Sump pump drainage pipe burial help

[Lund1700Angler]

I am looking to bury my sump pump line that comes out the side of the house. Currently I have a flex pipe buried that is clogged up. I want to bury a hard pvc pipe. My current pipe that runs out of the house is 1.5. How far below the surface do i need to bury the pipe and should I use a larger pipe then 1.5 to reduce freezing??

Thanks and any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Michael

[Surface Tension]

If your flex pipe is clogged it is because the ridges trap junk which is usually in a low a low spot. If your redo don't increase the pvc size over 1.5". If done correctly you could lay it on top the ground with no threat of freezing. There can't be any low spots where water can lay. Also moister traveling from a heated home to outdoors will frost. Eventually that frost could build up enough to plug if it is allowed to vent. Since this is a sump pump the residual water will act as a trap and not let air to pass though the sumps discharge line.

[Redlantern]

Where would it drain to? Along with frost building up on the pipe near the house, you would also have the threat of the end of the pipe freezing shut where it discharges. I think you are better off leaving it above the surface.

[Tom7227]

I have mine set up so that it discharges near the ceiling of the basement. I dug a trench about 20 feet down and ran it down the slope from my house about 35 feet. From there it dumps into a small sump that leads to a perforated drain pipe that leads further down the hill to an opening near a ditch. Mine freezes up about mid-winter. I put a valve inside the house that releases the vacumm on the pipe so it doesn't gurgle forever and this may help cause the water can run more quickly down and out. No low spots and probably a 10+ foot drop from the high spot of the line in the basement to the outlet in the yard. I think I only used 1 inch pvc piping. Works well for me. I also discharge the AC condensor, humidifier and furnace drain water into the sumps. That's what gets pumpt in the winter. When it freezes up I have a bypass valve that lets me dump the water into the wash tubs - probably against code but what else you going to do in the winter?

[WallEYES]

You can either bury it or leave on top of ground, but one important thing is to NOT make a direct connection at the house, elbow down at exterior of house and make a funnel by increasing pipe size making a an air gap between the point where pipe comes out of house and pipe leading to ground....by making a direct connection and the pipe happens to freeze, you may and probably will burn out the pump impeller.

[Tom7227]

I have had the problem WallEyes mentioned. I was lucky enough each time to hear the pump running and was able to open the drain into the washtubs. I'm not sure I understand the funnel thing - wouldn't you end up dumping the water at that point and creating a big popsicle next to the house?

[setterguy]

Better check with your city. In most cities it is against code to bury sump lines. I see it done all the time, but thought I would let you know if you care.

[sticknstring]

That's exactly what I did this spring. Sump ran often and caused erosion and prevented new grass from germinating. Ran about 60' of 4" thin wall pvc underground to a storm drain and left about an 18" gap between the house. Works great.