Hey everyone! I was digging out for a retaining wall on my hillside property in Portland, OR, and I came across this slightly flexible black pipe that wasn't marked by any utility companies. It just ends in a cut and seems to drain about 1-2 gallons a day. It's definitely not part of my house's eaves drainage since that goes into a different drain leading to the street. I'm curious if anyone knows what this pipe could be for. I'm considering running it through the face of the retaining wall into a small water feature with a solar sprayer. The idea is that it will evaporate most of the drained water, and any overflow would go into a small dry well that I plan to dig in front of it. By the way, it's also confirmed that this isn't from a sump pump or HVAC condenser. Any insights?
2 Answers
It sounds like it could be a sump pump drain for your foundation, but your plan for the water feature seems fine. Just make sure to monitor how much water it's draining in case of heavy rains or anything tricky.
I'm not sure it's a sump pump line; it looks a bit narrow for that. It kind of resembles a condensation line from an HVAC unit. My attic's unit releases into my yard too, but that pipe seems to run too far for a typical setup. Just thought I'd share my thoughts!
That’s a good point! We don’t have a sump pump and only got AC in the last couple of years with a ductless system, so it’s not related to that either.
Thanks for the insight! We actually don’t have a sump pump, and being halfway up the hill, we’ve avoided drainage issues that others at the bottom face.