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
drain pipe and diverted to a cistern before I bought the house, however
the overflow drains for the cistern simply dump onto the ground. There's
a stub of PVC pipe sticking up from the ground but it doesn't let water
flow. Well, it does, but very, very slowly. The only possible location
that I could see for it to terminate is that there is a drain pipe by
the curb in front of the house, however it is bone dry. Trying to stick
a snake up that drain from the curb accomplishes nothing, it is open for
as long as the longest snake I have. Trying to snake it from the
downspout end accomplishes nothing either, I get caught at an S-curve
almost immediately.

I will get a longer snake, but I have two concerns... first, I don't
know whether I have a French drain or not, so the drain pipe by the curb
might be for the French drain and has nothing to do with the downspout.
Also I know that when the house was built there was an alley behind it,
and the alley is no longer there.

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

Hi,
If your house/yard does not have water problem(soggy yard, moisture on
the walls, etc.), what's the worry?