Trenching downspouts

[Tpondel]

We have several downspouts around the barn. Once it gets ground level it’s attached to a three inch plastic pipe to control where it drains.

What’s the best way to dig/trench to bury the pipe. Longest run will be around 40 feet.

Thanks.

 

[WinterDeere]

I don't know about "best", but a 12" bucket on a mini-excavator makes awful quick work of it. I had what seemed like miles of trench dug in a few hours, when we had to run electric and drainage for a recent pool project.

 

[drizler]

No backhoe at the time do we hand dug 6” -8” deep x 12” . It handles ja slope draining from the house as well as the barn roof on one side. Ground was hard clay. All we did was toss in the black field drain and the fill all around it with large crushed stone which just covers the top. Fill it all the way so the top is gravel. Mine wraps wraps around the sides of the barn to where it ends on each end in a simple crushed stone dry well. Mine was 52’ long with 24 each side to the wells It’s worked perfectly for 10 years with zero upkeep.

Even if I’d had a backhoe I think it’s would go better just using shovels.

 

[BigGG]

Depends on what you have to work with. I once used the forks to loosen up a tough patch, then we cleaned it out with shovels.

 

[Roadworthy]

The best way might be to rent a trencher. If you have a box blade you could extend the center tooth to rip the ground then shovel to remove dirt for the actual ditch.

 

[ultrarunner]

Ditch Witch?

 

[Southernspeed]

I rent a ditch witch every time I need any trenching done. My local Ace Hardware is only 15 miles away. Most jobs I can pick it up, trench, wash and return within their shortest rental of 4 hrs. Easy to use.

 

[bigtiller]

We have several downspouts around the barn. Once it gets ground level it’s attached to a three inch plastic pipe to control where it drains.

What’s the best way to dig/trench to bury the pipe. Longest run will be around 40 feet.

Thanks.

I would pitch the 3" plastic pipe and replace it with 5" or 6" non-perforated drainage tile.

For digging the ditch, a garden spade is about the perfect tool for it. Take your time digging, enjoy the exorcise, it doesn't have to be done in 1 day.

 

[kenmac]

I just did the same thing you are doing. I used my mini ex for the digging and back fill. Had to do a little dress up with a rake

 

[pmsmechanic]

Aren't you worried about freezing? I got some 3" aluminum pipe and put mine above ground. They are high enough that I can easily mow under them.

 

[WinterDeere]

Aren't you worried about freezing? I got some 3" aluminum pipe and put mine above ground. They are high enough that I can easily mow under them.

My downspouts all empty into underground piping, mostly 6" SDR-35. Never had an issue with any of them backing up due to freezing, despite some areas being relatively shallow due to changes in terrain. They've been that way for more than 30 years, now.

I suspect there is very little water flowing into them at times when they're most susceptible to freezing, because nearly all surface water is also tied up in ice at the time.

 

[pmsmechanic]

We get chinooks that melt all the snow with freezing at night. The snow melts, runs down the downspouts and freezes in the buried pipe.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Years ago, we had an issue with the drains off the barn roof washing out the gravel driveway. Instead of digging up the road to add drain pipe, we laid down sections of old well casing on the existing surface and raised the grade by burying them with more gravel.

May not work everywhere though.

 

[riptides]

Just take a look around what else needs trenching around your property and rent a ditch witch for a few hours. Make sure you know where all the utilities are and have at it. A simple drain tile laid in the ground should suffice for years if not decades.

 

[old and tired]

I've used a potato plow once... (had to add more weight to it).

I also trenched a sewer pipe (about the same distance) with a trencher (which was way EASIER). $75/half day.

I have a rear blade that could do a great job cutting a deep ditch (didn't have at that time...) Would use that if I need to do it again...

 

[WinterDeere]

We get chinooks that melt all the snow with freezing at night. The snow melts, runs down the downspouts and freezes in the buried pipe.

I suspect the same thing happens here, but never to any degree that has actually caused a problem with blockage or flow.

We get long winter stretches of 15 - 20F overnight lows with 30 - 35F daytime highs. So, average is below freezing, and ground stays relatively frozen, other than the top 1/2" taking the sun which softens each afternoon. The daytime sun will melt everything most days, with temperature anywhere near 32F, so water does flow into the pipes and probably freeze when it hits the cold pipe surface a foot or two underground.

We also get a few stretches most years of 0F to 20F days, but they rarely last much more than a week at a time, and then we're back up to that more typical 20F - 30F range.

Obviously not ideal, but it has just never caused a problem, at our latitude. The OP is in Ohio, so probably very similar weather to us, if not a little warmer.

 

[EddieWalker]

I own a full sized backhoe and a riding trencher. For just about everything that I've buried around my house and out in my yard, I use a shovel. I have water lines all over the place, along with electrical lines. I might not finish digging the trench in a day, or even a week, but I keep at it when I have the time, and it always gets done eventually.

 

[Richard]

I buried mine maybe 20 years ago. Four corners of the house, took one in the rear and T-'ed into it the overflow from the (recirculating) pond.

Only have a 24" bucket, so dug a 2x2 trench and dropped in schedule 40 pipe, running everything out into the woods. Never measured but combined, probably have 300'ish feet of pipe (?).

Used sch-40 as part of this runs under the driveway and wanted something stronger than just a black drain pipe.

 

[oosik]

I have a twenty foot section of gutter on my roof. Keeps water off the entry porch. The front porch - looking out over the lake - who cares. My eves hang out three and a half feet beyond the foundation. I shovel ice and snow off the front porch - as needed.

There is no down spout. Rain water just free falls into a 55 gallon plastic barrel. A garden hose at the bottom of the barrel carries the water away. This is the way it has worked for over 40 years. Rain water from my "system" either soaks into the ground or eventually makes it to my little lake - about 175 feet away.

 

[WinterDeere]

I have a twenty foot section of gutter on my roof. Keeps water off the entry porch. The front porch - looking out over the lake - who cares. My eves hang out three and a half feet beyond the foundation. I shovel ice and snow off the front porch - as needed.

There is no down spout. Rain water just free falls into a 55 gallon plastic barrel. A garden hose at the bottom of the barrel carries the water away. This is the way it has worked for over 40 years. Rain water from my "system" either soaks into the ground or eventually makes it to my little lake - about 175 feet away.

Amber, WA. I was going to make a joke about you probably knowing rainfall management better than the rest of us, based on widespread assumption that WA gets more rain than just about anywhere. But it turns out we get like 30% more rain than you, per year!