Pop-up Drain Emitter Clogged? Here’s What To Do
Roof runoff systems are great for directing water away from your home’s foundation and safely discharging it. However, what if your pop-up drain emitter gets clogged or grass grows over it, so you can’t locate it? In that case, the water won’t be able to discharge away from your home and can lead to a flooded basement or crawlspace. Is your pop-up drain emitter clogged? Here’s what to do to fix it.
Locating the Clogged Pop-up Drain Emitter
Your roof runoff system is designed to daylight water and debris to avoid a flooded basement or crawlspace. That’s why clearing clogged pop-ups is imperative to prevent drainage issues. But what if you can’t locate the drain because grass grew over it?
When you lose your underground roof runoff system, pop-ups, or four-inch grates, the best thing to do is to use a leaf blower to locate them. Simply go up to the house and turn your leaf blower on to run the line wide open. That will blow the water that’s left in the line out. A leaf blower is the only way to find that four-inch grate or that small pop-up. This is the best practice when you’re doing an upgrade or extensions to improve your roof runoff system. 
It’s impossible to walk around the yard with a shovel and just keep poking at the grass until you hit one of those tiny pop-ups or four-inch end grates. That method will take a long time if you ever find them. Using a leaf blower is a proven way to find the pop-up emitter and clean out the drainage line. Since the grass grew over the pop-up drain emitter, preventing it from daylighting, your system will be full of all kinds of debris.
Install Pop-up with a Turf Restrictor Plate
Once you locate the clogged pop-up drain emitter and clear the line, you’ll want to install a new one that will be more efficient. We like using a pop-up with a turf restrictor plate. The grass can continue growing over the plate, and then you can weed whip that grass. What’s nice is you can get your hand down inside this pop-up, which makes it super convenient for inspections.
Make sure you always install your pop-up emitter at the dirt level, not the turf level. Often, people leave them too high, and their lawnmower can suck up the lid and chop it off. Always install your pop-up at the level the roots are, not where the grass blades are. Now, the grass can grow over this pop-up. The grass won’t interfere with water outflow, unlike the pop-up we replaced.
Shop the FDM Store: Pop Up Emitters
Use Knife-Cut Pipe
Use knife-cut pipe for the last five or 10 feet when doing a drainage upgrade or a new installation. Notice the white sleeve over the top of the line pictured below. That’s used because that piece of pipe is knife cut.
A knife-cut pipe is a solid pipe, and in manufacturing, it had blades precision cut little slits in it. Those tiny slits allow any remaining water to drain into the soil and soak away. Otherwise, some water will be left behind in the pipe when it rains. You want that water to be able to leach out into the subsoil. By using a knife-cut pipe in the north, that water won’t freeze in the line. In the south, knife-cut pipe helps prevent stagnant water from creating a pungent odor in your yard or becoming a mosquito hatchery.
Want More Tips to Prevent a Clogged Pop-up Emitter?
French Drain Man provides professional solutions to DIYers with tips from the pros and the best parts for installs. No detail is too small when it comes to providing top quality drainage solutions, whether it’s preventing clogged pop-up emitters or supplying low-maintenance parts. French Drain Man uses the best techniques and materials, including custom, purpose-built parts, on all professional installs. From French drains, buried downspouts, outdoor sump systems, and more, French Drain Man has got you covered.
