Clogged french drain?

[hockeymom]

Looking for advice. We have had water gathering in the back yard from the sump pump run off. I discovered a clogged "french drain?" I ran a hose into the opening of the pvc and found the it had a SOLID clog. I have dug out and cut away slowly and I am finding the pipe to be clogged with clay and gravel. I had cut away 5 ft. and found an elbow. I am now about 8 ft. and still finding the pipe clogged solid. I tried flushing with the garden hose but because of our clay soil and all the gravel the clog is solid. I am having dig and to cut bit by bit. Not sure were all the gravel came from. Am I doing the right thing? Any advise would be appreciate!
Hockeymom

[jadnashua]

Is the pipe perforated? What is around it? You may need a barrier/filter over it to prevent stuff from washing down into it. If you have a lot of clay, those particles are quite small. You should have some rock and gravel around the pipe and some fabric to help stop stuff from accumulating into the drain. Note my sig line! FWIW

[hockeymom]

Thank you for the suggestion of putting a cover over the drain. I finally found the spot were the clog ends! Looks like when the landscaping was done, the pvc was crushed.

[Mike Swearingen]

There is a fabric sleeve for putting around perforated drain tiles to help prevent the problem that you just had.
If you can't find the landscaping fabric sleeve, you can just wrap flat fabric around it and overlap it.
Good Luck!
Mike