Drain pipe to nowhere

rebs333

I have a drainpipe that goes down the side of my house and then just stops about 2 inches from my drive. It does not connect into any drain system, so the water just goes onto the paved drive. I realise that this is not ideal, so I contacted a couple of gutter/drain companies. One said just leave it as it wouldn't be a big problem. The other said it was something that needed sorting and said that the best remedy would be to dig up a small area of the drive and connect it to the nearest drain (there is a manhole cover about 3/4 feet away). I think I need something doing as if I left it, my drive (or house!) could eventually start to sink. Please excuse my total ignorance but is this something that should be done as soon as possible, The quote was approx £500 (to be confirmed) and I am desparately trying to get out of debt ! but I could put it on a credit card if people think it's one of those don't put it off jobs. I would appreciate any advice. Thank you

Browntoa

Just leave it 

pramsay13

The houses in my street have no front gardens. 
The front gutters have downpipes in front of the house, and around half of them don't meet the pavement, they simply empty the rainwater onto the pavement. Most of them have a 90 degree bend on the end to make sure the rainwater moves away from the house.
I would add a bend on the end if there is room, otherwise just leave it.

Murmansk

As the pipe drains onto your drive, then presumably it will run away down the drive and away, just like would happen if there was a sudden big rain storm and water from the sky generally ended up on your drive. This assumes your drive is solid and slopes away from the house - if all the water from the pipe were to be going into the soil next to your house then it would present a risk of causing a cavity to open up under the house eventually and would need attending to.

FreeBear

rebs333 said: The other said it was something that needed sorting and said that the best remedy would be to dig up a small area of the drive and connect it to the nearest drain (there is a manhole cover about 3/4 feet away).

Building regs recommend a soakaway for rain water and give guidance on the distance from buildings and boundaries. It also suggests that rain water should only be discharged in to a sewer when there is no other alternative. If this manhole is part of your foul water system, then any new connection should be signed off by Building Control, and your local water company will put an extra charge on your water bill (assuming they don't already charge for rain water).

A soakaway or rain garden located within your property boundary is by far the best way of disposing of rain water - It saves money on your water bill, and reduces the pressure on the local sewerage system at times of heavy rain. Even better if you can save some of that water and use it on the flower border during the summer.

stragglebod

Get yourself a water butt and feed it through a diverter in the drainpipe.

danrv

Reading  this post has reminded me of my garage drain away.
The ground on this corner does get a bit water logged and often the concrete garage floor around here looks damp.
The vertical pipe presses into a sunken plastic tube in the ground which is full of earth. Not sure if this should be clear or whether it’s just pushed into the ground.
The square to round adapter piece needs repairing or replacing as it has a large gap in it.

The house gutter on this front side dumps rain water onto the garage roof which then drains into the pipe I’ve removed here.
Just wondering if the ground pipe needs clearing.

FreeBear

The pipe sticking up out of the ground should be clear of soil and debris. If it has just been pushed in to the ground, it is a bodge that needs fixing. If the weather is good over the weekend, get the spade out and start digging.

danrv

FreeBear said:

The pipe sticking up out of the ground should be clear of soil and debris. If it has just been pushed in to the ground, it is a bodge that needs fixing. If the weather is good over the weekend, get the spade out and start digging.

Ok, that’s great. Thanks for the reply.

greatcrested

What is your drive made of? Concrete? Shingle....? Does the water soak in or run over the top?

What is the angle of the ground? Does it slope towards the property or away ie will the rain water run away from the walls or up against them (causing damp)?

What is the hight of the drive compared to the damp proof course in the walls?

Depending on the answers, this might be an issue requiring solving, or might not be a problem at all.

Homer_home

rebs333 said:

I have a drainpipe that goes down the side of my house and then just stops about 2 inches from my drive. It does not connect into any drain system, so the water just goes onto the paved drive. I realise that this is not ideal, so I contacted a couple of gutter/drain companies. One said just leave it as it wouldn't be a big problem. The other said it was something that needed sorting and said that the best remedy would be to dig up a small area of the drive and connect it to the nearest drain (there is a manhole cover about 3/4 feet away). I think I need something doing as if I left it, my drive (or house!) could eventually start to sink. Please excuse my total ignorance but is this something that should be done as soon as possible, The quote was approx £500 (to be confirmed) and I am desparately trying to get out of debt ! but I could put it on a credit card if people think it's one of those don't put it off jobs. I would appreciate any advice. Thank you

Just leave it , I suspect it's been like that since the house was built , basically youre worrying over nothing , it's an unnecessary expense to fix something that ain't broke!