We would not suggest that as the sump pump pipe discharges to either your yard or a storm drain. Best way is to ensure you have an adequate freeze guard or air gap as well as a graded, buried discharge line. If you want to go one step further, you can put one of those gutter heater lines in there if you know you're more prone to freezing lines.
Hi Back to Eden! We typically do not do pressurized discharge lines. When we have a grading issue, we evaluate the situation for the best area to discharge the water. Many times, if the grade goes up, you don't want to run the line up there. The water will discharge and just run down the hill to the start point. Plus you then have to worry about freezing with no air gap in the winter. Most municipalities require a gap to prevent freezing of the line and burnout of the sump pump.
Since we basically live in the same geographical area (cold winters). I would like to know if I can dig a trench to lay my discharge hose. How deep do I need to go so I can start discharging the water from my indoor sump pump when spring comes? Our frost line is just over four feet deep. Do I go below the frost line or can I lay under the surface? I would hate for all that water freezing in my discharging hose.
Hi Rene! That's a great question. For Discharge Lines, you do not need to go beneath the frost line in most cases. Discharge lines will be buried about a foot underneath the ground and terminate at a discharge basin with a gravel base. For most homes, this is enough to dissipate the water and not have any freezing lines. In extreme cases of high water tables and sump pumps that run more often in the winter, the best option would be to tie into your city's storm drain system. If this is no possible or not allowed, then we would recommend you burying the line 4 feet deep into a drywell (5 foot x 5 foot x 5 foot hole filled with gravel). It is rare that we have to do this, even in Chicago. As long as the discharge line is pitched correctly and the sump pump runs less often in the winter, a standard discharge line will do fine.
@@Therealsealllc Thank You for your quick reply, Our discharge can not be tied into our storm drain which sucks. My sump pump is idle during the winter, too cold and the ground is frozen but come spring, the ground is saturated and the pump goes every few minutes. Again, thanks for your response and we will move forward with your advice.
@@renegagne3750 Hi Rene, thanks for all that info. Yes, not ideal that you can't tie into storm, but you still have options. You still only need to bury the discharge pipe about a foot in the ground. At the end, instead of a small bubbler pot with gravel, you can make a "T" with a French Drain. For this, we would recommend 10' in either direction with a perforated pipe and gravel base. This will help disperse the water over a larger area, and reduce the amount of water you have in the yard.
@@TherealsealllcDo you think the dry well would work with clay soil? Ours runs all winter normally except for last year due to drought. Would it be wise to connect two dry wells together below the frost line with my situation in case soil percolation is slow?
@@michaelmelter2271 In order to know for sure, you'll have to do a soil test. A local company should be able to help with that. If you have slow percolation, it would be wise to have some sort of system (drywell, storm sewer connection, run it to a culvert, etc) in order to prevent pooling in your yard. Since I don't know your exact situation, I would explore those 3 options above. Best thing is to get the water off the property with a storm sewer connection, if available.
Can you pour antifreeze in sump pit to prevent freeezing pipe
We would not suggest that as the sump pump pipe discharges to either your yard or a storm drain. Best way is to ensure you have an adequate freeze guard or air gap as well as a graded, buried discharge line.
If you want to go one step further, you can put one of those gutter heater lines in there if you know you're more prone to freezing lines.
What do you do when your discharge line goes against grade and needs to be pressurized?
Hi Back to Eden! We typically do not do pressurized discharge lines. When we have a grading issue, we evaluate the situation for the best area to discharge the water.
Many times, if the grade goes up, you don't want to run the line up there. The water will discharge and just run down the hill to the start point. Plus you then have to worry about freezing with no air gap in the winter.
Most municipalities require a gap to prevent freezing of the line and burnout of the sump pump.
Since we basically live in the same geographical area (cold winters). I would like to know if I can dig a trench to lay my discharge hose. How deep do I need to go so I can start discharging the water from my indoor sump pump when spring comes? Our frost line is just over four feet deep. Do I go below the frost line or can I lay under the surface? I would hate for all that water freezing in my discharging hose.
Hi Rene! That's a great question. For Discharge Lines, you do not need to go beneath the frost line in most cases.
Discharge lines will be buried about a foot underneath the ground and terminate at a discharge basin with a gravel base. For most homes, this is enough to dissipate the water and not have any freezing lines.
In extreme cases of high water tables and sump pumps that run more often in the winter, the best option would be to tie into your city's storm drain system.
If this is no possible or not allowed, then we would recommend you burying the line 4 feet deep into a drywell (5 foot x 5 foot x 5 foot hole filled with gravel).
It is rare that we have to do this, even in Chicago. As long as the discharge line is pitched correctly and the sump pump runs less often in the winter, a standard discharge line will do fine.
@@Therealsealllc Thank You for your quick reply,
Our discharge can not be tied into our storm drain which sucks.
My sump pump is idle during the winter, too cold and the ground is frozen but come spring, the ground is saturated and the pump goes every few minutes.
Again, thanks for your response and we will move forward with your advice.
@@renegagne3750 Hi Rene, thanks for all that info. Yes, not ideal that you can't tie into storm, but you still have options.
You still only need to bury the discharge pipe about a foot in the ground. At the end, instead of a small bubbler pot with gravel, you can make a "T" with a French Drain.
For this, we would recommend 10' in either direction with a perforated pipe and gravel base. This will help disperse the water over a larger area, and reduce the amount of water you have in the yard.
@@TherealsealllcDo you think the dry well would work with clay soil? Ours runs all winter normally except for last year due to drought. Would it be wise to connect two dry wells together below the frost line with my situation in case soil percolation is slow?
@@michaelmelter2271 In order to know for sure, you'll have to do a soil test. A local company should be able to help with that.
If you have slow percolation, it would be wise to have some sort of system (drywell, storm sewer connection, run it to a culvert, etc) in order to prevent pooling in your yard. Since I don't know your exact situation, I would explore those 3 options above. Best thing is to get the water off the property with a storm sewer connection, if available.