Sump Pump Discharge

[Mike Goetzke]

I've been in my house about 40 years now and the pump discharge just connects to a flex hose and spills in the yard. In the cold winter I take the end cap off and just hook a 4" corrugated hose to it. There are now two discharges since I added a backup pump a couple years ago. Ha - I'm recently retired and knocking off thinks I wanted to do many years ago off the list.

I want to clean up the drainage piping. I see they make a fitting called a freeze guard that allows the water to escape even if the main line freezes. I don't seem to have room for these to fit. My discharges are as high as they can go. I see many applications of this device where there looks like 2 feet of space between the pipe and ground.

Am I stuck with the ugly pipe and changing piping in the winter? Any ideas welcome.

Thanks

[attachimg=1]

 

[Packard]

I have two valves for my garden hose.  One is outside, where you would expect to see it.  The second one is about 24” into the basement.

Come winter, I close the internal valve, and I open the external valve.

There are also valves with very long shafts, a simpler setup.  The valve handle is outdoors and the long shaft attaches to the valve that is in the basement.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

I have two valves for my garden hose.  One is outside, where you would expect to see it.  The second one is about 24” into the basement.

Come winter, I close the internal valve, and I open the external valve.

There are also valves with very long shafts, a simpler setup.  The valve handle is outdoors and the long shaft attaches to the valve that is in the basement.

Sorry, these are my sump pump discharge lines one fresh water. Here is an example of what I would like to do:

[attachimg=1]

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Mike, those are some strange looking connections. The T fittings, just before an end cap, can't possibly flow too well? Where do they discharge into? Cistern, storm drain, perforated leaching line?
I have never heard of anyone having a freezing issue with sump pump discharge lines. There usually isn't much activity with them in freezing weather, plus they are only exposed for a little while, before going underground. Freezing isn't an issue at depth.

 

[pixelated]

Frozen sump pump discharge pipe has been a problem area for me. My current setup seems to work though. I have a flexible hose from the pump, it’s routed up to the ceiling, then slopes downward to exit the building. Outside, there is an elbow taking it straight down then another taking it away from the house. The horizontal part is in a trench that is covered.
Since doing all that, freezing hasn’t been a problem, knock on wood.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

Mike, those are some strange looking connections. The T fittings, just before an end cap, can't possibly flow too well? Where do they discharge into? Cistern, storm drain, perforated leaching line?
I have never heard of anyone having a freezing issue with sump pump discharge lines. There usually isn't much activity with them in freezing weather, plus they are only exposed for a little while, before going underground. Freezing isn't an issue at depth.

I’m guessing you must be in a warmer climate than I. I’m in the Chicago area and our frost line is 42”.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I’m guessing you must be in a warmer climate than I. I’m in the Chicago area and our frost line is 42”.

Maybe slightly, but not much, Columbus Ohio.
Most of the houses I have lived it had one and it was never an issue. The one where I grew up was during the blizzard of '78 and it was fine. It may have frozen, if there was water to pump? Ground water wasn't really a thing in the winter though.
The house where we lived, when my daughter was born (mid 90s) was the place with the greatest water problems. It was only a couple of miles from a quarry. The constant blasting affected the water around it, sometimes a lot. We actually installed a sump pump there, since it never had one. Even at that, the activity was considerably less in winter. That one was well outside of the city, so no storm drains, which i why I asked. This one was just connected to a perforated line, somewhere around 40" deep IIRC.
Overall, I have never heard of this, interesting though.

I assume the T fittings are for clean-out? Has that ever been a thing? I see the need on sewer lines, where clogging with solids might be a problem. Sump pumps should be just clean ground water. Could the slowing of the flow be causing the freezing? Maybe insulate the lines, like you would in a house over a crawl space?

 

[Mike Goetzke]

I’m guessing you must be in a warmer climate than I. I’m in the Chicago area and our frost line is 42”.

Maybe slightly, but not much, Columbus Ohio.
Most of the houses I have lived it had one and it was never an issue. The one where I grew up was during the blizzard of '78 and it was fine. It may have frozen, if there was water to pump? Ground water wasn't really a thing in the winter though.
The house where we lived, when my daughter was born (mid 90s) was the place with the greatest water problems. It was only a couple of miles from a quarry. The constant blasting affected the water around it, sometimes a lot. We actually installed a sump pump there, since it never had one. Even at that, the activity was considerably less in winter. That one was well outside of the city, so no storm drains, which i why I asked. This one was just connected to a perforated line, somewhere around 40" deep IIRC.
Overall, I have never heard of this, interesting though.

I assume the T fittings are for clean-out? Has that ever been a thing? I see the need on sewer lines, where clogging with solids might be a problem. Sump pumps should be just clean ground water. Could the slowing of the flow be causing the freezing? Maybe insulate the lines, like you would in a house over a crawl space?

Thanks for the help but my experience is different in this house. There must be a small amount of underground water making it's way to my sump. It doesn't run all the time but you can hear it run very infrequently even in dry conditions. The T fittings are removed in the winter and I put a 4" corrugated hose over them.

 

[jeh]

This is kind of related. They make a sump pump that requires no electricity, but you have to be on city water for it to work properly. I don’t recall the brand and I’m too lazy to search for it, but it should be easy to find.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

This is kind of related. They make a sump pump that requires no electricity, but you have to be on city water for it to work properly. I don’t recall the brand and I’m too lazy to search for it, but it should be easy to find.

I actually have a Zoeller water powered backup pump.