As the yard drainage experts, we have all types of pro tips and tricks that can keep you guys from making the most common mistakes that DIYers, homeowners, and even other contractors make when installing their drainage systems. Today we’re going to talk about underground buried downspout systems and the benefits of having a catch basin for yard drainage.
We’re going to show you everything that you need to know to get your buried downspout drainage system running correctly by focusing on:
- Clearing out the existing line of shingle gravel, and debris.
- Installing an inline catch basin for yard drainage to prevent build-up in your pipes.
- Options for connecting the existing downspout
Clear Out the Existing Line
Here’s an old line that came off the house, out into the yard, and then it was pointed up. It came up so that leaves and shingle gravel couldn’t get out. We see this all the time.
There is a way that you can easily clean these drainpipes. Dig a trench so that you can get this drainpipe to lay flat. This way, the water runs out.
Then take a garden hose and run it through the drainpipe to stir up all the shingle gravel, rotted leaves, and decayed seeds from trees that were trapped inside. The debris gets suspended in the flow of the water and you can easily renew this pipe to 100%. Once you see the water is running out clear, you know the pipe is clean.
Install a Catch Basin for Yard Drainage
Installing a catch basin to your buried downspout system is a low-maintenance solution to prevent the build-up of debris in your drainpipes. You can install an inline catch basin that you can easily enter with a garden hose to push debris up towards the house and get the pipe cleaned once a year. The shingle gravel will just flow right into the catch basin.
This is the easiest inline catch basin to install. We also sell it with risers that can be glued on for additional height if needed. We’ve thought of everything to keep this process simple for homeowners.
We drilled holes into the bottom and poured pea stone under the catch basin. Let the catch basin sit on the pea stone and then burrito wrap it in our fabric. We put the pop-up emitter in the same way. We have a piece of fabric, put some pea stone on it, and set the pop-up emitter on that. Now your buried downspout is set up so the bulk water after rain can just leech away.
Next, we moved to the side of the house. We have the buried downspout system with an inline catch basin to grab up all the shingle gravel. Now, always use a WYE connection. Never use a T connection.
You can see that the guys glued a riser on this inline catch basin so that it matched the height of the grade. If you end up digging deep to get the drainpipe to lay flat and run water out, it’s okay if you have no slope if it lays flat. It’ll work. If you have a 1% slope, take it. Always take the slope if it’s there.
Now that the guys have the drainpipe on a slope, they took it out to the sidewalk to keep any water far away from the home. If you dump the water too close to your house, it can end up reaching the foundation of the house through capillary action.
Now the clean-out is complete with inline catch basin for yard drainage. French Drain Man’s catch basins are designed to be super easy to push a garden hose through them for maintenance. In this instance, we set up another catch basin inline, connected the two lines, and took the lines out to one pop-up. If you get more than one downspout on a pop-up, go ahead.
Our Downspout Kit Has 2 Options for Installation
I’m going to show you two ways to hook up at the house. We sell it as a kit so it’s super easy.
Standard Riser with 90
The first method is the easiest way. If you’re a DIYer and you don’t want to be hassled, just take the 90 off your downspout. Then, take the 90-degree fitting with a gutter adapter that takes you from the corrugated pipe to your downspout.
From there, simply cut the stack. The adapter can be cut by taking a razor blade knife to your existing downspout with no modification needed.
Vented WYE
You may have to remove your gutter strap and trim the downspout to make the WYE fit. This will require more effort during installation. If you’re willing to do the more advanced step, this is going to give you a WYE cleanout at the house.
Trim the downspout so that you can fit the larger WYE cleanout in. In this instance, we’re using the 90-degree fitting and tile tape. We then tape that up tightly to prevent the shrubbery roots from getting into the system.
French Drain Man Provides All Your Drainage Needs
French Drain Man utilizes their over 35 years of drainage experience to provide homeowners with the best tips, purpose-built parts, and services for all their drainage needs. Never miss a tip from the pros by subscribing to our Youtube Channel. If you’re looking for downspout drainage services in Southeast Michigan, give us a call at 248-505-3065 to get it done right the first time!
