Hey All,

I'm redirecting a downspout about 40ft from the rear of my house to the back of the lot. There is a drop of ~2ft at the back of the lot so pretty simple. I think it's called 'daylighting'

I've read some older posts, and plan is to use a solid corrugated pipe like this (longer of course) (https://www.homedepot.ca/product/rel...ipe/1000751766).

Important to mention, there is very little concern about leaves and other debris in the pipe due to our location and surroundings.

So the question:
- When burying this pipe, I understand that it's recommended to lay a bed of gravel below and around the pipe. Is this absolutely necessary? What are the risks if i simply bury it?


Pictures shows the old pipe just temporarily propped up with some stuff I had handy . The new pipe will run the same direction, and the area will be graded appropriately.

Feedback welcome.

 

Gravel is often used with perforated pipe and French drains when drainage is needed. You don't have to use it with solid pipe, but you will want to tamp your soil when you backfill if you don't want it to settle. Gravel can also be used, it pours in so easily that it usually makes tamping unnecessary. But gravel is not mandatory with a solid pipe.

 

I prefer to use 4" rigid PVC over corrugated black HDPE. I see PVC in your photo so I would not switch to corrugated. PVC's interior is smooth so it's more resistant to clogging and because it's rigid it is easier to do a shallow slope install and not have high and low spots along the run.

 

Thanks Xsleeper, thats what I was thinking, especially after reading up on perforated and socking pipes. I will take your advice on tamping the soil. Based on the location, it will be very low traffic.

Pilot Dane, solid advice, that was my first thought, especially for maintaining a steady slope.

A variety of little things led me to the flexible tubing:

• the existing pipe is 3" not 4"
• connection to the downspout is really easy with mole pipe attachments
• there's a very concrete large fence post footing that i have to bend around
• length of the pipe can be altered temporarily; at the end of the pipe, I've got a busted retaining wall. The extra pipe and flexibility will give me the ability to bypass the wall for the short term (by about 10 feet), then I can just compress the tube once I finish with the wall.

Great advice thanks for verifying.

Edit* also, selling point of mole pipe: I can't fit 10' PVC piping in either of my cars and the delivery charge up here is $99 CDN or about $70 USD

 

I have used the corrugated drain pipe for gutters and French drains for over 40 years and never had any issues, both are fine for drain systems.

 

I would bury that 3" PVC before I buried corrugated piping.
At the house end.... nothing really special is needed. A 90 in the ground and a downspout adapter.

 

There is 3" PVC so you don't need to go up to 4". I would really get creative if needed to get the rigid PVC home somehow. Maybe a six pack of beverage for a friend with a truck or car that has a roof rack.

 

Hey all, reviving this thread with a question:

I'm about 30 mins north of Toronto, so comparable weather to Chicago or Northern NY state.

I had a contractor tell me:

If I bury the pipe less than 4 feet it will freeze. Better to keep (at least the first few feet of it) above ground so that the sun will hit the pipe and prevent freezing.

Ultimately, he suggested that I leave the first ~20' above ground, with a bit of gravel above/below, and bury the rest.

My instinct is that if I get the slope/grade right, that it wont be a problem.

Thoughts?

 

If the pipe is going to freeze leaving some of it exposed for the sun to warm isn't going to change anything. With the amount of fall and elevations you have to work with and your climate there aren't many options. You certainly can't bury it below the frost line as you'd have nowhere for the pipe to drain out.

One thing you can do is install a cleanout or "T" at the infeed end. Leave one leg of the T above ground and open or lightly capped (a cap just lightly resting in place and not glued or threaded into place). If the pipe underground does freeze the water can back up and come out of the T. It will also provide an easy location to snake out the line in case it cloggs.

 

I agree...

And anyone who is serious about keeping downspouts and gutters from freezing and backing up runs heating cable in them to ensure they don't freeze solid. Its expensive.

 

Its all about slope, if you have sufficient slope, 1/4" per foot or greater, consistently then it doesn't matter how cold it gets it will never freeze, the water simply runs to fast.

Only downspout I ever had freeze was in the winter of 13 (polar vortex) the very furthest gutter which has a pipe run across the front of the house, slope is probably 1/8" max, it froze that winter.

 

FYI, in case anyone's interested.

My fix for downspout redirection.

Repairing a broken retaining wall made of concrete cylinders