I'm currently dealing with a bit of a hassle at my house regarding my sump pump. Right now, it discharges about 3 feet away from my front door, and most of the time that works fine. However, during heavy rain, I find myself scrambling to attach an extra drain pipe to push the water out an additional 6 feet into the yard, which helps prevent the water from flowing back towards my house and overwhelming the sump pump. It's a nuisance to have to do this every time it rains or when I need to mow the lawn. That said, I know it keeps the crawlspace dry.
I'm considering a more permanent solution where I can run an underground drain 15 feet from the house using 2" solid PVC. I want to put in a large piece of 4" drilled PVC with holes downward, all set in a gravel trench to direct the water. After that, I'd install a popup relief valve to manage overflow or for cleaning purposes. I live in the suburbs of Chicago and I'm a bit unsure about the soil drainage conditions here. A plumber friend suggested I just use solid PVC right to the popup, but I'm worried about water sitting in the line. I'm not keen on using a dry well, as it seems like it would fill up quickly during heavy rain. Also, draining out to the street isn't feasible because it's far away. Does anyone have thoughts on whether this plan would work?
5 Answers
Your setup sounds pretty solid! I did something similar where I ran solid piping further out and used a square catch basin to collect water from multiple sources, including my sump and downspouts. It made for easy cleanout and eliminated the need for relief valves.
Your idea might work, but setting up gravel trenches can lead to swampy areas due to roots and sediment from the sump. I’d suggest building a dry well using a 24" culvert pipe instead. It's pretty effective and won’t overwhelm your yard like the trenches might.
Just a heads-up, if you’re going underground with the drain pipe, be cautious about freezing in winter. I recommend using the 6ft pipe during that season.
While your plan is doable, I’d avoid a drain field. Instead of a 2-inch pipe, stick to 4-inch. Use a popup elbow but make sure to drill some holes in it and cover the gravel area so you spread out the water effectively. A solid PVC will work best as it's less prone to clogs from roots.
I had a similar issue at my old place. Instead of complicating things with a gravel trench, I just used a popup drain because my yard had a good slope. It worked just fine for six years without any problems.