Drains - length necessary & identification?

[Burke_B]

Hello all!

Not sure if this is the appropriate place for this question but.....

As shared elsewhere, we recently purchased a home with our first pool. Landscaping was not a priority for the previous owners - maybe they were too busy enjoying the pool.

These three pipes extend out the side of the patio on one end of the pool. One of the small ones is for the pool overflow (photo #1). The other (photo #2) is for the patio drain. I have yet to see anything come out of the larger one (photo #3) but, based on the washout, it appears that something does drain from there on occasion.

Anyone have any idea what the larger one might be for? As we work on the landscaping (grass or something), any reason I couldn't cut those off to be closer to the edge of the slab or maybe even flush? If not flush but okay to cut, how much should I leave?

Thanks!

 

[HermanTX]

That large one (#3) looks like drain line from the pool plumbing since it has a big washout area which may be created by high volume flow from your pump. Do you have a valve on your equipment pad for draining?

I would not cut them flush as that could cause erosion around the end of those pipes over time. Maybe you can place a planter or some other lawn ornament around them to void a tripping hazard.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Burke,

If your decking has any deck drains, they have to go somewhere. My roof gutters are tied into my deck drains.

An overflow from the pool maybe?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Burke_B]

That large one (#3) looks like drain line from the pool plumbing since it has a big washout area which may be created by high volume flow from your pump. Do you have a valve on your equipment pad for draining?

I thought that might be the case as well but if there is a valve that would just dump the pool water to the ground via that pipe, I haven't figure out which one it might be. I also asked my brother who has owned two in ground pools and he also doesn't believe that is a pool drain. I have attached a couple pics of my pool pad. As you can see, there is one labeled spa drain and one labeled pool drain. Both of those are on the intake side of the pump.

I would not cut them flush as that could cause erosion around the end of those pipes over time. Maybe you can place a planter or some other lawn ornament around them to void a tripping hazard.

That was the plan, or maybe build a flower box around them, if we can't cut them off some.

 

[Burke_B]

Burke,

If your decking has any deck drains, they have to go somewhere. My roof gutters are tied into my deck drains.

That is what the one in the corner is for sure (photo #2) as I have let water run in the deck drains (what I previously called patio drains) for a bit and water eventually starts flowing from that one but I have not yet seen anything from the large one. Maybe I haven't pushed enough water through the deck drains yet for it need both exits. It has been terribly dry down. We do have one gutter that exits right above a deck drain. One of the projects on my "to do" list is to attempt to replace that section of the gutter so that I can send the gutter water off the side of the house rather than the patio.

An overflow from the pool maybe?

Thanks,

Jim R.

Photo #1 is definitely the pool overflow as I have splashed enough water toward it while in the pool for some to eventually trickle out there.

Thanks to you both for your thoughts!

 

[jedigrover]

Hello all!

Not sure if this is the appropriate place for this question but.....

As shared elsewhere, we recently purchased a home with our first pool. Landscaping was not a priority for the previous owners - maybe they were too busy enjoying the pool.

These three pipes extend out the side of the patio on one end of the pool. One of the small ones is for the pool overflow (photo #1). The other (photo #2) is for the patio drain. I have yet to see anything come out of the larger one (photo #3) but, based on the washout, it appears that something does drain from there on occasion.

Anyone have any idea what the larger one might be for? As we work on the landscaping (grass or something), any reason I couldn't cut those off to be closer to the edge of the slab or maybe even flush? If not flush but okay to cut, how much should I leave?

Thanks!

View attachment 424669View attachment 424671View attachment 424672

Do you have roof gutters? See if any of the downspouts are plumbed into a pipe that goes underground.

 

[Burke_B]

Do you have roof gutters? See if any of the downspouts are plumbed into a pipe that goes underground.

I do. I have two gutter "exits" on the back side of the house. The one mentioned in post #5 above just dumps out above one of the deck drains. The other one on the right side of the the attached pic, as best as I can tell without pulling boards, dumps below the wood decking to just drain to the dirt that is below that wood. I can see bare dirt down through the opening around the down spout and think I could see a pipe opening below that spout if one were there. However, your question has me wondering if there is an "uphill" opening to that large pipe somewhere in the edge of the slab that butts up against that wood decking to allow water that might accumulate in that area to exit through that pipe rather than pooling there. That wood decking area is on the uphill side of the lot so that would make sense. Why they didn't go ahead and lay patio slab where that wood decking is when they installed the pool and poured the other patio slab is a bit perplexing to me. Maybe that was a cost containment decision at the time but replacing that wood decking with a slab that matches the rest of the patio decking is on my "under consideration" list.



Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[jedigrover]

My other thought is that if you have multiple deck drains, they may not be plumbed together. Check them independently to see if they both drain out the same pipe.

My deck has 5 drains, and 2 downspouts plumbed in. The drains near the raised spa and downspouts go to one drain line and the ones around the main pool body go to another drain line. In my case, it was just a consequence of where the drain lines could be run. Mine empty to a paved alleyway. I pity the poor folks driving down the alleyway during a downpour because with the water from the gutters, it shoots water 1/2 way across the alley.

 

[HermanTX]

I thought that might be the case as well but if there is a valve that would just dump the pool water to the ground via that pipe, I haven't figure out which one it might be. I also asked my brother who has owned two in ground pools and he also doesn't believe that is a pool drain. I have attached a couple pics of my pool pad. As you can see, there is one labeled spa drain and one labeled pool drain. Both of those are on the intake side of the pump.

View attachment 424745
View attachment 424746

That was the plan, or maybe build a flower box around them, if we can't cut them off some.

Thanks for the pictures. Based on what I can see there does not appear to be a line to a drain line. Therefore, as others have indicated, it may be a connection to your roof downspouts. Guess you need to get out in the rain to confirm that, or put your hose on your roof for several minutes to see where they drain to.

 

[Burke_B]

My other thought is that if you have multiple deck drains, they may not be plumbed together. Check them independently to see if they both drain out the same pipe.

My deck has 5 drains, and 2 downspouts plumbed in. The drains near the raised spa and downspouts go to one drain line and the ones around the main pool body go to another drain line. In my case, it was just a consequence of where the drain lines could be run. Mine empty to a paved alleyway. I pity the poor folks driving down the alleyway during a downpour because with the water from the gutters, it shoots water 1/2 way across the alley.

I have a total of two sections of deck drain. The other one is to the right in the above picture but meets the one you can see at the right end to form an "L" shape. I have put some water down both legs of the L and still only get water out of the one pipe. Though I could still be wrong, I am thinking a drain for the area under the wood is the most likely reason for the larger pipe.

Two of the three pipes exit just a few feet from my lot line and would dump water right into my neighbor's yard with heavy drainage. He has mentioned it to me. I wish there were an easy (fairly inexpensive) way to prevent that. I may get a quote for connecting them all to an underground drain to the curb at the front or something.

 

[Burke_B]

Guess you need to get out in the rain to confirm that, or put your hose on your roof for several minutes to see where they drain to.

I would welcome the opportunity for me to go out there in a downpour and check them!

 

[Newdude]

I would welcome the opportunity for me to go out there in a downpour and check them!

Trust me you want confirmation that they drain well when it's nice out. You have thoughts that landscaping wasn't important to the old home owners. Imagine how concerned they were about maintaining the gutters and the inside of the drain pipe when they can't even see any if that.

Both could be blocked up or the gutters filled with dirt/ moss / birds nests. It's best to inspect the gutters by eye if you are comfortable on a ladder. No need to go on the roof, but you'll have to have your head just high enough to look down the gutter troughs. Then run the hose through it for a while to verify it flows freely.

 

[Burke_B]

Trust me you want confirmation that they drain well when it's nice out. You have thoughts that landscaping wasn't important to the old home owners. Imagine how concerned they were about maintaining the gutters and the inside of the drain pipe when they can't even see any if that.

Both could be blocked up or the gutters filled with dirt/ moss / birds nests. It's best to inspect the gutters by eye if you are comfortable on a ladder. No need to go on the roof, but you'll have to have your head just high enough to look down the gutter troughs. Then run the hose through it for a while to verify it flows freely.

Understood. My comment was mostly in jest as we could really use a good rain. Like our members on the west coast.

 

[Newdude]

My comment was mostly in jest

Oh yeah. I got that part.

I had years 15 years of gutter clogs with 80 oaks on an acre. It's still a rather sore subject.

Protip: you want to be the reason you find out any of the gutters aren't working well. You do not want the big storm to be the reason you find out.