Flooded Yard Draining - Quick, Easy, Efficient Sump Pump Drainage System

[@brucetaylor2887]

3 years old still very useful. Sign of a great video.

[@donne9768]

Great idea and video! Thanks! We just moved to our retirement home in River Valley AR last Aug. We knew it would rain a lot, but we didn't realize we owned 2 acres of deep clay soil that saturates and won't dry or drain for days or weeks in large areas. I wish I had a lake to pump it into, but I'll have to trench and clear a better route to the culvert along our driveway.

[@jills485]

Brilliant, thank you. Just the info we needed.

[@alfredkulhanek1889]

Nice video, how do you keep bucket from rising up in big rain storm? Tia

[@MrHardware1]

They don’t float, because they have holes in them and it doesn’t take long for the stone and the ground around the bucket to secure it pretty darn well.

[@mollyponfil6657]

What if I don't have a lake in my backyard? Can I pump to the road?

[@cannibal4363]

Excellent tips..... faithful watcher..

[@vizioasdf]

Do you have a video of the step by step process on how to build it?

[@matthewmorse3307]

I mean, that’s what this video was… pump in 5 gallon bucket, holes drilled in the upper half, 2 layers of fabric cloth around the outside screwed in occasionally and put it in the ground.

[@H2Obaby1978]

How deep should the hole be?

[@farhanmazharmd2441]

What kind of outlet and extension cord did u plug the pump into to avoid electrical dangers from the cord being wet

[@MrHardware1]

I plug the cord into a GFCI protected outlet.

[@MrHardware1]

I plug into a gfci receptacle, the most safety, and I keep the plugs raised above standing water.

[@lenoregorman4688]

Do you recommend I hire an electrician to check the final set up? As this pump will need to work when no one is home.

[@MrHardware1]

I never turned down an inspection when I’m doing a trade. I usually learn something besides getting a blessing from a professional.

[@peternyc]

Excellent video. Do you run this while it rains, or wait until the rain has finished?

[@MrHardware1]

It is plugged in all rainy season. If I wait until after the rain to plug it in I’ll have to wait an hour or two for it to catch up w/several inches of water.

[@John-nx9hx]

Thanks!

[@trustedguidance]

Can you please tell me where you plug this in. because this is exactly what I need to do in my yard but the plug is about ten feet away

[@blairgilbert7606]

You will need an 'air conditioner cord' or the equivalent to power the pump. They come in 6' lengths and I usually put the connection where the pump plugs into the extension on a plastic crate to keep the plug dry.

[@trustedguidance]

@@blairgilbert7606 hi Blair thanks and is it okay if the rest of the cord sits on the ground or get snowed or rained on? The extension cord I want to use is just an outdoor extension cord that I use for my lawn mower is that okay? Sorry if my questions are silly I just bought this new house and I am just learning

[@louofm1]

@@trustedguidance the cord should be safe on the ground. I would elevate the connector plugs off the ground so they don't end up under standing water. You can use a brick or block. Also, very important. I would plug your cord into a ground fault protected outlet (GFCI), if there is potential for water. That way, if something becomes unsafe, and someone touches it, the ground fault will shut off the power out to the extension cord

[@davidg5629]

Genius level. Can you fish from your lawn? That would be cool.

[@billybop17]

Hi Mr. Hardware. I have a permanent outdoor sump pit in the low part of my yard made by NDS Drainage Products which is about 36" below grade and a pump within it. Do you think the pump will be ok for the winter months in Minnesota as long as I turn off power to the pump?

[@MrHardware1]

Most yard pits don’t freeze, put a piece of foam board over the hole w/ a weight for insurance

[@billybop17]

@@MrHardware1 Thank you so much for your advice......sure appreciate it

[@stampinndahood]

3 yrs late to the party, but this what I need. Landscaper didn't grade properly so hard clay dirt floods across half of my 3000sq ft yard. Can't afford "his quote" for French drain and a friend saw this and said ya, it'll work! TY again

[@methods-SE]

Thanks

[@bk9852]

Have you ever winterized one for winter?

[@MrHardware1]

No, usually here in lower Michigan a pit in the ground will not freeze. I would place a bail of straw over the pump and it should not freeze.

[@RD-wy5dj]

Thanks for the video!

[@just_jeb]

but how did you get the water in the bucket? or is it a natural slope?

[@MrHardware1]

It is a low point in the yard but I did dig a trench parallel to the ground, used perforated pipe and stone to increase the collection area of the pit and connected it to the bucket. Sorry no video on that one.

[@peternyc]

@@MrHardware1 Would you consider making a short video explaining this process? How many perforated pipes did you connect to the bucket? How long was the pipe(s)? Did you know to do this right from the start, or did the bucket alone fail to collect enough water? Thanks in advance.

[@MrHardware1]

@@peternyc I have dug several trenches that I filled with stone and a perforated pipe and connected it into one sump pit (about a 20 gallon bucket). There is no one method, the point is to try to collect the water from the low point in your yard to the bucket. The more pipe and stone the better the system works. Even better is when you can trench the drain line to a ditch or canal and skip the pump.

[@MrHardware1]

@@peternyc I’ve been managing surface water I was a kid being on an island not much higher than the lake level. A single buck surrounded by 6” or so of stone works pretty well also.

[@peternyc]

@@MrHardware1 Thanks so much for your answers. You are so correct when you say that there is no one method for all this. One more question if it's ok with you: Do you prefer solid perforated pipe or corrugated pipe? I'm in NY and the ground freezes here, but not as bad as you guys get in Michigan.

[@gracedanio3638]

Where can we buy this equipment sir?

[@MrHardware1]

@@gracedanio3638 Gilbert hardware in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, 586-776-9532

[@dalem5097]

Ingenuous!

[@jdsnapp]

How large are holes??

[@lenoregorman4688]

What kind of sump pump do you recommend? in terms of HP, stainless steel vs. plastic. Thank you.

[@MrHardware1]

HP depends on the are you are controlling. Typical house 1/3 is fine. I use a ss impeller at a location of sand/clay that ruined a plastic impeller. Usually, almost always, a plastic works fine.

[@matt7iron]

@@MrHardware1 can i buy a ready made yard pump.

[@MrHardware1]

@@matt7iron Most small hardware stores would have no trouble supplying you with all the parts I used in this video. The hardest part is digging the hole to bury the bucket and surrounding it with stone to act as a filter so the pump doesn’t get filled with mud.

[@gaylemamabutterfly]

Clever....thanks!

[@kathleenkelly2162]

Thanks Mr Hardware! I really appreciate your videos...saving me big bucks with your DIY techniques! Please offer your solution for emergency water removal from a basement in case of sump pump failure. I live in flood plane and water is always a big issues with severe storms here in Midwest. I have sump pump system with back up and I also have generator but would like to have an emergency plan with materials on-hand if I should ever need to remove water quickly until professionals can come fix my sump pump. What would you suggest I be prepared to do.

[@MrHardware1]

If you have city water use a water backup pump. If you have a well, run by the generator, get battery backup pumps but have the battery serviced every year. Usually a battery in year four is very weak, that is it weak point, people forget to service them.

[@bk9852]

@@MrHardware1 I installed city water backup pump from one of your older videos also have a battery backup and a regular sump pump glad I did with the unpredictable rains and high Lake Erie lake levels thanks for the videos

[@MrHardware1]

@@bk9852 My pleasure, it is a fun job, ya think?

[@bk9852]

@@MrHardware1 Job fun no! Hang onto your Hat gonna be high water to come sez AC Thanks for tips!!

[@PIANOSTYLE100]

Nice idea 💯 **********s.

[@bguen1234]

You must eat a heck of a lot of pickles.

[@MrHardware1]

I put that sh** on everything!

[@lifeisgood070]

Why don’t you have a system like this permanently installed?

[@txsraappraiser]

you da man

[@jamescole3152]

Not all pumps will fit in the bucket. That would have made the video by naming the pump.