at times.
Or run heat tape in the pipe till the end. I wish when I installed all my drains that I did that.
Bill
Here it is a big problem. I've had on a few spouts (in the winter) just attach a pipe and still deal with the ice at times.
Or run heat tape in the pipe till the end. I wish when I installed all my drains that I did that.
Bill
Here in Florida, freezing would not be a problem. Even where I used to live in North Alabama, freezing would not be a problem.
Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
Here in Florida, freezing would not be a problem. Even where I used to live in North Alabama, freezing would not be a problem.
OP is in MIchigan.
It is a concern IMO...
Here in Florida, freezing would not be a problem. Even where I used to live in North Alabama, freezing would not be a problem.
OP is in MIchigan.
It is a concern IMO...
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
Here in Florida, freezing would not be a problem. Even where I used to live in North Alabama, freezing would not be a problem.
OP is in MIchigan.
It is a concern IMO...
Yep, that might be a problem. But if it's warm enough for water to flow, doesn't that mean it's warm enough for it not to freeze and therefore would not be a problem? I understand freezing rain, but wouldn't that freeze before it got to the drain pipe? With the pipe buried in the ground, wouldn't the ground itself serve as an insulator and at least help it from freezing?
When I lived in Indiana, (Fort Wayne area), our old house sat on a hill and the drain pipes for the gutters went several feet underground and drained well away from the house. We never had a problem with them freezing.
Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
Here in Florida, freezing would not be a problem. Even where I used to live in North Alabama, freezing would not be a problem.
OP is in MIchigan.
It is a concern IMO...
Yep, that might be a problem. But if it's warm enough for water to flow, doesn't that mean it's warm enough for it not to freeze and therefore would not be a problem? I understand freezing rain, but wouldn't that freeze before it got to the drain pipe? With the pipe buried in the ground, wouldn't the ground itself serve as an insulator and at least help it from freezing?
When I lived in Indiana, (Fort Wayne area), our old house sat on a hill and the drain pipes for the gutters went several feet underground and drained well away from the house. We never had a problem with them freezing.
Its going to trap water in it year round until it freezes and the pipe cracks and then it drains into the ground. Even in the summer it will be standing water with possible mosquitoes between rainstorms.
The pipe should be run with slight slope until it reaches the edge of your property. No 90 degree angle going up.
The pipe should be run with slight slope until it reaches the edge of your property. No 90 degree angle going up.
The problem in Michigan is that we have many days of below freezing air temps. where the sun comes out, thaws the roof snow, but the water refreezes before it makes it out the downspout.
I don't think the OP's system will alleviate this.
The system should work during the heavy rain season. It's purpose to get the water away from the foundation and onto the lawn where it can soak in. I would be concerned that the pea gravel would clog up with sediment after just few years and would seek a solution to avoid this (maybe landscape fabric).
His post hole will fill with water & freeze-the better way to do it is to run it down hill & let it drain into a little trench, away from your foundation. A better place for the leaf strainer is at the TOP of the downspout-I have persistent downspout clogs at the elbows if I don't have the top strainer. If you don't have a slope, you can build a dry well out of a plastic barrel with the bottom cut off & filled with gravel, buried underground below the frost line. Of course, if you live in a drained swamp like I do, the "dry well" turns into a "wet well" when the water table rises.
I agree with all these posts in one way or another, except if the pipe has water in it but no sunlight getting in there there will be no issue with mosquitos. A lightless pipe will have no algae and the mosquito larvae will find no food. I agree that in really cold climates you need a sope to the pipe. It depends on where the freeze line is in the ground.
Are gutters really necessary ?
Originally Posted By: Donald
Its going to trap water in it year round until it freezes and the pipe cracks and then it drains into the ground. Even in the summer it will be standing water with possible mosquitoes between rainstorms.
The pipe should be run with slight slope until it reaches the edge of your property. No 90 degree angle going up.
"No 90 degree going up" Are you refering to the T at the end. If so post hole will fill up first until it can't take any more water then will spill out at the top.
Its going to trap water in it year round until it freezes and the pipe cracks and then it drains into the ground. Even in the summer it will be standing water with possible mosquitoes between rainstorms.
The pipe should be run with slight slope until it reaches the edge of your property. No 90 degree angle going up.
"No 90 degree going up" Are you refering to the T at the end. If so post hole will fill up first until it can't take any more water then will spill out at the top.
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Are gutters really necessary ?
Of course...without them you have water leaking into the basement. The water also causes foundation problems and without gutters the water coming off the roof erodes the soil around the house.
Are gutters really necessary ?
Of course...without them you have water leaking into the basement. The water also causes foundation problems and without gutters the water coming off the roof erodes the soil around the house.
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
The problem in Michigan is that we have many days of below freezing air temps. where the sun comes out, thaws the roof snow, but the water refreezes before it makes it out the downspout.
I don't think the OP's system will alleviate this.
The system should work during the heavy rain season. It's purpose to get the water away from the foundation and onto the lawn where it can soak in. I would be concerned that the pea gravel would clog up with sediment after just few years and would seek a solution to avoid this (maybe landscape fabric).
This is exactly what would happen , but it would be under ground, Do not do this. My neighbour did this very thing when spring rains came water flowed out his down spout and directly down his foundation as the pipe buried in the ground was frozen solid, needless to say he went back to conventional down spouts
The problem in Michigan is that we have many days of below freezing air temps. where the sun comes out, thaws the roof snow, but the water refreezes before it makes it out the downspout.
I don't think the OP's system will alleviate this.
The system should work during the heavy rain season. It's purpose to get the water away from the foundation and onto the lawn where it can soak in. I would be concerned that the pea gravel would clog up with sediment after just few years and would seek a solution to avoid this (maybe landscape fabric).
This is exactly what would happen , but it would be under ground, Do not do this. My neighbour did this very thing when spring rains came water flowed out his down spout and directly down his foundation as the pipe buried in the ground was frozen solid, needless to say he went back to conventional down spouts
All my downspouts are routed underground. With the exception of the riser from the underground pipe to the downspout, it is all below the frostline.
The underground pipe is routed to a Flo-Well dry drain. No problems. There are calculators on their website as to how much water each well can handle.
The farther away from your foundation you get the water, the less problems you are going to have.
Here is a link to the Flo-Well
Flo-Well System Homepage
The underground pipe is routed to a Flo-Well dry drain. No problems. There are calculators on their website as to how much water each well can handle.
The farther away from your foundation you get the water, the less problems you are going to have.
Here is a link to the Flo-Well
Flo-Well System Homepage
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