Storm Sewer Discharge Freezing

[Rapidrl]

We are piping the rainwater drainage from a building to an adjacent gully and have problems during the winter. During the occasional mild winter day (Ontario, Canada) snow on the roof melts but water tends to back up in the rain water leaders because the end of the discharge pipe is frozen with ice. Other than heat tracing the pipe, or sending someone out daily to remove the ice from the end of the pipe, is there any other possible solution to this problem?

Thanks for any input.

 

[jdonville]

Rapidrl,

I have the same problem with some of the downspouts on my house here in Ohio. The biggest problem occurs with the downspout located on the northwest corner of the house. I have the idea that if I could convince my wife to let me install a black or brown downspout, that the problem would be a little more self-correcting.

The theory I have is that I just need to have a little more solar warming of the downspout to keep enough cross-section open to permit the gutters to drain (and not overflow some place else). My downspout is currently metal painted white.

The beauty of this is that if it is too cloudy to melt the snow/ice on my roof, then it doesn't matter much if the water inside the downspout is partially frozen.

The issue then becomes do you have enough solar energy warming the pipe to keep the contents liquid when you have inflows.

Jeff

 

[CarlB]

If a section of pipe is below the frost zone, you could use a section of perforated pipe surrounded by gravel to handle low flows.

If you heat trace, you may have to extend heat trace downstream some distance (possibly in a surface conduit for protection).

 

[RDK]

We often will use a discharge pipe with one side open. (A gutter installed vertically for a visual idea of what we do.)

This allows flow if there is blockage to the pipe.

Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion

http://www.kitsonengineering.com