Pop-Up Emitter Installation
#1
04-28-10, 10:16 AM
Pop-Up Emitter Installation
I recently installed some drainage pipes for my gutter downspouts to divert rain water away from the house. I used a pop-up emitter at the end, and one of them is not draining. It's been a day since it rained and one of them is filled to the top. I did the install a bit differently on this particular one--I poured a couple inches of gravel beneath the emitter to prevent dirt from clogging the weep hole (which drains any left over water). Is this what is causing my problem? On the second emitter, I simply placed a large rock underneath and it is draining fine.
#2
04-28-10, 11:39 AM
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Location: Ambler, PA
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When you say that the emitter with the rock below is "draining fine", do you mean that water is emerging from the pop-up?
My understanding is that the proper installation of underground downspout extensions (assuming this is what you have) should have perforations in the pipe the last few feet. This section of the pipe would be surrounded by gravel. The purpose of this is to let the water dissipate in the ground and the pop-up would only be utilized for heavy flows or when the surrounding ground is completely saturated. (A secondary purpose would be to prevent the freezing of standing water). It sounds like you have achieved a similar, if smaller, version of this by surrounding putting gravel below the pop-up emitter. So, I would say that it is functioning properly; whereas, the other emitter does not drain into the ground as readily.
My understanding is that the proper installation of underground downspout extensions (assuming this is what you have) should have perforations in the pipe the last few feet. This section of the pipe would be surrounded by gravel. The purpose of this is to let the water dissipate in the ground and the pop-up would only be utilized for heavy flows or when the surrounding ground is completely saturated. (A secondary purpose would be to prevent the freezing of standing water). It sounds like you have achieved a similar, if smaller, version of this by surrounding putting gravel below the pop-up emitter. So, I would say that it is functioning properly; whereas, the other emitter does not drain into the ground as readily.
#3
04-28-10, 04:20 PM
By "draining" I mean through the weep hole in the base of the emitter. I think the problem may be that the emitter that is not "weeping" properly is at somewhat of a low point in the yard where a significant amount of drain water collects, and that the surrounding soil is probably too saturated for the water to "weep" into the ground. I may just move the emitter a couple feet away where it will drain better (through the weep hole). I may also consider creating perforations in the pipe, but I really don't want to dig up any more than I need to. As I said, the other one is working fine, but probably because its on a slope.
