I installed corrugated pipe to take downspout water away from the house. One downspout goes into a Y. The corrugated pipe is in ten foot sections. I put this Y together while the ditch was empty, then filled it in. The connections are not watertight. The fill was somewhat loose and the first rain pulled the connection to the downspout down. In digging it out, I found the dirt around the Y was very wet.
Testing before filling would not prove anything. I already know it leaks. It is not watertight.
Are corrugated pipe connections supposed to be watertight? I would think the dirt would provide the seal. While ther may be some leakage, in time it would pack. I tried various kinds of tape. Nothing holds on the plastic pipe. I tried silicone caulk, but I'm not very confident about it. There is just plain too much wiggle in these parts.
Lousy fit:( Had that problem here, put concrete all around joint. Lifted pipe up put concrete underneath, then put pipe down in place, and concrete all around.
"John J Stewart StewartWeb.org>" I installed corrugated pipe to take downspout water away from the house.
If you are talking about the hdpe plastic corrugated pipe, it seems to be made by several different manufacturers, and the parts often mate very poorly. For my Y connections I first tried rubber sleeves to get a tight fit, then used screw-type hose clamps to tighten the ends together. Did not work well, tended to pop out of alignment. My latest effort was to take off the clamps and the sleeves, and just telescope the ends together, then wrap with heavy duty plumbers tape - sold in big box stores. It is fairly stretchy/rubbery and super sticky, and rated for outdoor use. Sometimes it is called the Ultimate Duct Tape. Regular duct tape will not last, underground. This worked fairly well but still some small amount of leakage. I hope you remembered to push the connections together so they overlap, then snap. They are not meant to abut eachother. Silicone glue will work loose, and when you use the plumbers tape you have to pull the joint completely free of the ditch and tightly stretch-wrap it all around the joint, with several wraps. I sort of like the concrete approach a previous poster suggested. Next time I run drain lines, I will abandon corrugated pipe (nothing sticks to it, for one) and go for the solid pvc with glued joints - it is forever, and will not leak. By the way, dirt never provides a seal against hydraulic pressure, and yes, as you suspected, corrugated pipe just leaks, that's it. It is a crappily designed product, and only works in long, seamless runs. In some downspouts I have used no joints or y's at all, just for this reason, and press-fitted the drain line onto the end of the spout, then run it right out to the street. Try to avoid building any drain line in "sections" - always buy the hose in bulk, on the roll. Good luck.
Corrugated is so easy to use, and cheap too. easily bends around obstructions
but its junk quality wise....
They now have schedule 40 FLEXIBLE pvc drainpipe available in rolls. has smooth inner surface unlike corrugated pipe so clogging isnt a issue. pricey but easy to use, next time its all I will install
I stumbled onto it looking for something else, its flexible because the outside is corrugated.
John J Stewart I installed corrugated pipe to take downspout water away from the house.
If this is underground, and meant to move water from A to B and not collect water, why are you using corrugated pipe? I would have used solid PVC. If it gets any leaves in it, it will be a pain to snake.
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