I am trenching 4 inch pipe from my down spots away from my house. I am debating on whether the pipe should end above ground or use one of those pop up elbows.

Does one way seem better than another? My worry with just exiting on top of the ground is possible freezing in winter. I live in KY, so it is not like Canada or anything but it does freeze.

Thanks!

On Fri, 16 Oct 2015 06:24:09 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

I am trenching 4 inch pipe from my down spots away from my house. I am debating on whether the pipe should end above ground or use one of those pop up elbows.

Does one way seem better than another? My worry with just exiting on top of the ground is possible freezing in winter. I live in KY, so it is not like Canada or anything but it does freeze.

Thanks!

decisions, decisions, decisions

On Friday, October 16, 2015 at 9:24:20 AM UTC-4, wrote:
I am trenching 4 inch pipe from my down spots away from my house. I am debating on whether the pipe should end above ground or use one of those pop up elbows.

Does one way seem better than another? My worry with just exiting on top of the ground is possible freezing in winter. I live in KY, so it is not like Canada or anything but it does freeze.

Thanks!

My advice (from a New Yorker) is to not risk a freeze with the popups. You eventually will end up with a freeze and a solid downspout. If you have sufficient pitch away from the house, trench and bury between the house and the outlet (so you can have a lawn over the pipe), and end by daylighting the pipe and putting a few large stones around it (so you don't hit the outlet with the lawnmower). The added benefit is that any stray leaves won't clog this solution, but may clog a popup.

On 10/16/2015 9:24 AM, wrote:
I am trenching 4 inch pipe from my down spots away from my house. I am debating on whether the pipe should end above ground or use one of those pop up elbows.

Does one way seem better than another? My worry with just exiting on top of the ground is possible freezing in winter. I live in KY, so it is not like Canada or anything but it does freeze.

Thanks!



Pop ups and pop outs will get clogged with debris washed out of the
gutter and so need lots of maintenance. Freezing is a concern depending
on climate. I once tried the pop outs that roll out when it rains but
found them useless as a really hard rain could and did eject them from
the downspout. And of course they constantly filled with debris and
needed removed and cleaned out.

Terminating a pipe above ground is mostly maintenance free, I have never
had them freeze and we get some really cold weather here. But of course
you need the right slope and conditions to disguise and protect the end
of the pipe. I try to terminate them into a flower bed or end of the
property. If a country setting there is usually a trench on either side
of the road to handle runoff. In the city or suburbs storm sewers serve
the same purpose. Terminating out of a bank or wall is best but we don't
all have those conditions.

If you have to terminate in the middle of a yard, build a wood form and
fill with ready mix to protect the end of the pipe. You can get as fancy
or simple as you want. Its a good place to add a flower garden and/or
water feature to improve the property as well. Just a bird bath set next
to the pipe end or on top of a level poured form will at least keep
people from stepping on and crushing it.

Do use splash blocks and the end caps that look like a grate to keep
critters out. But leave the caps relatively loose so a heavy rain with
heavy debris will just push them out.

John