Maintaining Your Underground Drains
My Mission: To educate my customers on how to achieve the perfect lawn and landscaping.
To keep your drainage system running at peak performance, a little bit of ground-level maintenance goes a long way. Since this system is designed to keep you off the roof, you only need to check a few key areas:
The Wye Clean-Out (Leaves & Debris)
-
Located right where your gutter connects to the ground, the Wye adapter is your main access point for clearing organic debris. If you ever notice a backup of leaves or twigs, you can easily open this port and use a garden hose to flush the line out. This ensures the pipe stays clear without you ever having to climb a ladder.
The Bullet Basin (Shingle Gravel Trap)
-
Depending on your specific installation and the length of the run, a 6-inch bullet basin may have been installed as a "grit trap." This basin is designed to catch heavy shingle granules before they can settle in your pipes. If your system includes this feature, you should pop the cap every few years and use a shop vacuum to remove the collected gravel from the bottom of the basin.
The Pop-Up Emitter (Root & Grass Maintenance)
-
The pop-up emitter is where the water finally exits into your yard. Because the area stays moist, it is important to check the emitter a couple of times during the grass-growing season. Grass roots can grow into the openings or thick turf can grow over the lid, potentially pinning it shut. Just ensure the lid moves freely and pull or cut out any roots you see so the water can flow out unobstructed.