dpb wrote:
Smitty Two wrote:

In article ,
Nate Nagel wrote:

Hi all,

I don't actually have a problem currently, but I am trying to locate
the drain for my downspout with no luck. Downspout was disconnected
from

...

So here's the question; is there any way to determine where exactly a
PVC drain pipe runs if you can't snake it without digging? Digging
this up would likely involve draining the cistern, moving it, and
removing a large concrete pad.

thanks,

nate


A downspout drain? Damn, never heard of one. I guess I need to get out
more, or maybe I just live in a different part of the country.


Guess so...

For OP, to me this falls into the category of "if it ain't broke, don't
fix it"...

From the description it sounds as though in all likelihood the cistern
is of ample capacity and my guess would be that it has outlets to a
french drain as well as the overflows (or you're in an area that doesn't
get a lot of rainfall) and the vertical pipe is simply an air vent.


Well see, that's the thing. The cistern is just an above ground 550
gallon tank, and it fills up after only a couple good rains. I'd like
to pipe the cistern overflows into a proper drain so that if I don't
manually drain it often enough that it won't just dump water on the
ground behind the house.

I've gotten the pipe sticking out of the ground clear enough that it
will take the full flow from a regular garden hose without overflowing.
But the pipe at the curb is still bone dry so I suspect that they
don't have anything to do with each other.

Is it possible that the downspout was originally piped directly into the
regular sewer? That's the only thing I can think of that makes sense;
either that or I just waterlogged my French drain. I can't hear the
water going into the drain from inside the house, for what that's worth...

nate

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