Our very own, Debby Allmon, was featured in the Kansas City Star’s Handyman section answering a reader’s question about covered downspout drains. See what she had to say about it. Here’s the reader’s question:
Q: We have four downspouts that feed into 4-inch corrugated flexible tubing. Only one had an exposed drain in the yard, and we recently discovered another one that was covered with grass. We have raised that one so that it is flush with the ground. How can I find the others that have been covered?
A: I have a couple of suggestions.
I would start with filling the downspout with water and keeping it pretty full while searching for evidence of water in the yard.
I recently read about a slight modification to this idea. Take some liquid laundry detergent and mix with water. Pour this solution into one of the downspouts and then run a garden hose into the downspout. If you see suds in the yard, you have located the drain.
These ideas have worked in some situations, but the flexible tubing is often perforated to allow water to drain out along the line, so you may not be able to identify the drain easily. There is also the possibility that the drain is clogged, which may be remedied by snaking the drain.
Debby Allmon is a certified remodeler and vice president of Schloegel Design Remodel in Kansas City.
Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/07/23/3023924/debby-allmon.html#ixzz1TE5FLXZt