{"id":3283,"date":"2019-10-09T15:57:34","date_gmt":"2019-10-09T15:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/server.trenchlessmarketing.com\/~inhouseplumbingc\/?p=3283"},"modified":"2019-10-09T15:57:34","modified_gmt":"2019-10-09T15:57:34","slug":"outdoor-drain-clogged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bigwesttemp.com\/inhouseplumbing\/outdoor-drain-clogged\/","title":{"rendered":"What To Do When Your Outdoor Drain Is Clogged"},"content":{"rendered":"

So if you\u2019ve noticed standing water in your yard after a rainstorm, it\u2019s possible you have a clogged outdoor underground drain.<\/p>\n

I briefly addressed this previously in a post about\u00a0water pooling in your home or yard<\/a>. And while you might think it would be, it isn\u2019t really a plumbing issue. It\u2019s a drainage issue.<\/p>\n

But we get enough questions about it that I\u2019d like to talk a bit about it here on the blog.<\/p>\n

How a Yard Drain Works<\/h2>\n

Just like your home\u2019s sewer system, a yard drain works with the power of gravity. It\u2019s installed at a downward slope allowing water to drain out of your yard and into the city\u2019s system.<\/p>\n

There are a few different types of pipes used for an outdoor drain. These are corrugated pipe, perforated pipe, and PVC pipe.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And like the\u00a0plumbing system inside your house<\/a>, outdoor drains can get clogged as well. But instead of things like waste, food, or toilet paper, your outdoor drain gets clogged with leaves, burrowing nests, mud, etc.<\/p>\n

How to Unclog an Outside Drain<\/h2>\n

Depending on how severe the clog and what type of pipe you\u2019re dealing with, unclogging your yard drain could go a few different ways.<\/p>\n

Outdoor drain clogged with mud<\/h3>\n

If you have a PVC drain pipe, you can try using a drain auger or sewer cleaning machine.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A cable attached to the machine and then fed into the pipe which breaks up the mud by spinning through the pipe. Then flush the line to clear out any remaining debris.<\/p>\n

With mud, you need a pretty hefty cable, either a half inch or \u00be inch. But the size you get also depends on the size of the pipe. Just know that the smaller the diameter of the cable, the less likely it is to clear out the mud.<\/p>\n

If you have a corrugated or perforated pipe, you can\u2019t use a sewer cleaning machine. The cable typically has a sharp blade attached to the tip and it can get caught in the folds or holes and tear apart the pipe as well as mess up the machine.<\/p>\n

With these types of pipes and with PVC, try using hydro jetting. Hydro jetting uses high pressure water to flush out what is causing the clog.<\/p>\n

You can rent both sewer cleaning machines and hydro jetters from your local hardware store like The Home Depot. I will mention here, though, you need to be careful using these machines. If you don\u2019t have experience with them, you could hurt yourself and\/or your pipes.<\/p>\n

However, before you do that, look into trying a blow bag.<\/p>\n

How to use a blow bag to clear a clogged yard or driveway drain<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A blow bag is an inflatable bladder that you can attach to the end of your garden hose.<\/p>\n

Attach the blow bag to the end of the hose and insert it into the pipe. Push the bag as far into the pipe as you can but don\u2019t force it.<\/p>\n

Once you turn on the water, the blow bag fills up and then water bursts out \u2014 creating a hydro jet like water pressure \u2014 forcing the clog out the other end.<\/p>\n

Sometimes this works to clear out a clog, sometimes it doesn\u2019t. It really does depend on the severity of the clog.<\/p>\n

How To Keep Your Yard Drain from Clogging<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve been doing regular upkeep, you can easily prevent clogs with nothing but your hands and garden hose.<\/p>\n

Find the drain covers and remove them. Reach in and clear away any leaves or gunk at both the entrance and the exit. Then insert your garden hose at the entrance point as far as you can and turn it on to flush out any debris that is in the pipe.<\/p>\n

Once the water runs clear at the exit, you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n

This is best done around fall when you get a lot more leaves in the yard.<\/p>\n

Also periodically check your outside drain covers for leaves. Just clear them away so water can enter the pipe and before they get a chance to break down and get into the drain.<\/p>\n

Should You Use Cleaning Chemicals for Your Outside Drain?<\/h2>\n

I don\u2019t recommend the use of drain cleaning chemicals.<\/p>\n

First, most\u00a0drain cleaners<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 for outside or inside pipes \u2014 contain acids which end up damaging your pipes. They are made to eat away at whatever is built up inside your pipes. But they can also eat away at your pipe.<\/p>\n

Not to mention, if not handled properly, these products often are made up of chemicals that can also be dangerous to you.<\/p>\n

Additionally, when you use these, they drain into the city\u2019s water system through storm drains, etc. The water from the storm drains typically doesn\u2019t go to a treatment facility first. It instead flows directly into the closest body of water taking these chemicals with them.<\/p>\n

How Much Does It Cost to Clear a Clogged Outdoor Drain?<\/h2>\n

It depends.<\/p>\n

If you do it yourself \u2014 and you know what you\u2019re doing \u2014 you\u2019re spending your time and whatever it costs to buy or rent the equipment you need which will vary depending on your location.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned before, this isn\u2019t really a plumbing problem. So if you call a plumber, it\u2019s going to cost you more than if you called a drainage expert.<\/p>\n

It is my recommendation that you call a drainage expert. They will be able to better assess your specific situation and already have the experience and the equipment to deal with it.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s always better to call someone who deals with the problems you\u2019re experiencing day in and day out. The experience and knowledge alone is worth it.<\/p>\n

More Questions?<\/h2>\n

As always, if you have any questions about anything you read on the blog, we\u2019re here for you. If you aren\u2019t sure your problem is plumbing or not, we can help you figure that out.<\/p>\n

Give us a call at 972-494-1750, or email service@inhouseplumbingcompany.com.<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So if you\u2019ve noticed standing water in your yard after a rainstorm, it\u2019s possible you have a clogged outdoor underground drain. I briefly addressed this previously in a post about\u00a0water pooling in your home or yard. And while you might think it would be, it isn\u2019t really a plumbing issue. It\u2019s a drainage issue. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3289,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uncategorized","entry","override"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bigwesttemp.com\/inhouseplumbing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bigwesttemp.com\/inhouseplumbing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bigwesttemp.com\/inhouseplumbing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bigwesttemp.com\/inhouseplumbing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bigwesttemp.com\/inhouseplumbing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3283"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bigwesttemp.com\/inhouseplumbing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3283\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bigwesttemp.com\/inhouseplumbing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bigwesttemp.com\/inhouseplumbing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bigwesttemp.com\/inhouseplumbing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}