Sump Pump Horizontal Distance?

[Kubstix]

Zoeller N53 pump
4-5 Foot Vertical pump

How far horizontal can I go if I dig a trench about 40 feet to the back yard and put one of those sprinkler heads at the end? And how much do I have to worry about the pipe freezing living in Northeastern PA Winters? Can't get an accurate answer as to horizontal pumping distance. Open to any suggestions as well too.

 

[Reach4]

4 or 5 ft vertical rise to the end of the pipe, or what?

Sprinkler, I think no. Pop-up, maybe.

You would need for the pipe to drain to avoid freezing.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Kubstix]

4 or 5 ft vertical rise to the end of the pipe, or what?

Sprinkler, I think no. Pop-up, maybe.

You would need for the pipe to drain to avoid freezing.

My neighbor made a comment today about me dumping in between our houses. We aren't feuding or anything so I'd just like to get it cleared up. So based off this picture, I would say I am vertical 4 feet, out through the block, 90 degree towards the ground, 90 degree out in the yard. I mean total pipe length of all this right now is probably between 6-8 feet currently. I have no pitch right now to go anywhere with this pipe back or front of yard. I don't really know what my options are? But I am guessing if I chose to bury it, I had to go below the frost line? So not only would I add horizontal 40 feet, then yeah I guess I have to come up 4 feet to a popup too then?

 

[Reach4]

My neighbor made a comment today about me dumping in between our houses. We aren't feuding or anything so I'd just like to get it cleared up. So based off this picture, I would say I am vertical 4 feet, out through the block, 90 degree towards the ground, 90 degree out in the yard. I mean total pipe length of all this right now is probably between 6-8 feet currently. I have no pitch right now to go anywhere with this pipe back or front of yard. I don't really know what my options are? But I am guessing if I chose to bury it, I had to go below the frost line?

My comments here are thoughts not based on much experience:
Not usually below the frost line. I don't know in practice how often this becomes a problem, but if the water can drain back out between pumping sessions, I expect you would be OK. So ideally, the water would come out to a ditch, and the path would slope downward, even a little.

I would think your ground water gets much less in the winter.

So sprinkler is not what you are looking for.

There is another thing called a dry well. Big hole filled with gravel. Water dumps there, and works its way into the ground. The ground water is going to have some warmth.

 

[Kubstix]

My comments here are thoughts not based on much experience:
Not usually below the frost line. I don't know in practice how often this becomes a problem, but if the water can drain back out between pumping sessions, I expect you would be OK. So ideally, the water would come out to a ditch, and the path would slope downward, even a little.

I would think your ground water gets much less in the winter.

So sprinkler is not what you are looking for.

There is another thing called a dry well. Big hole filled with gravel. Water dumps there, and works its way into the ground. The ground water is going to have some warmth.

I think I could make that happen. Very much less in the winter, and even the summer. It's mostly just March/April when ground thaws and we start getting heavy rains. Right now I got a nice pitch going to the backyard compared to between our houses. I suspect if I need to go more, I may need to put some more dirt on the side of the house, but I could make it work.

One more question.....how does it work if say I did a pop up? Is it my understanding that obviously the pumps pressure will pop it up, but after the pump stops will the weight of the water on the 3 foot straight down drop following by the slight downhill pitch of the pipe be able to keep the pop open and drain most of the pipe?

A dry well I think might be our last option, If he isn't happy with this, I will ask if he wants to go halves on renting a trencher and just doing a gravity trench drain all the way in the back of the house where we have leverage. Thank you for your responses.

 

[Jadnashua]

If you turn the outlet vertical to then put in a pop-up, that means that the line would not drain, and it would likely be damaged by freezing.

If the line can drain, freezing should not be an issue except if where it exits the house if that's above ground. OFten, there's a check valve on the vertical section so that all doesn't just flow back into the sump when it stops. That means that any portion that is going up will retain water.

If you could exit beneath ground and then have slope out, it should work.

Horizontal distance is not an issue when the end is open. What's important is the vertical (head) of how high the pump needs to push the water. Once it's pushed it up to the horizontal output, and you've got decent slope to that line, gravity takes over.

 

[Reach4]

One more question.....how does it work if say I did a pop up? Is it my understanding that obviously the pumps pressure will pop it up, but after the pump stops will the weight of the water on the 3 foot straight down drop following by the slight downhill pitch of the pipe be able to keep the pop open and drain most of the pipe?

I think you might put some holes in the end over some gravel to let the residual water leak out.

 

[Jadnashua]

THere is a pressure that develops due to elevation changes, but it's not all that much in total for your situation. It amounts to only 0.43# per foot of elevation drop. I seriously doubt it would have enough pressure to open a popup unless the pump was on, thus, assuming the pop up actually goes up, it isn't going to happen, as that vertical section at the end would negate most if not all of the effects of gravity on the water left in the line in the distance you have. Say you went out 40', at the recommended 1/4"/foot, that's a 10" drop, so a little over 0.3# of water pressure, and less if you then turned the pipe up to maybe nothing. A small weep hole at the point it went up might, but if it were really cold out, could easily freeze, especially if it were above ground.

You really need the line to drain with no water left when the pump turns off. Draining it into a dry well is probably your best bet. But, since that puts it back into the ground nearby the house, you might just end up pumping the same water over and over again!

The first thing that should be looked at is the grade around the house. FOr at least 6' or so, it should slope away from the house. THen, if there are any gutters, those should not dump their output right next to the foundation - you'd want that to go out a ways. There are some devices that unroll you can put at the drain spout to move that water out further away from the house if you can't do something fixed.

FWIW, the house were I grew up pumped the water up maybe 7' and then it turned horizontal and ran nearly 100'. It emptied into a drainage ditch, so the line drained whenever the pump turned off. Never had any problems except when the power went off! We lived maybe 1/4-mile from the town's spring fed water supply, so the water table was really high. The pump ran most of the year, even through the winter. It only stopped if we ended up in a drought.