Big "O" drain pipe question

[Calman]

Hey Guys!

I'm a newbie around these parts, but SO GLAD I found this forum.

I've a complete notice, but currently looking into laying this Big O Drain Pipe around our foundation wall, due to a recent mini-flood in our basement.

We need approx 34' ... and assume we also would be looking at the 4" type (with sock?) ... so any advice welcome at this point.

Sure there will be more questions to follow.

Cheers in advance!
Cal :)

[joed]

New thread started.

[Wgoodrich]

If this is an existing basement with existing footers you should keep at least 5 feet away from the existing footers all the way around the house. You need to dig down to the elevation equal to the bottom of your footers but 5 feet away from existing footers. Dig the trench 12" wide. Once the trench is all the way around the basement you need to find an outlet preferrably out in the yard remote from the house where a solid 4" pipe can be tee'd off that perimeter drain and drain by gravity to that remote are in the yard out onto the grass to dissapate across the yard. If no such lower elevation then the perimeter drain will have to be piped to a cistern outside or a sump pit inside with a large enough pump gallons per minute rating to handle a 100 year flood without loosing ground on the influx of water.

Once you place the perferrated hose in the bottom of the trench 2" of 5L rock or #4 stone must be laid under the pipe and then the stone bed built 12" wide and 6" above the 4" perimeter drain line. The perimeter drain line must be kept level with no humps or dips. A sock does little good in this design because of the stone bed required. Then a filter cloth same as installed over a finger of a septic system is installed on top of the rock bed to filter out dirt fines from back filled dirt. After the filter cloth is installed back fill with dirt level with finished grade. All the above is requried in the International Residential code. You can find those rules in Article 405 of the IRC.

Hope this helps

Wg

[Fischer]

Hi, Welcome to the thread.

I'm an advocate of not using the perforated 4" drain pipe. Both the sock and the pipe can become clogged from the fines (small bits of soil) percolating through the rock. Use the 4" PVC pipe with the holes at the bottom. This is easily flushed out, should there ever be an obstruction in them. This pipe does not clog.

The other reason for not using the perforated pipe, is that it tends to sag at different spots, unlike the solid where it will span a dip in you trench.

In addition, when you lay the pipe, at the end of the run furthest from the outlet, run a pipe to the surface and cover. This will be a solid pipe not with the holes, and put a temporary cap on it. If the system should be come clogged or slow, you can then water jet out the entire system. The cost of this is minimal. 1 piece of pipe, 1 cap, and 1 90 degree fitting. You already have the hole dug, so no additional labor.

Replacing clogged footing lines has kept me in a lot of work. I would never use the perforated corrugated lines.