Drainage Problem

[53orbigger]

We have a low spot in the yard that is close to the house that we continue to have problems with. We have tried to regrade, but there is not a lower spot to direct the water to so although we have been able to get the water to pool about 20' from the house versus right at the foundation the fact that most of the yard drains to the spot means that the pool can grow to the point that it still reaches the foundation. This is really only a problem in the spring with snowmelt or rain on frozen ground. Once the ground thaws it is not a problem because it is all sand and drains freely.

Two years ago we installed 2 12"x12" catch basins that drain into 4" PVC pipe that we ran about 150' and tied into the storm sewer at the border of the property, with the permission of the city engineer. We have decent slope on the line of about 1"/10' to begin with that transitions to about 3"/10' at the tie-in to the storm sewer.

After installing this I hoped that the problem was corrected. The first spring I left the silt fabric over the openings to the catch basins which prohibited the water from flowing freely and it backed up and froze in a pond with a cold snap. Once I chipped through the ice and removed the fabric the water flowed freely and we did not have a problem the rest of the spring. This spring the system had been performing fine. In fact the rain we got a week or so ago did not pool at all and all seemed fine. Then the rain transitioned to snow and with the warm-up yesterday the melted snow had pooled and it seems the drains are not working. I can't believe that water has frozen in the pipe as it was working just fine a week or 2 ago and it hasn't been that cold.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what might be going on or another solution we can try for next year? I'm thinking that we may have to run some sort of heat tape through the pipe that we can plug in in the spring, but I was hoping to avoid that.

Thanks

Jeramy

[Tom7227]

How deep is the line? I don't think we have much frost this year so if it froze I can only see continuing problems. Any chance a critter got into the line somehow?

Is there any way to get some hot water into the line without diluting it too much? I have had pretty good luck with a similar setup just by pouring in a few 5 gallon pails of hot water.

[soldoncass]

Drainage problems are tough if you don't have enough drop any direction. The only option I can think of that I would try is get the water BELOW the frostline, since you have a sand base. HOW DO I DO THAT???Something like a drainage pit, 4 feet deep with 2 "rocks in it...or 4" draintile (with the holes and sock) , from the surface down below the frostline. Give the water an easy path to drainage sand...several of them. Footings have to be 44 " deep or more to avoid frost problems, so give the water ways to get there.

Leave your basins and pipe there, just add options for the water to travel in.

[53orbigger]

The line is 1' to about 5' deep and there was enough warmth coming up through the line to melt light dustings of snow over the winter. The line has screen on both ends so I don't think a critter could have gotten in. I pumped out as much water as I could last night and dumped hot water in, but it didn't have any effect and when it mixed with the water that was still in the pipe it cooled very quickly.

Thanks

Jeramy

[53orbigger]

I am considering adding a dry well that is well below the frost line with a surface inlet, but I am concerned that the inlet would freeze and it would be as useless as the system I have now. Do you think that enough heat would come up to the surface to prevent this?

Thanks

Jeramy

[dr1818]

just a guess but if u used solid PVC that is probably where the prob lies - if it freezed water is trapped. i drain tile alot and probably if your best shot would be with corrugated drain tile. use a 6 inch corrugated which technically doesnt then need pea rock placed around it but for good measure you could place rock around it for the length of the run or at least until you get to an area with good fall. wouldnt worry about exceeding frost depth (48 inches). rent a backhoe or bribe a buddy who has one with beer and redo it yourself, just make sure to run corrugated drain tile and that your fall is good, and at minimum at the intake make sure you put some pea rock and then a dile cover.

this setup should be less affected by freeze but I've seen guys who have put in hydrants above freeze depth and have used foamboard insulation buried above the connection and haven't had probs so u could implement that too for extra measure.

just some ideas

[amateurfishing]

im not knowledgabe by any means but wonder if the problem is a i little bit of everything

1. proper drain tile manufactured for this purpose with proper rock bedding underneath

2. proper depth in inital flow (under frostline for freezing purposes) along with proper drop line all way to end.

as long as your weep line/drainage is deep enuff, im not sure if u would ever have a freezing problem

I kind of have the same problem with my roof drainage onto lawn. the way my house roof is, i have 2/3 of entire roof square footage on sidewalk right next to front door. i have had several gutter estimates done but everyone says same thing, gutters wont matter unless i tackle the area where all the water lands first cause no gutter will be able to handle the water load from that much square footage off the roof. i would have to get a 4 foot sidewalk drain and then dig drain tile all the way to the road under frostline so it would not gradually wash away my yard. its a crappy predicament.

[K_Josh87]

just a thought, but with the recent rain we had, the frost went deeper and harder as the moisture content went up in the soil... so it very well could have froze the pipe now, where it hasn't all winter... best guess is the next week it will all open back up again and work as intended...