I learned something about drainage systems today

[trailmix 77]

But trailmix, does this warrant a whole thread?? No, but that's not stopping the trailmix.

House owner tells me they have recently buried the drainage pipe for the washing machine - she hopes it works ok.

I do my first bit of washing here and the water comes gurgling out of the ground. I think this is not normal and I call her. She calls me back to tell me this is how it is supposed to work - it is called a 'french drain'.

Well, with what little reading I have done, this seems like it's probably not installed in an ideal manner and it also seems like a bad idea (although easy!).

See with this drain the water comes out of the ground and runs toward the side of the house...that just does not make sense.

[zyggy 9]

But trailmix, does this warrant a whole thread?? No, but that's not stopping the trailmix.

House owner tells me they have recently buried the drainage pipe for the washing machine - she hopes it works ok.

I do my first bit of washing here and the water comes gurgling out of the ground. I think this is not normal and I call her. She calls me back to tell me this is how it is supposed to work - it is called a 'french drain'.

Well, with what little reading I have done, this seems like it's probably not installed in an ideal manner and it also seems like a bad idea (although easy!).

See with this drain the water comes out of the ground and runs toward the side of the house...that just does not make sense.

As a licensed professional engineer (I'm even licensed in Florida, although I don't live there) I can tell you that's not how a French drain or "greywater system" is supposed to work. A greywater system is usually composed of an area of pea gravel which is covered by topsoil and is designed to be large enough to hold the greywater in the voids in the pea gravel until the greywater percolates into the less permeable natural subgrade. The greywater system needs to be large enough to allow the water to stay underground and percolate into the underlying soil. If you're seeing the water coming out of the ground, it's not built correctly. It probably needs to be made larger or it has silted up for various reasons. The design is like a septic field light.

If you have a septic system for your sewage, haveing a seperate gerywater system is definitely NOT a bad idea. As the detergents and excess water from the greywater sources adversely impact how the septic works. If you have a normal municipal sanitary sewage system, then having a greywater system in your community is probably illegal. They probably constructed the greywater system since they probably didn't want to pay to hook up the laundry to the sanitary sewer.

You need to get a geotechnical engineer to do some forensic work to determine the underlying permeability of the soil and design a greywater system that will be large enough to keep the greywater underground. If you want it done right, it won't be cheap. If you live in a place that has frost issues or expansive soil issues, you definitely want this taken care of. If the greywater is flowing back to your foundation, it could result in some significant damage to your house.

If you just bought the house, I'm surprised your home inspector didn't mention anything about it.

Edited October 21, 2008 by zyggy

[trailmix 77]

But trailmix, does this warrant a whole thread?? No, but that's not stopping the trailmix.

House owner tells me they have recently buried the drainage pipe for the washing machine - she hopes it works ok.

I do my first bit of washing here and the water comes gurgling out of the ground. I think this is not normal and I call her. She calls me back to tell me this is how it is supposed to work - it is called a 'french drain'.

Well, with what little reading I have done, this seems like it's probably not installed in an ideal manner and it also seems like a bad idea (although easy!).

See with this drain the water comes out of the ground and runs toward the side of the house...that just does not make sense.

THat's not how a French drain or "greywater system" is supposed to work. It is an area of pea gravel that is large enough to hold the greywater until it percolates into the less permeable subgrade. The greywater system needs to be large enough to allow the water to stay underground and percolate into the underlying soil. If you're seeing the water coming out of the ground, it's not built correctly. It probably needs to be made larger or it has silted up for various reasons.

You need to get a geotechnical engineer to do some forensic work to determine the underlying permeability of the soil and design a greywater system that will be large enough to keep the greywater underground. If you want it done right, it won't be cheap. If you live in a place that has frost issues or expansive soil issues, you definitely want this taken care of. If the greywater is flowing back to your foundation, it could result in some significant damage to your house.

If you just bought the house, I'm surprised your home inspector didn't mention anything about it.

This isn't our house

Edited October 21, 2008 by trailmix

[zyggy 9]

But trailmix, does this warrant a whole thread?? No, but that's not stopping the trailmix.

House owner tells me they have recently buried the drainage pipe for the washing machine - she hopes it works ok.

I do my first bit of washing here and the water comes gurgling out of the ground. I think this is not normal and I call her. She calls me back to tell me this is how it is supposed to work - it is called a 'french drain'.

Well, with what little reading I have done, this seems like it's probably not installed in an ideal manner and it also seems like a bad idea (although easy!).

See with this drain the water comes out of the ground and runs toward the side of the house...that just does not make sense.

THat's not how a French drain or "greywater system" is supposed to work. It is an area of pea gravel that is large enough to hold the greywater until it percolates into the less permeable subgrade. The greywater system needs to be large enough to allow the water to stay underground and percolate into the underlying soil. If you're seeing the water coming out of the ground, it's not built correctly. It probably needs to be made larger or it has silted up for various reasons.

You need to get a geotechnical engineer to do some forensic work to determine the underlying permeability of the soil and design a greywater system that will be large enough to keep the greywater underground. If you want it done right, it won't be cheap. If you live in a place that has frost issues or expansive soil issues, you definitely want this taken care of. If the greywater is flowing back to your foundation, it could result in some significant damage to your house.

If you just bought the house, I'm surprised your home inspector didn't mention anything about it.

This isn't our house

Well then it's not your problem is it other then your yard will probably be a perpetual swamp. Be glad that it is not. However, now that I think about it, it could result in water damage and mold in the house if the water is draining toward the house and continually makes the house wet. Keep an eye on it to see if the wood on the outside of the house gets wet, if it does, let your landlord know. They'll have to do something about it.

Edited October 21, 2008 by zyggy

[trailmix 77]

Well then it's not your problem is it other then your yard will probably be a perpetual swamp. Be glad that it is not. However, now that I think about it, it could result in water damage and mold in the house if the water is draining toward the house and continually makes the house wet. Keep an eye on it to see if the wood on the outside of the house gets wet, if it does, let your landlord know. They'll have to do something about it.

[Krikit 1,165]

Well that should make for a pretty yucky grass-cutting experience. I hope they have a lawn service.

[Emancipation 2]

Zyggy also is an engineer?? Is there no end to this man's talents?

[trailmix 77]

Well that should make for a pretty yucky grass-cutting experience. I hope they have a lawn service.

Well she agreed to provide lawn service for 1 month woot woot!

Then I will hire someone.

She has completely refurbished this place (well almost) and is hell bent on not spending one more cent on it - which I can understand in a way.

I told her the water was 'gurgling' all over the lawn, so I don't think there is any way she could have misunderstood.

Oh and it doesn't stay wet out there, it immediately soaks it up...who knows, it's all very foreign...i've never lived anywhere that didn't have proper plumbing

Edited October 21, 2008 by trailmix

[Krikit 1,165]

Oh and it doesn't stay wet out there, it immediately soaks it up...who knows, it's all very foreign...i've never lived anywhere that didn't have proper plumbing

[Dakine 26]

But trailmix, does this warrant a whole thread?? No, but that's not stopping the trailmix.

House owner tells me they have recently buried the drainage pipe for the washing machine - she hopes it works ok.

I do my first bit of washing here and the water comes gurgling out of the ground. I think this is not normal and I call her. She calls me back to tell me this is how it is supposed to work - it is called a 'french drain'.

Well, with what little reading I have done, this seems like it's probably not installed in an ideal manner and it also seems like a bad idea (although easy!).

See with this drain the water comes out of the ground and runs toward the side of the house...that just does not make sense.

Bury a 50 gallon drum with holes in it! Or an Infiltrator.

Edited October 21, 2008 by Haole

[MrsCat 6]

But trailmix, does this warrant a whole thread?? No, but that's not stopping the trailmix.

House owner tells me they have recently buried the drainage pipe for the washing machine - she hopes it works ok.

I do my first bit of washing here and the water comes gurgling out of the ground. I think this is not normal and I call her. She calls me back to tell me this is how it is supposed to work - it is called a 'french drain'.

Well, with what little reading I have done, this seems like it's probably not installed in an ideal manner and it also seems like a bad idea (although easy!).

See with this drain the water comes out of the ground and runs toward the side of the house...that just does not make sense.

Bury a 50 gallon drum with holes in it! Or an Infiltrator.

Wow - perpetual swamp is right!

At least the sewage drain doesn't work that way?! I hope its not hooked up that way either, or I would demand lawn service cause I wouldn't be walking on that lawn. Get some booties for kitty trailmixes too if they go outdoors.

[trailmix 77]

But trailmix, does this warrant a whole thread?? No, but that's not stopping the trailmix.

House owner tells me they have recently buried the drainage pipe for the washing machine - she hopes it works ok.

I do my first bit of washing here and the water comes gurgling out of the ground. I think this is not normal and I call her. She calls me back to tell me this is how it is supposed to work - it is called a 'french drain'.

Well, with what little reading I have done, this seems like it's probably not installed in an ideal manner and it also seems like a bad idea (although easy!).

See with this drain the water comes out of the ground and runs toward the side of the house...that just does not make sense.

Bury a 50 gallon drum with holes in it! Or an Infiltrator.

Wow - perpetual swamp is right!

At least the sewage drain doesn't work that way?! I hope its not hooked up that way either, or I would demand lawn service cause I wouldn't be walking on that lawn. Get some booties for kitty trailmixes too if they go outdoors.

Oh, that made me really laugh ty catt

[zyggy 9]

Zyggy also is an engineer?? Is there no end to this man's talents?

Yeah.. I'm an engineer thanks to my service in CBP.. it helped pay for my real education. Although working there was an education into itself. Work midnights, slave away in class during the day. Ahh to be young and be able to get by on 5 hours sleep all the time. In this economy, maybe border law enforcement was the better choice

Trailmix.. is your house on septic?

Edited October 21, 2008 by zyggy

[Ban Hammer 13,570]

the french drains i'm used to are generally just a line of gravel under the soil.

this house i'm in has a graywater system, which is way different than a french drain. basically a 55 gallon drum filled with gravel, lots of holes in the drum, pipe runs underground to the top of the buried drum and the water runs into the rocks and then seeps into the soil.

sounds like whoever put that system in at the house you are currently in didn't do things right.

[trailmix 77]

the french drains i'm used to are generally just a line of gravel under the soil.

this house i'm in has a graywater system, which is way different than a french drain. basically a 55 gallon drum filled with gravel, lots of holes in the drum, pipe runs underground to the top of the buried drum and the water runs into the rocks and then seeps into the soil.

sounds like whoever put that system in at the house you are currently in didn't do things right.

Hi Zyggy, yes apparently it does have a septic tank, so she told me today.

You are right of course Charles, it's just a shoddy job.