Nate Nagel wrote:
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...

Anything is possible; and if it were (in the sanitation sewage system),
that would be a likely reason it was later cut off and something else done.

What is done w/ the cistern water between rains? If it isn't being used
for irrigation or other purposes, might as well just put a diverter on
the downspout(s) and lead them away from the house where the water than
doesn't fall on the roof goes -- there's far more of it than what comes
off the roof, anyway.

If using the cistern water, then if it fills w/o the gutters overflowing
you have plenty of flow path and once it's full after a rain, same
thing--the rest is just excess.

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