I installed corrugated pipe to take downspout water away from the house.
One downspout goes into a Y. The corrugated pipe is in ten foot sections.
I put this Y together while the ditch was empty, then filled it in. The
connections are not watertight. The fill was somewhat loose and the first
rain pulled the connection to the downspout down. In digging it out, I
found the dirt around the Y was very wet.

Testing before filling would not prove anything. I already know it leaks.
It is not watertight.

Are corrugated pipe connections supposed to be watertight? I would think
the dirt would provide the seal. While ther may be some leakage, in time it
would pack. I tried various kinds of tape. Nothing holds on the plastic
pipe. I tried silicone caulk, but I'm not very confident about it. There
is just plain too much wiggle in these parts.

John Stewart

John J Stewart John@ wrote:

I installed corrugated pipe to take downspout water away from the house.
One downspout goes into a Y. The corrugated pipe is in ten foot sections.
I put this Y together while the ditch was empty, then filled it in. The
connections are not watertight. The fill was somewhat loose and the first
rain pulled the connection to the downspout down. In digging it out, I
found the dirt around the Y was very wet.

Testing before filling would not prove anything. I already know it leaks.
It is not watertight.

Are corrugated pipe connections supposed to be watertight? I would think
the dirt would provide the seal. While ther may be some leakage, in time it
would pack. I tried various kinds of tape. Nothing holds on the plastic
pipe. I tried silicone caulk, but I'm not very confident about it. There
is just plain too much wiggle in these parts.

John Stewart



Hi,
If you are refering to weeping tile, no, it's not water tight.

Lousy fit Had that problem here, put concrete all around joint.
Lifted pipe up put concrete underneath, then put pipe down in place,
and concrete all around.

End of leak Has lasted at least 15 years...

"John J Stewart StewartWeb.org" John@NOSPAM wrote in message
...
I installed corrugated pipe to take downspout water away from the house.
One downspout goes into a Y. The corrugated pipe is in ten foot sections.
I put this Y together while the ditch was empty, then filled it in. The
connections are not watertight. The fill was somewhat loose and the first
rain pulled the connection to the downspout down. In digging it out, I
found the dirt around the Y was very wet. Testing before filling would not
prove anything. I already know it leaks.
It is not watertight. Are corrugated pipe connections supposed to be
watertight? I would think
the dirt would provide the seal. While ther may be some leakage, in time
it
would pack. I tried various kinds of tape. Nothing holds on the plastic
pipe. I tried silicone caulk, but I'm not very confident about it. There
is just plain too much wiggle in these parts.
John Stewart
If you are talking about the hdpe plastic corrugated pipe, it seems to be
made by several different manufacturers, and the parts often mate very
poorly. For my Y connections I first tried rubber sleeves to get a tight
fit, then used screw-type hose clamps to tighten the ends together. Did not
work well, tended to pop out of alignment. My latest effort was to take off
the clamps and the sleeves, and just telescope the ends together, then wrap
with heavy duty plumbers tape - sold in big box stores. It is fairly
stretchy/rubbery and super sticky, and rated for outdoor use. Sometimes it
is called the Ultimate Duct Tape. Regular duct tape will not last,
underground. This worked fairly well but still some small amount of
leakage. I hope you remembered to push the connections together so they
overlap, then snap. They are not meant to abut eachother.
Silicone glue will work loose, and when you use the plumbers tape you have
to pull the joint completely free of the ditch and tightly stretch-wrap it
all around the joint, with several wraps.
I sort of like the concrete approach a previous poster suggested.
Next time I run drain lines, I will abandon corrugated pipe (nothing sticks
to it, for one) and go for the solid pvc with glued joints - it is forever,
and will not leak.
By the way, dirt never provides a seal against hydraulic pressure, and yes,
as you suspected, corrugated pipe just leaks, that's it. It is a crappily
designed product, and only works in long, seamless runs. In some downspouts
I have used no joints or y's at all, just for this reason, and press-fitted
the drain line onto the end of the spout, then run it right out to the
street. Try to avoid building any drain line in "sections" - always buy the
hose in bulk, on the roll.
Good luck.

It designed to leak. I had the same problem.....

Guy on the phone from company that manufactured tee,
suggested simple fix that worked very well....

Use roof cement. Tape, glue, etc will not hold, if
ground freezes. $3 tube of roof cement worked fine.....

IMHO this is a messy job, and it takes few days to dry....
Tar expand and contracts w/o breaking the seal.....

Corrugated is so easy to use, and cheap too. easily bends around
obstructions

but its junk quality wise....

They now have schedule 40 FLEXIBLE pvc drainpipe available in rolls.
has smooth inner surface unlike corrugated pipe so clogging isnt a
issue. pricey but easy to use, next time its all I will install

I stumbled onto it looking for something else, its flexible because the
outside is corrugated.

John J Stewart John@ wrote:
I installed corrugated pipe to take downspout water away from the house.
One downspout goes into a Y. The corrugated pipe is in ten foot sections.
I put this Y together while the ditch was empty, then filled it in. The
connections are not watertight. The fill was somewhat loose and the first
rain pulled the connection to the downspout down. In digging it out, I
found the dirt around the Y was very wet.

Testing before filling would not prove anything. I already know it leaks.
It is not watertight.

Are corrugated pipe connections supposed to be watertight? I would think
the dirt would provide the seal. While ther may be some leakage, in time it
would pack. I tried various kinds of tape. Nothing holds on the plastic
pipe. I tried silicone caulk, but I'm not very confident about it. There
is just plain too much wiggle in these parts.

John Stewart




If this is underground, and meant to move water from A to B and not
collect water, why are you using corrugated pipe? I would have used
solid PVC. If it gets any leaves in it, it will be a pain to snake.

--
Thank you,



"Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor
man's wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard." Ecclesiastes 9:16