Confusing Downspout Drainage

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

We bought a house 6 months ago, and due to rainwater issues in our basement (fun!), I have been trying to understand where all our rainwater drainage leads to. One of downspouts in particular has been elusive...

It goes down the side of our house into a hole in the ground. It then takes a 90 degree turn away from the house. So far, so good.

But then, when it hits our freestanding deck about 7 feet away, I see:

The white PVC pipe leading away under the deck
a black PVC pipe sticking out in the opposite direction towards the house!

I ran water down the downspout with a hose and water eventually came out of the black pipe. (It’s how discovered it).

Does anyone with experience in drainage have any ideas what might be going on here? I suspect it’s highly unusual to have rainwater sent back towards the house but I’m new to all of this.

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Comments (5)

User
5 years ago
I concur, re plumb it.
Noah Davis thanked User
cat_ky
5 years ago
Yes, redo it and get it drained away from the house. It could very well be putting water into your basement. I would check all the others too, since someone obviously didnt know quite what they were doing.
Noah Davis thanked cat_ky
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Noah Davis
Original Author
5 years ago
Perhaps I’m new to home ownership, but I spend a lot of time scratching my head asking “but why?!?”
3onthetree
5 years ago
Maybe the black was from another existing downspout or had a catch basin for a patio, they connected the PVC white pipe to the black pipe before they built the deck over it and somewhere along ownership the catch basin was cut out and the black pipe was forgotten about.
Noah Davis thanked 3onthetree
cat_ky
5 years ago
I ask why all the time. I dont think there are answers, as to why someone installed a door backwards, or why they put a replacement door in that opens the wrong direction, and any number of things. Maybe its just to annoy new homeowners, because they know they will get replaced. Oh and one good one, they also had the dining room storms off, presumably to clean, and installed them upside down. It is what it is, and new home owners just deal with it.
Noah Davis thanked cat_ky