Back yard patio drainage & vent

I am having the same problem with not discernible reason why. The City has been on my block for years ripping stuff out and I do not have any trees near me. I have had my downspout and my basement lines scoped and they have seen no problem. Then they advise me to call the City and when they finally made it out their only suggestion was to allow the to rip up my front sidewalk and yard bluestone. Hard pass. So when it rains it literally pours.

BKALLDAY

in Plumbing 2 years and 10 months ago

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oxalis100

in Plumbing 2 years and 10 months ago

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Hi everyone. We’ve been dealing with water not draining and subsequently building up in our back patio in the backyard, to the extent where it can rise 6-8 inches in heavy downpours (there are also the two lowest drains in our plumbing system). The plumbing and drains are all new, and I’m curious if the issue is my plumbing or the volume of water in the city system. (I do not get any back up in the house waste system.) I am curious if there might not be sufficient venting to allow the water to flow out to the main sewer? The system we have involves two rear ground drains and the roof drain all joining in the rear of the basement below grade, and then traveling the length of the basement, where they join with the house water waste line (it has the vent to the exterior) and then passes through a u trap to the city sewer. There is also a front drain under the stoop that is 6-10 inches higher, but that never floods. Should there there be an additional vent in the rear of the system – would that help the situation?

ceci | 2 years and 10 months ago

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Would a dry well in back patio help?

oxalis100

in Plumbing 2 years and 10 months ago

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There’s too much water in the peak moments for it to be able to be managed by a dry well. We are exploring adding a french drain and re-routing water to the rear of the yard, but that requires extensive yard excavation.

simpkins1970 | 2 years and 10 months ago

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Sounds like an issue with volume. Can also be an issue with the city sewer if it is too small, broken or backed up! I always call 311 to clean the sewer to be safe!

dorkofwindsor | 2 years and 10 months ago

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Do you have a tree out front and an old main drain that runs from the trap to the street? Root obstructions are very common in that scenario could be slowing down heavy flow and causing backup. You can sometimes diagnose with your ear near a vent or drain, if someone flushes a few times you will hear a gurgling or pressure chug (for lack of a better term). if you hear that, you may have a partial obstruction and time for clearing and treating.

if your main drain to the street is new, then the issue could be in the street or in your system.

andriywww1990 | 2 years and 10 months ago

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My first inclination would be what dork says. Less so what brad says.

oxalis100

in Plumbing 2 years and 10 months ago

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Thanks for the follow ups. No tree in front and I had the connection to the main scoped last year – no issues there. They did mention that the connection to the main is at a slightly odd angle and height. Would getting a plumber to review the system be a next logical step?

jdever755 | 2 years and 10 months ago

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I would agree with Brad as well, seems most logical!

andriywww1990 | 2 years and 10 months ago

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If the neighbors are not having these issues, i would not consider calling 311.

andriywww1990 | 2 years and 10 months ago

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The reason i would not do what brad suggests is, if you call the city and they come to think you have a physical problem with your waste line, you risk having them direct you to take action that most people would try to delay or avoid altogether. The city often makes poor judgements about things and are very quick to assign blame to homeowners. For this reason, only call the city as a last resort and only when you come to know a problem is theirs.

dorkofwindsor | 2 years and 10 months ago

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you could vent your gutter leader, it may improve flow on very heavy days depending on your leader diameter. I’ve seen PVC wye vents, but I am still looking for a metal one for typical NYC leaders – if anyone knows of any I would be grateful, as I am considering this as well. I’ve seen large cast iron commercial ones on the Y armory in the south slope, but not in the wild for residential.
[Polydrain-wye-downspout-adapter](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s1/:brownstoner:qD9Y:polydrainwyedownspoutadapter.jpg.jpg)