Underground drains are a practical and hidden option to move water away from your house. Designed and installed properly, they are an excellent solution for water diversion. No water puddles. No basement leaks. No downspouts cluttering the yard.
Once installed, underground drains usually require little maintenance. The entire drainage system–from gutters to outlets–needs to be inspected regularly. Clogged drains are expensive and time-consuming to clean out and can damage foundations.
Signs Of a Clogged Gutter Drain
Gutter drain problems are usually fairly easy to spot. Things to look for include:
- Overflowing Gutters. Clogged gutter drains cause water to back up the downpipes and into the gutters. Eventually, they overflow because the water has no other place to go. Downpipe and elbow joints will also leak.
- Water Pooling. Water coming from the downspouts has nowhere to drain and forces its way out of the connection–usually close to the foundation.
- Water In the Basement. Overflowing gutters and pooling water close to the foundation can cause basement leaks–usually through cracks and holes in the concrete.
- Clogged Drain Exit. Check drain exits during rain to make sure water is flowing from them.
Causes Of a Clogged Gutter Drain
Diagnosing the cause and location of a clogged drain is difficult. The most effective way is to use a sewer drain camera in the pipe. You can buy one online for under $200.00 or hire a plumbing company to scope out the clog.
Leaves, Twigs, Tree Cones, and Dirt
Anything that flows through gutter outlets ends up in the gutter drain. Leaves, twigs, cones, and dirt can become stuck on the drain pipe–especially during times of low water flow. Clogs can grow over time and eventually stop water from flowing.
Tree Roots
Tree roots can grow into underground pipes–restricting and eventually stopping water flow. Soil sifts into the pipe through the break to add to the clog.
Ice
Water freezes in gutter drains during winter freeze and thaw cycles–especially if leaves or twigs prevent water from flowing out. Once ice forms it continues to grow as water flows over it. Ice can burst pipes, downspouts, and elbows. Ice in gutter drains thaws slowly in the spring because the soil over them insulates the pipe from the sun.
Plugged Drain Exits
Drain exits are clogged by dirt, yard waste, and even rodents using them as nesting sites during droughts.
Collapsed Pipe
Even hard plastic pipes can be crushed if something heavy like a truck drives over them–especially if the pipe is not buried deeply. Collapsed pipes need to be dug out and replaced.
Cleaning a Clogged Gutter Drain
Fifty-foot drain snakes are available for under $100.00. Use it from either or both ends of the drain to dislodge or break up the clog. Flush out dislodged bits with the high-pressure setting on your garden hose. As tempting as it may be, cleaning gutter drains is something you should never do with a pressure washer. It can punch holes in the pipe.
If the gutter drain is not completely clogged with ice, use a hose to run hot water through it to melt the ice. If water is not flowing out of the end do not add more water to the drain. It will only cool and freeze–making the problem worse.
If you don’t have a snake or want to buy one, contact a plumbing contractor to clean out the gutter drains.
Preventative Maintenance
Gutter guards work to keep leaves, twigs, and tree cones out of the gutter drains. Strainers are available to keep the outlets open but they eventually fill up and stop water from running out of the gutters.
If you don’t want to spend the money on gutter guards, clean the trough and downspouts regularly.
Check the operation of gutter drains once or twice a year by inserting a garden hose into the house end to make sure it flows freely out of the drain end.
