Hello.

I am going to run a sump line out to the back of my property. It will run
about 250 ft. I need some advice on what to do. Details follow.

The details:
I had a new home built. I moved in about 6 months ago. It seems there is a
spring or something under my house because my sump pump kicks in about every
10 to 15 minutes... even during weeks of dry weather. Also, I have a few
crawldad holes in my yard (interesting to say the least since the nearest
creek is a mile away). The builder had run the sump line out of the
basement about 2.5 ft underground to about 20 feet away from the side of the
house. Since it runs so much, and due to the grade of the property, the
water was spitting out and running to a low spot in my back yard. It caused
a swampy effect to where I couldn't mow in and area about 100 sqft. I
bought 3 - 100 ft lengths of corrugated pipe which helped me get it to the
rear of the lot, but the couplings leak (even with duct tape trying to seal
them) and the ground stays too wet to mow along the pipe and still pools up
in a big way in a few areas. Also, because of the pooling, the curtain
drain is constantly draining in a different spot in the yard causing issues
there too.

I am tired of the water issue so Im gonna permanently (hopefully) take care
of it. I'm going to rent a trencher and trench all the way to the back of
the lot at about 12" - 18" at a constant downgrade. I will then cover the
trench back up exposing only the last few feet of the pipe at the back of
the lot. I have enough corrugate pipe to use, but I'm afraid to use it
since I live in the midwest and the winters get cold. I'm afraid that the
ridges in the pipe will allow water to freeze up and eventually fill the
pipe clogging it or cracking it. I also thought of getting some PVC pipe to
match the pipe coming out of the house and have it run all the way in the
trench... but will it crack too? Im not sure what to do.

Any advice would be helpful. Should I just pay a professional to come out
and do it? Or am I on the right track.

Thanks,
Mike W.

Mike W. wrote:

Hello.

I am going to run a sump line out to the back of my property. It will run
about 250 ft. I need some advice on what to do. Details follow.

The details:
I had a new home built. I moved in about 6 months ago. It seems there is a
spring or something under my house because my sump pump kicks in about every
10 to 15 minutes... even during weeks of dry weather. Also, I have a few
crawldad holes in my yard (interesting to say the least since the nearest
creek is a mile away). The builder had run the sump line out of the
basement about 2.5 ft underground to about 20 feet away from the side of the
house. Since it runs so much, and due to the grade of the property, the
water was spitting out and running to a low spot in my back yard. It caused
a swampy effect to where I couldn't mow in and area about 100 sqft. I
bought 3 - 100 ft lengths of corrugated pipe which helped me get it to the
rear of the lot, but the couplings leak (even with duct tape trying to seal
them) and the ground stays too wet to mow along the pipe and still pools up
in a big way in a few areas. Also, because of the pooling, the curtain
drain is constantly draining in a different spot in the yard causing issues
there too.

I am tired of the water issue so Im gonna permanently (hopefully) take care
of it. I'm going to rent a trencher and trench all the way to the back of
the lot at about 12" - 18" at a constant downgrade. I will then cover the
trench back up exposing only the last few feet of the pipe at the back of
the lot. I have enough corrugate pipe to use, but I'm afraid to use it
since I live in the midwest and the winters get cold. I'm afraid that the
ridges in the pipe will allow water to freeze up and eventually fill the
pipe clogging it or cracking it. I also thought of getting some PVC pipe to
match the pipe coming out of the house and have it run all the way in the
trench... but will it crack too? Im not sure what to do.

Any advice would be helpful. Should I just pay a professional to come out
and do it? Or am I on the right track.

Thanks,
Mike W.

The PVC won't crack unless the water freezes inside.
I think you're going to have to trench below frost line.
What will happen where the water exits the pipe though?
If that can freeze, you're dead.

Jim

The corrugated pipe itself is reasonably indestructible, and there's nothing
better for your purpose, so go for it. If the water freezes in the pipe you
put below the frost line, then I guess the surface water won't be flowing
that day either and your sump pump will not be running. If you really have a
warm spring under your house when it's 0 degrees outside and the far end of
your pipe is frozen, then you'll just have to have a backup pump and blow it
out the window. The key phrase in my reply is "nothing better".

"Mike W." wrote in message
...
Hello.

I am going to run a sump line out to the back of my property. It will run
about 250 ft. I need some advice on what to do. Details follow.

The details:
I had a new home built. I moved in about 6 months ago. It seems there is
a
spring or something under my house because my sump pump kicks in about
every
10 to 15 minutes... even during weeks of dry weather. Also, I have a few
crawldad holes in my yard (interesting to say the least since the nearest
creek is a mile away). The builder had run the sump line out of the
basement about 2.5 ft underground to about 20 feet away from the side of
the
house. Since it runs so much, and due to the grade of the property, the
water was spitting out and running to a low spot in my back yard. It
caused
a swampy effect to where I couldn't mow in and area about 100 sqft. I
bought 3 - 100 ft lengths of corrugated pipe which helped me get it to the
rear of the lot, but the couplings leak (even with duct tape trying to
seal
them) and the ground stays too wet to mow along the pipe and still pools
up
in a big way in a few areas. Also, because of the pooling, the curtain
drain is constantly draining in a different spot in the yard causing
issues
there too.

I am tired of the water issue so Im gonna permanently (hopefully) take
care
of it. I'm going to rent a trencher and trench all the way to the back of
the lot at about 12" - 18" at a constant downgrade. I will then cover the
trench back up exposing only the last few feet of the pipe at the back of
the lot. I have enough corrugate pipe to use, but I'm afraid to use it
since I live in the midwest and the winters get cold. I'm afraid that the
ridges in the pipe will allow water to freeze up and eventually fill the
pipe clogging it or cracking it. I also thought of getting some PVC pipe
to
match the pipe coming out of the house and have it run all the way in the
trench... but will it crack too? Im not sure what to do.

Any advice would be helpful. Should I just pay a professional to come out
and do it? Or am I on the right track.

Thanks,
Mike W.

Im using duct tape because there is NO trench right now so the grade isnt a
perfect downhill run. There are spots where it runs a little up hill... and
where the couplings are (And I am using the barbed fittings) the water seeps
out and makes it absolutely pointless to use the pipe in the first place. I
put the duct tape on to try to minimize this leakage. Im doing the temp
thing with the pipe to try to dry the land up so I can get a trencher in
there to do the job right.

The pipe will come out of the ground at the back of the lot and into a small
ditch that hooks into a larger drainage ditch a little further down. Sounds
like Im screwed since it will freeze there? What can I do? There has to be
something. Would the warm water that comes out keep melting the ice at the
end??

Who should I call for help? Plumber? Septic System guys?

Thanks for the advice,

Mike

"Gary Slusser" wrote in message
...

"B" wrote
The corrugated pipe itself is reasonably indestructible, and there's
nothing
better for your purpose, so go for it. If the water freezes in the
pipe you
put below the frost line, then I guess the surface water won't be
flowing
that day either and your sump pump will not be running. If you really
have a
warm spring under your house when it's 0 degrees outside and the far
end of
your pipe is frozen, then you'll just have to have a backup pump and
blow it
out the window. The key phrase in my reply is "nothing better".

I've picked up on the phrase.... and I'll say the best is rolled 160 psi
rated 1" PE tubing rather than a couple joints in corrugated tubing,
which he says he's having trouble with now. But then he's using DUCT
tape!!, they make insert barbed fittings for that material and they
don't have to be water tight. PE tubing is used for pressure lines in
wells and service lines to buildings and direct buried. It lasts decades
as long as the trench and backfill doesn't have sharp or large rocks
thrown on it.

But then if he used perforated corrugated tubing and prepared the trench
and covering right and made a French drain across the wet spot in the
yard at the same time, that might be the best WAY to do the job.

But you have to have natural drainage at the end of the pipe or it will
freeze, so none of this coming UP out of the ground. And it sounds as if
you have way too much water for a dry well unless you get a backhoe in
and do it right.

I think he needs to look at the size of his sump pump pit and make sure
it is sized right and the setting on the pump so he pumps more water
once the pump turns on than this little bit every so many minutes.

Gary
Quality Water Associates

A crawldad is a crayfish. It's the Ohio term for it I guess. I've been
calling them that my whole life... but I'd only seen them in streams, not
climbing out of a hole in my yard carrying a pebble that I had thrown in it
earlier that day. And relatively big... 4-5 inches long.

Mike

"Wade Lippman" wrote in message
...

Also, I have a few
crawldad holes in my yard

What is a crawldad hole?

"Mike W." wrote in message
...
A crawldad is a crayfish. It's the Ohio term for it I guess. I've been
calling them that my whole life... but I'd only seen them in streams, not
climbing out of a hole in my yard carrying a pebble that I had thrown in
it
earlier that day. And relatively big... 4-5 inches long.

Mike

Yup..that really sounds like a Greensboro Burrowing Crayfish...


"Wade Lippman" wrote in message
...

Also, I have a few
crawldad holes in my yard

What is a crawldad hole?

"Mike W." wrote
Im using duct tape because there is NO trench right now so the grade
isnt a
perfect downhill run. There are spots where it runs a little up
hill... and
where the couplings are (And I am using the barbed fittings) the water
seeps
out and makes it absolutely pointless to use the pipe in the first
place. I
put the duct tape on to try to minimize this leakage. Im doing the
temp
thing with the pipe to try to dry the land up so I can get a trencher
in
there to do the job right.

The pipe will come out of the ground at the back of the lot and into a
small
ditch that hooks into a larger drainage ditch a little further down.
Sounds
like Im screwed since it will freeze there? What can I do? There has
to be
something. Would the warm water that comes out keep melting the ice
at the
end??

Who should I call for help? Plumber? Septic System guys?

Thanks for the advice,

Mike

"Gary Slusser" wrote in message
...

"B" wrote
The corrugated pipe itself is reasonably indestructible, and
there's
nothing
better for your purpose, so go for it. If the water freezes in the
pipe you
put below the frost line, then I guess the surface water won't be
flowing
that day either and your sump pump will not be running. If you
really
have a
warm spring under your house when it's 0 degrees outside and the
far
end of
your pipe is frozen, then you'll just have to have a backup pump
and
blow it
out the window. The key phrase in my reply is "nothing better".

I've picked up on the phrase.... and I'll say the best is rolled 160
psi
rated 1" PE tubing rather than a couple joints in corrugated tubing,
which he says he's having trouble with now. But then he's using DUCT
tape!!, they make insert barbed fittings for that material and they
don't have to be water tight. PE tubing is used for pressure lines
in
wells and service lines to buildings and direct buried. It lasts
decades
as long as the trench and backfill doesn't have sharp or large rocks
thrown on it.

But then if he used perforated corrugated tubing and prepared the
trench
and covering right and made a French drain across the wet spot in
the
yard at the same time, that might be the best WAY to do the job.

But you have to have natural drainage at the end of the pipe or it
will
freeze, so none of this coming UP out of the ground. And it sounds
as if
you have way too much water for a dry well unless you get a backhoe
in
and do it right.

I think he needs to look at the size of his sump pump pit and make
sure
it is sized right and the setting on the pump so he pumps more water
once the pump turns on than this little bit every so many minutes.

Gary
Quality Water Associates

So get the roll of PE tubing used for well water systems now and use it
on top the ground until you bury it. That will stop the leaks that
prevent the area from drying out.

I have mine sloping down to the bottom of a 4' deep ditch about 125'
from the house. The ditch is between two properties and fills with
moving water after heavy rains and snow melt. The water is from both my
sump pump needs and clothes washing machine and it doesn't freeze but, I
always wonder why it doesn't. Possibly it's due to the ground being very
sandy. I have a setup where the water is allowed to drain out of the
line int othe ditch after every pump run. It allows air into the line
when the pump shuts off. My pump doesn't run much though, so I don't
have a lot of water to freeze.

I think you may need a larger pit so the pump runs longer but less
frequently; or you need a different type pump that allows a longer run.

Plumbers will be prohibitively expensive and they normally don't do
digging. You're looking for someone that does the digging for well or
city water line or irrigation system installations. So call excavators
with mini excavators or ditch witch type equipment for quotes on the
ditch. The trench only has to be 2-4" wide and you can lay the line as
they do it and they can cover it up before they leave.

Gary
Quality Water Associates

Well...

The house was built in the winter... and here in southern Ohio we had a
pretty wet winter. There was water in the basement almost the entire
construction period, but my builder kept assuring me that it would get
better once the grading was done... It did get better, but its still not
'good'. I have a feeling that if I would have pressed, he could have said
'fine, dont buy the house' since he footed the construction bill and we
bought it outright. And this is our house... designed just for us on the
lot we wanted in the area we wanted. I probably let that cloud my judgement
for not pressing the issue.

You said 'engineer'. What kind of engineer would I call? County?

Thanks for the advice.
Mike W.


"'nuther Bob" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 06 Aug 2003 01:49:32 GMT, "Mike W."
wrote:


pipe clogging it or cracking it. I also thought of getting some PVC pipe
to
match the pipe coming out of the house and have it run all the way in the
trench... but will it crack too? Im not sure what to do.

Smooth pipe, large size, make sure it's all down hill, freezing will
not be as much of an issue as long as it heads downhill. You will
probably get a little freeze in the bottom, but it will not freeze
solid. The fact that your pump runs so often will actually help.

Now... back to the problem... is there any way to get the seller
to pay for some professional work on this with an engineer ? It
seems like somebody would have had to have noticed this during
construction (like when they came in to do the electrical work
and found 2 feet of water in the basement. I think you have a
good basis for a shoddy workmanship lawsuit (and no, I don't sure
everybody, but it looks like someone failed to disclose the true
facts about this property).

bob

If the pipe is large enough, freezing should not be an issue. That
is, a


Any advice would be helpful. Should I just pay a professional to come
out
and do it? Or am I on the right track.

Thanks,
Mike W.

Are you talking about the corrugated black pipe or the other smooth black
pipe mentioned earlier in the post?

Thanks,
Mike

"Jeepnstein" wrote in message
...
I have a sump pump in my basement that runs pretty much year round. It
dumps into black pipe and empties on the back of the lot. I never have
had
a problem with freezing despite the fact it isn't buried too deep. We
don't
get that many days of super cold weather south of Columbus. Southern Ohio
has alot of ground water. There are good springs all over the place and
you
might have one.

The pump and a dehumidifier have done alot for my basement. If I were
you, I think I'd be looking at trying to drain the water away with a
french
drain before it gets into the basement.

Jim

"Mike W." wrote in message
...
Well...

The house was built in the winter... and here in southern Ohio we had a
pretty wet winter. There was water in the basement almost the entire
construction period, but my builder kept assuring me that it would get
better once the grading was done... It did get better, but its still
not
'good'. I have a feeling that if I would have pressed, he could have
said
'fine, dont buy the house' since he footed the construction bill and we
bought it outright. And this is our house... designed just for us on
the
lot we wanted in the area we wanted. I probably let that cloud my
judgement
for not pressing the issue.

You said 'engineer'. What kind of engineer would I call? County?

Thanks for the advice.
Mike W.


"'nuther Bob" wrote in
message
...
On Wed, 06 Aug 2003 01:49:32 GMT, "Mike W."
wrote:


pipe clogging it or cracking it. I also thought of getting some PVC
pipe
to
match the pipe coming out of the house and have it run all the way in
the
trench... but will it crack too? Im not sure what to do.

Smooth pipe, large size, make sure it's all down hill, freezing will
not be as much of an issue as long as it heads downhill. You will
probably get a little freeze in the bottom, but it will not freeze
solid. The fact that your pump runs so often will actually help.

Now... back to the problem... is there any way to get the seller
to pay for some professional work on this with an engineer ? It
seems like somebody would have had to have noticed this during
construction (like when they came in to do the electrical work
and found 2 feet of water in the basement. I think you have a
good basis for a shoddy workmanship lawsuit (and no, I don't sure
everybody, but it looks like someone failed to disclose the true
facts about this property).

bob

If the pipe is large enough, freezing should not be an issue. That
is, a


Any advice would be helpful. Should I just pay a professional to
come
out
and do it? Or am I on the right track.

Thanks,
Mike W.