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View Full Version : Finding where an exterior drain goes


dac122
Sep 2, 2010, 05:38 AM
I need to do some drainage work around my house but first need to locate where several drains run. They may be partly responsible for my water problems, or helpful in my drainage solution.

I have a basement floor drain I cannot locate its final destination. An outside PVC pipe that my sump pump and gutters drain into. I also have an outside drain pipe that I cannot locate its source.

What things can I try myself? If I need a pro, who should I be calling for this type of work? What type of technology should I be asking for? What can I expect to pay?

hkstroud
Sep 2, 2010, 06:10 AM
The floor drain should empty into you sanitary sewer, just like everything else in you house.

The gutters and sump pump should drain to daylight, meaning that the water should come out of the ground somewhere. The technology needed to find out where, is a hose and logic. Since water flows down hill the place where it comes out must be lower than where it went in. Stick a hose in the pipe and start looking for water at places down hill from the location. It may take some time to see the water. Sometimes the gutter down spouts are piped with perforated pipe, meaning that some of the water leaks out of the pipe and is absorbed into the ground as it runs down the pipe. You will have a hard time reproducing the volume of water that comes off your roof with a hose but eventually you should see water flowing out somewhere.