Gutter draining UP for short distance?

[jdmar]

OK, I know that sounds crazy at first. But I have a unique situation. On the "low" side of my barn I want to drain the gutters over to the other side and into a creek (legal here since it is rain water). What I want to do is drop the gutters into 4-6" pipe and go underground then up a bit to get over buried lines. It will then go back down into the creek. The discharge will be below the intake point at the downspout. It would in effect be like part of a "p-trap" in a drain. I know flow might suffer. But so you think it could be done?
Peter

 

[Duffster]

No, trash like leaves and such will gather where it starts to go up hill and eventually plug it. Also the standing water will freeze and clog the pipe and eventually break it.

Can't you go under the lines?

 

[forgeblast]

how far is your run from the barn to creek? how deep are the pipe burried? what types of pipes?

 

[JB4310]

It would work OK but as Duffster said if it freezes it not only wont work but would break the pipe, and debris will settle before the riser as mentioned. You could install some type of clean out access, where you could flush the build up out.

They make these pop up drain emitters, MasTer Landscape Supply - PopUp Drainage Emitter which are a good idea for some applications but I have to laugh when I see them here in New England. They work by the same principal as your plan where the weight of the water will push up and over an obstacle. going under an obstacle would be called an inverted siphon, could also freeze, if not below the frost line. That's if you came back up to the height of the pipe before the obstacle, if you could keep the pipe at that lower grade all the way to the exit, then it would drain out and not freeze.

As long as the inlet is higher than the outlet, and the pipe is solid with tight joints it will work.

JB

 

[AHNC]

"Up a bit" is an invitation to a long term nightmare. In NE Ohio you will have freeze issues as well as the other pioints brought up. How about this. On the far side of the barn from your intended drain point, can you turn that drain line into and through the barn and tie it into the "near" side. That should gain you a bit of elevation. Will that internal pipe freeze? That will screw this idea up.

Can you open the existing line and depress it a bit to gain the needed elevation to pipe it as you have laid it out? What type of lines are they?

 

[radioman]

Sounds like a nice recipe for a headache. Sounds like you need a new downspout going down from gutter straight at angle to other side of barn to that downspout then to creek like you wanted.

 

[johng52]

A leaf separator in the down spout will help prevent debris buildup, perforated pipe at the incline will keep water from standing in the line thus stopping the pipe freeze.

 

[tommu56]

Any trap in the line above frost line will tent to freeze too and bust pipe.

Can you run across the side of the barn and tie in to the other drop pipe even if you get 1/8 per foot its better than nothing.


tom

 

[archeryantny]

Hows the soil, is it rocky?

How far must the gutter run in order to daylight or pass the obstacle?

How is the grade?

I've got an idea that could work for you, but it doesn't work in every situation. As always pics would be a huge help!

 

[Pops15]

Add me to the list that think its a bad idea. Sure you can use perforated pipe but you'll get melting snow or rain before the ground thaws which means you'll have water standing in the pipe which could freeze.
Why can't you just go under the lines?