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Preventing sump pump discharge lines from freezing?
Please advise on preventing sump pump discharge lines from freezing and can you tell me if you can connect the discharge from sump pump to the downspout output that connects to the storm drains. Please give detailed instructions on how to bury the extended dishcharge pipe from the sump pump pipe.What size to use , What pipe to use. Is there an insulated pipe.Is it adviseable. to tie in to downspout lines. What is an Iceguard. I read about installing a tee. How does that work.How deep do we go and what materials are needed. Thank-you
Linda
What part of the country do you live in? In some places, it is illegal to connect a sump pump to the sewer, so that may be an issue as well. If the line can drain after the pump shuts off, icing is possible, but not as much of a problem as if it pools, so proper slope is critical.
Jim DeBruycker
Important note - I'm not a pro
Retired Defense Industry Engineer
If you insist on detailed instructions I'll need a lot of specifics on your end as well as a retainer fee.Originally Posted by Guest
On the other hand if you want free advice I'll tell you to set the discharge line with as short, small diameter, and as vertical a riser as possible, then 90 to an increased line size, to a free discharge of constant slope in accordance with plumbing drainage Code. Then in the check valve just past the pump drill a 1/4" or so hole in the flapper. Once the pump stops its cycle the riser should drain back to the sump and the sloped discharge should empty itself onto the ground.
If you're going to drill a hole in the check valve why even install one?
Have the riser come up then have the line to the storm sewer pitch 1/4" per foot the rest of the run. Install a vacuum breaker at the top of the riser. This will allow the line to the sewer to drain dry after each cycle so it will not freeze. The line can not have and bellies or, it will freeze, unless they are buried deeper than the frost line. Even so if there is sufficient cold air flow in the storm sewer there is a risk of freezing.
Most pumps come with them already installed. It will also reduce flooding if the discharge end gets surcharged.If you're going to drill a hole in the check valve why even install one?
....
The hole is below the check valve to prevent the pump from being airlocked when a pit dries. Check valves prevent the riser from draining back into the pit!
No matter what you do if it get's cold enough outside the line will freeze. You can come up with any slope you want, down pipe up pipe it makes no difference. When temps drop below freezing the horizontal pipe is going to slowly begin to freeze and eventually plug. Unless you can bury it below forst line and drain it into some sort of pit below the frost line it's always going to be a problem. I only know this because it get's pretty damn cold around here in the winter and we deal with this problem often.
In my area the sump should not discharge to the storm drain but to my own property. Of course most of us link the sump discharge to the downspouts that discharge to the street. It's overlooked but not technically allowed. A clever interpretation by one of my neighbors is to discharge to his own property that then flows through ordinary surface drainage to the street rather than piping directly to it.
The real gem is that the 1950s houses along my street have a floor drain at the bottom of the outside stairs to the walk out basement. These are connected to the sewer which would be a no-no. But in our case it has been challenged and subsequently grandfathered since they were installed when the houses were built, and the code was very vague at that time!!!!!!!! Yippee!
What do most houses do to get rid of the water that collects at the base of their walk-out basements where such a solution is not allowed?
Last edited by Ian Gills; 10-04-2008 at 06:21 AM.
Here they do not allow sump pumps to discharge into the street as it would create an ice hazard in the winter.
They must either discharge unto your property in a maner that it doesn't flood into the street or, create a runoff problem for your neighbors. Plumbing into the storm sewers is disireable.
If the riser is in a cold space and filled with water then it will freeze. Drill a small hole in the check valve flap and it will drain back into the sump, preventing that.
I would question why anyone would install a sump pump in an unimproved cold area...
Generally they are used in basements to prevent flooding and the outside is cold.
But if you did want to install one in a frozen puddle outside I would not install a check valve at all rather than ruin it by drilling a hole in it...
Lots of people have cold basements. And if you have a heat conducting pipe then the portion nearest to the outside wall would be colder still.
We drill check valves all the time in pumped septic systems to keep them from freezing.
The portion near the outside wall would be the downward pitched portion going out which would be dry.
Does it even get cold in North Carolina?
Depends on how he's got it plumbed.
It is a very diverse state. We have a 4 month long ski season, and the northern most palm trees. Most Yankees only see I-95 on their way to Florida.
I didn't even see that...
Delta baby!
I advised a riser then vacuum breaker and pitched which is the right way.
Remember?
Enough muddying of the thread...
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