soaker pipe from air handler drainage????

HI all,

We recently replaced our air compressor and air handler and installed a new unit which controls not just the temperature, but also humidity in our house. The HVAC guys installed a new air handler in the crawl space of our house. They drew a new pipe from the air handler which sticks out from the crawl space to drain water into our back yard. According to the installation guys, we may have up to 5 gallons of water a day being pulled from our house by the new air handler, this water drains out from the pipe and is dumped into our back yard. The HVAC installers left the pipe sticking out, leaving it to us to decide how to direct the drainage.

The HVAC guys recommended two options for directing the drainage: Dig a deep hole under the end of the pipe--place an upside down bucket in the hole, fill half the bucket w/ gravel. Drill a hole in the top of the bucket, seal the pipe into this hole so that water flows into the bucket. or: lengthen the pipe--dig a ditch, attach PVC to the current end of the pipe, and lay a length of PVC along our yard, keeping a 5 degree drop per foot of pipe to allow water to flow down the extension.

I'm thinking of opting for the later option. I am thinking I could drill holes on the bottom of the PVC extension, dig a ditch, lay gravel down in the ditch, and lay the drilled PVC pipe on top of this gravel lined ditch. I would not extend the pipe more than 10 feet.

What do you think of my PVC soaker idea? Could this work? I have heard of pipes actually sucking in dirt and getting clogged--which could turn out to be a problem. If I laid the pipe on top of gravel and only drilled holes on the bottom of the pipe--do you think it would work?

Do you think this is too much water for nearby grass or plants? I don't want root rot.

What do you think would be the best way of directing the water...the way that would be most beneficial/least harmful to my grass and plants?

Has anyone tried anything like this at all?

TIA! Heidi Raleigh, NC

Reply to
Heidi
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Go ahead with your plan to drill holes facing DOWN into some gravel. Home Depot sells a "sock" like membrane, usually used with the 4" diameter preforated drainage pipe, for direct burial w/o a gravel base which prevents fine silt & dire from re-entering and clogging the pipe. Should work for you although the sock would be a little loose on a smaller diameter drain pipe.

If you want, install a "T" above ground level so that IF the preforated PVC ever does clog up, the water would simply back up and pour out of the hole on the side of the "T."

Reply to
HA HA Budys Here

: : :

It souds like the leach (leech?) field in a septic system. If it's designed correctly and buried under the frozen line, there won't be any water for the nearby grass or plants. But you don't want any deep root plants near the pipe.

In general, it should work. You may want some kind of relieve pipe as well in case the leaking pipe is clugged by plants root or (dirt from the distlled water?).

Reply to
Karen

water...the way

that is what we did, a french drain... we have a fairly small yard below a long hill so we put the drain all along the hill side of the house then down the side to the street to catch the water runing off of the hill and also tied our house guttering on those corners involved to the drain so that the water off the roof is carried away, too.

the drain is about two feet deep lined with landscape clothe ( like the 'sock' but encases the whole ditch and will fold over the whole thing) then gravel and the holy pipe (with holes all around it) and more gravel then the clothe fastened over that to form a big sleeve or sock, then soil on top of that, with 'T's' coming up to cleanout openings which are capped and each of three corners of the house guttering downspouts teed in also. works really well. at the openings of the patio wall, in order to be sure water does not gather and go onto the patio at the two openings of the patio wall, a 4" grilled cleanout was 't'd' in at each and i covered the small grill that covered them with the cloth inside then placed clote over that then a large metal grill over that to further protection. the grills and clots all can be removed and the opening can be cleaned out if the filter allows any soil in. so far so good.. second year now and no trouble. Lee H

Reply to
Lee

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