When we think about everything downspout drains are responsible for, it’s easy to appreciate why special care should be taken with their installation. This is definitely a DIY plumbing task that is best suited for those who at least have moderate experience with plumbing DIY projects. If you have any doubts about that, don’t worry. In the end, calling the professionals is always the right way to go. The most important thing is that it is installed correctly the first time around.
However, if you believe your experience is up to the task, there are several things you will want to keep in mind.
Downspout Drain Installation Tips
Downspouts are used to carry excess water from homes and roofs to appropriate disposal areas. These areas can be gutters or even ravines. While the work involved in installing downspout drains is ultimately pretty straightforward, we suggest moderate prior experience for the simple fact that there are a lot of easy mistakes to watch out for.
Here are 3 important tips for dealing with such potential pitfalls:
1. Avoiding negative pitches.
This is one of the most common mistakes people make with downspouts. Pipes shift, and water can flow in the wrong direction. You may not notice this straight away, but it can cause serious damage to your home/foundation over many years. Installing this pipe at least five feet from the foundation of the home is a good way to avoid this problem.
2. Building the pipe on solid ground.
Laying downspout pipes along hollow areas of dirt can be quite problematic. Over time, dirt that piles up can start putting pressure on the pipes. Since the pipes aren’t designed to deal with a lot of weight and pressure, it isn’t going to take long for cracking or breaking to occur. To that end, make sure to test the ground out beforehand. Make sure you’re dealing with solid ground.
3. Don’t bury the pipe too deep.
Burying a pipe deep in the ground makes sense. However, there is also such a thing as burying the pipe too deep. This can cause a lot of problems later on, if you need to access the pipes to make important repairs. Measuring the distance/elevation change needed for the downspout pipe is something that must be done very carefully. Some prefer to install their pipes in reverse, which means you would begin your work from what will eventually become the discharge point.