y marine dredge pumps

Best pipe for sump pump outlet

aczlan

I have 2 houses that I maintain which need to have the sump pump drainage redone, the water ends up getting pumped to the surface and percolating back down into the basement. We will be running 1/2HP pumps lifting about 6 feet and going ~150 feet horizontally (underground) to a crock which has a 6" output that gravity feeds into a retention pond. Should I stay with the outlet pipe size (1 1/2") or go up to 2"? Would black poly pipe with a check valve near the pump be the best setup to use, or would another type of pipe be better?

mjncad

I'd use ABS or PVC, and I think the 1-1/2" outlet size pipe would be adequate for just water.

moored4

Is it a stright run or there alot of bends in it. How much drop once it leaves the sump leg riser. 150', i would proable use the black poly!!

Kays Supply

Keep in mind you don't want the water in the pipe to freeze. If it is deep enough not to freeze the poly will be fine. If not, it is hard to keep it pitched without getting swags in it that will retain water that could freeze between cycles. Another thought. Get a pump that has a float switch that is separate from the pump. The switches made into the pump are always the first thing to fail. A remote float can be replaced easy and you can manually override it if need be , until you can get a replacement.

Deere Dude

I just went through something similar a couple weeks ago. Particularly to keep from freezing and ponding up and running back into the basement I piped the outside 1-1/2" discharge PVC into a 4" PVC standpipe and ran 4" PVC under a deck, across the lawn, under a driveway and into a pond. But it is 50' and not 150'. Being that large I could pitch everything to keep from water standing in it quite easily. I ran 4" so everything could be gravity even with the force of the sump pump behind it. How much smaller would work without the water backing up into the standpipe I wouldn't know. I picked 4" because it was reasonably priced. That way if something would freeze or plug-up for some reason the water would shoot out the top of the standpipe and the pump wouldn't dead-head without me knowing about it. I don't know why you would need a catch basin. Just run it into the pond. I has been working great so far in this wet spring.

aczlan

The pond is on the other side of the parking lot and quite a ways away. Thus the catch basin is the best option for this situation. I will have to see if it can be sloped to drain, not sure that would be possible given the lay of the land, but it would be better. Time to rent a transit for the day.

JB4310

Particularly to keep from freezing and ponding up and running back into the basement I piped the outside 1-1/2" discharge PVC into a 4" PVC standpipe and ran 4" PVC under a deck, across the lawn, under a driveway and into a pond. This is the way it should be, just come thru the wall with the 1.5" and go underground with 4". if you live in an area of deep frost, the pipe should be below frost line. But if you don't go below frost line you definitely have to have pitch so it drains out, no guarantee it wont freeze, but there is a better chance. If water stays in a shallow pipe in the winter it will freeze. always leave an outflow outside the foundation, so if anything freezes the water can still be pumped out. this can be done just by leaving a space between the 1.5 and 4 inch pipe. The 1.5 can be 4 inches above the 4' pipe, at least in the winter, leave it set up like that. I use 1.5 PVC with schd 40 fittings. the pipe is rated schd 40 but the regular DWV fittings are not, it's not because of pressure but the 40 fittings have a longer bell to glue the pipe in. Use a check valve just above the floor to prevent vapor lock. and bring the pipe to the wall with 2 45's and clip it to the wall to keep everything solid and prevent the pump from moving. That's how I do it, but 99% of the pumps I install just have a short stub out of the house on the down grade side. 3-4 feet out on the down hill side and no water recycles.

bdeboer

JB do you have any pictures of the outside of the house? Is the pipe stubbed then a 4" run started 4" away below frost depth?

Tig

I just laid a line myself on the new house. 2" for the first 10' then 50' of 4". Extra slope on the last 10' of the 4" since that is where the frost lift occurs.

Deere Dude

On mine I came out of the house and then a 90 deg down with a 1-1/2 elbow. This elbow pointed directly into a 4" standpipe which is 2" away from the house, about. Four to five inches below the surface of the ground I put a 90 deg elbow and ran the pipe toward the pond. Freezing? My pump doesn't run when it gets really cold because the water table must drop. If it would run, I figured the pipe would drain out anyway becaused it's pitched and smooth. Some areas of the country might be different. The 4" pipe drops in elevation from 6" below surface to 18" or so at the discharge about 40-50' away. I didn't hook the 1-1'2" elbow directly to the 4" just in case it would get plugged for some reason. Then I would be able to see the spray. So far so good.

JB4310

I don't think I have any pictures of outside like that, first of all like I said rarely do I put them under ground. Often times I drill thru the foundation wall about a foot above the ground and come straight out with no elbow, about 18 inches of 1.5 thru the wall and about 4 ft long pc of 4 inch sleeved over it, not pretty but effective. That has to be done on the side of the house that the topography allows for the water to run away from the house, even just a little pitch is all that is needed. If you are going underground then the way Deere Dude describes below is the way to go, I have done them just like that on occasion, but have no pics. My shop has a small basement and that's how the sump's discharge comes out. It only goes 20 ft under a driveway and spills into a swale. Mine is only about a foot deep, but if you are going a long distance and live in a freeze zone I would go lower, if you can go below the frost line that would be ideal, most people don't, and though true usually sump pumps are not working much in the winter. In the early spring when the ground is still frozen, but the snow is melting and it's raining, that can create a heavy demand on the structures drainage system/ sump pump. I may be overly cautious about the freezing thing, it doesn't happen that often, but I have seen it and I can not leave a paying customer with even a slight chance of it happening. Like I mentioned, you should leave an over flow, but it should be freeze proof as well. Easiest way is leave the 1.5 a little above the 4" This shows how a big WP franchise does it. Good luck, JB

pat32rf

Either 1.5 or 2" would probably do the job, until it gets blocked with ice in a low spot. I'd make sure that you have a vent at the top end (so it can completely drain) and keep the bottom open to daylight, even when the snow is 2' deep, or keep the whole thing well below frost level. I have one 1.25" drain line (75ft long) that is below frost that has given no problem in over ten years. I have another sloped 8" steel culvert (16ft long) that drains out 12" beyond a hillside, that freezes solid every year. Until the frost is gone, its useless.

bdeboer

JB Thanks for the information. I have a doublewide rental that needs something better than the cheap flex hose coming out of the crawlspace vent. This gives me some ideas.