Where should it go?

[psklein578]

Two years ago we bought and moved into a house that was built in 1970. We have found a number of issues that didn't show up on the inspection. The latest thing is the pipe carrying the sump pump discharge seems to be leaking under the concrete patio. I don't know where it goes other than it goes straight out the back of the house. I'm thinking about running a pipe level underground about 80 feet to the back of our property where there is a shallow waterway. What size pipe would work? The other alternative would be a 250 feet run to a roadside ditch at the front. I'm not sure the sump pump could push it that far. Any suggestions please.

 

[frontporch]

I have fought water issues in my property for years. I currently send my basement sump about 80 feet to a storm sewer in the street. It travels through the typical sump output PVC that is 1.5" and meets a 3" drain thin wall drain line after about 25' and a few bends (3 90s and a 45). Never had a problem with this setup. Remember, LEVEL is no good in Indianapolis. it has to maintain a constant downward slope and completely empty each time you pump water . See freezing below !!!

I think so long as you follow some common sense about having a good downward slope on the length of pipe the limiting factor is more the height that you expect the water to rise, which is probably "not much". I suspect that you would go up at most 8' from your basement floor and then go back to ground level and down from there. Even though I go to a larger pipe, I bet the 1.5 for the entire distance would be fine. On my 3" pipe I used the solid thin wall pipe buried not too far underground... several inches of soil above at most.

Things to consider:
1. Freezing. Its a concern. If you don't have positive drainage and have any standing water above the freeze line, it will freeze solid and then you are done. Might want to include a "blow out" fitting just outside your house so that you pump onto your lawn if your buried line gets obstructed.
Your line might also freeze if it sinks over time and fills with water. It was common around here to pump water through a pipe that goes through the curb and dumps onto the street. I have heard of leaves creating a pool of water at the outlet of a pipe like that and freezing. Moral there is you have to maintain even what you think is installed correctly.
2. Damage: I know where I have buried lines/pipes. I would never consider letting anything of significant weight drive over those pipes.... lawn tractor OK, cement truck NO. If you have flexibility on your placement, keep that in mind

Finally, protect that patio. that looks like a very nice stamped patio and your sump pump will be removing more and more of its foundation. I would move that drain ASAP and see what can be done about supporting the patio once it dries. Not sure what to suggest, but you want to keep it supported and discourage wildlife from moving into already hollowed out areas.

 

[CT18]

I ran mine into 3" corrugated to the back of t property. The last 50 i used perforated. I then dug a large hole where it ended and filled that with pebble and fabric

 

[MicEd69]

It would be nice to know where the sump discharge line ends. Is this a new issue? Can you tell if this was original with the house or was this a retrofit? How far away from the house is the water coming up? Does the sump pump discharge line exit the house above or below grade?

If this was a retrofit and done by a DIYer, they may have not installed it correctly. The discharge could be going to a French drain under your patio that has failed.

You might try a snake to see if you can find any blockage in the line and/or determine where the pipe ends.

But you can re-plumb the discharge as you say, and that may be your best approach anyway whether it goes to a ditch or to a new French drain. As long as you don't increase the height the pump has to pump, you should have no issues with it being able to pump water a reasonable distance through a 1 1/2" line. But check out some YouTube videos on sump pump French drain installations, running 4" drain lines with an IceGuard inlet, popup drains, etc.

 

[psklein578]

The sump pump is in a crawl space. The sump receives backwash water from a filter and a water softener. This is the first time there has been any indication that the outlet was not working. I don't know where the line ends but it's clear that it runs just under the side of the patio.
I will have to do some digging and try to connect a new 1 1/2 inch drain below frost level out to the back waterway. It's possible that the recent freeze got to the line under the concrete but I can't know for sure until I get to it. If that is what happened, relocating the line may be an option. That would be a lot easier than digging in a new line.
Thanks for the info and replies.