Underground Gutter Overflow

Elisa bernick associate editor.

Underground gutter overflow.

Make sure your gutter downspouts discharge water at least 10 ft. Debris flowing down the downspout drain leaves from gutters can block floor drains or even the main building sewer line leading to sewage backups into the structure. It s a well accepted fact that excess rain water near the foundation of a home is an invitation to a wet basement. If you are experiencing pooling in your yard or areas where your underground gutter drain is installed you may have a clog causing the drain to leak.

You could put the downspout into a rain barrel system to collect the rain water and have an overflow so when it fills it dumps into the newly added washout. Clogged underground drain systems can cause water to overflow in your gutter and eventually rot the fascia board behind your gutter. Another sign is rain water overflowing the gutters even after a cleaning has been performed. Turn on a garden hose to its most powerful setting and run water through the drain pipe.

Debris flowing down a downspout drain that has been foolishly connected to the building foundation drain system can block that drain leading to basement flooding from either roof runoff or surface and subsurface runoff or both. Others have vertical pipes that either connect to a drain or run directly into the ground itself. It s the most common reason for overflowing gutters. Remove the guard at the other end of the drain pipe if there is one.

A clog in the downspout gutter or along the gutter itself can cause the water to backup and overflow. If the gutters are clogged enough the weight of the debris can cause the gutter to pull away from the fascia board which also causes damage. Check to see if water and debris come out the other end of the pipe. And thankfully it s relatively easy to fix more on this topic below.

A sagging downspout gutter will cause the water to pool along the length of the gutter without ever reaching the downspout. If yours don t consider adding extensions in addition to a rain barrel downspout diverter. Some houses use downspouts that direct the flow of water downhill or down a slanted driveway. Sometimes the clog can be spotted from the opening of the drain.

Leaves shingle granules sticks from broken tree limbs even plastic bags all of them frequently find their way into your gutters. From your home to prevent water damage to your basement and foundation. A potential hidden problem. You could possibly install a small turbine in the downspouts and generate some emergency electricity for power shortages.

There are different ways that you can channel the water in your gutters away from your home. Identifying the cause is the first step to repairing your gutters. Common potential problems include.