Why We Do Not Use Corrugated Pipe Underground

This is a piece of old corrugated drainage pipe we pulled out during a new install. The inside is packed solid with shingle gravel that washed off the roof and got trapped in every ridge of the corrugation.

The problem with corrugated pipe

Corrugated pipe is the ribbed, flexible black pipe you see at the hardware store. It is cheap and easy to roll out, which is why so many quick installs use it. The trouble is on the inside. Those ridges that make it flexible also grab debris. Shingle grit, sand, and dirt settle into every groove and never wash back out. Over time the pipe packs solid, exactly like this one, and the water stops moving.

It is a slow failure, so it is easy to miss until the yard starts holding water and someone digs the line up to find it full.

What we use instead

We use SDR-35 solid PVC for underground drainage lines. The wall is smooth, so water carries debris through instead of trapping it. It gives full flow, it does not collapse, and it holds up for the life of the system. We also run it in long sections to cut down on the seams where problems start.

The material costs a little more than corrugated. The difference over the life of the system is enormous.

That is the standard on every underground drainage line we install.

Common Questions

Why is corrugated drain pipe a problem?

Its ribbed wall traps shingle grit and sand in every groove until the pipe packs solid, and the thin wall lets tree roots punch through. It fails slowly, underground.

What pipe does Trufam use instead of corrugated?

SDR-35 solid PVC. The smooth wall carries debris through, it does not collapse, and it keeps roots out for the life of the system.

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