rkovars wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 7:01 pm Instead of eyeballing it I would take string/twine and measure out to the ones you have found. Then Take that as your probing arc. I would start on the downhill side. Those spouts look pretty small and a few inches either way and you would miss it with the probe.

EDIT: You could also stick a garden hose down the spout and forget about the walking pneumonia you would get being out in the rain

Ugh, this is frustrating. The drains I know of are 10’ straight out from the downspout. With the mystery spout, 10’ comes right to the edge of the landscaping (1st pic). The second pic is an expanded view of the relevant area of the yard. The 10’ spot is circled. The arrow indicates how the ground falls away from that spot.

As for the house idea, I thought about that, but it would mean getting up to the roughly a second story rough. I don’t have a latter tall enough.

Are you sure the previous owner didn't landscape over the top of it? If not, I would extend the measure out from there and probe along the line.

As long as it pops un in Canada or Mexico, you’ll not be tariffed. Relax, Drew.

rkovars wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:06 pm Are you sure the previous owner didn't landscape over the top of it? If not, I would extend the measure out from there and probe along the line.

I’m fairly certain, based in part of photos from previous listings for the house, that the downspouts and all the landscaping were done around the same time, by the same owner. There’s a very distinct “before & after” with the house that happened with one owner. My search will continue with a longer probe and and a planned approach.

New strategy! I’ve marked off a line straight out from the downspout, perpendicular to the house, assuming they would be keeping the installation as simple as possible (and consistent with the drains for the other downspouts. I’m going to probe every few inches along that line. If I find nothing, I’ll then rotate the line a bit and probe again…repeat until found!

If you think the pipe you are looking for is plastic, I'd be wary of poking about looking for it.

It should be possible to put a hose in at the bottom of the pipe with some careful dismantling and an old towel to wedge it in. No need to mess about up a ladder, and it sounds like there might be a blockage of old leaves/moss etc. somewhere in the drain pipe anyway so this would be best dealt with at ground level. If you do try this - wear some clothes you don't mind getting filthy and wet!

If that isn't practicable; I doubt that the drainage pipe is very deep. You know where it starts - the bottom of the downspout and logic says that it drains away from the house. You need a shovel or just a gardening trowel and CAREFULLY dig down a foot or so out until you find it. Excavate until you are clear about which way it goes. At this point, stop.have a cup of tea and a think.

Now you know the direction, so go out 8 or 9 feet and dig again. You'll soon be sorted

I have a similar yet simpler drain system on my house. The house sits on a rise on the property and the buried drains outlet directly into the downside yard about 40 feet away from the house. They are open pvc pipes. I have to clear them of debris and the occasional critter.

I meant to add, can you run your garden hose and push enough water to find the wet spot of the outlet?

thomcat00 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 9:47 pm I meant to add, can you run your garden hose and push enough water to find the wet spot of the outlet?

Almost exactly what I did! Keep reading…

VICTORY IS MINE!

As one is want to do when in search of a solution, I turned to YouTube. The first first video I found suggested blasting the pipe with a leaf blower to see where it comes out. “Brilliant!” I thought and proceeded to remove the elbow joint to blast the pipe with my leaf blower. I removed the elbow to discover it packed full of nasty debris, which I promptly cleared.

Taming the leaf blower down the hole didn’t accomplish anything. I then rain a drain snake to see if there were any obstructions to clear it. I ran it up the gutter, too. No obstructions.

I then decided to run the hose down there and look for a wet spot, and sure enough it was right there, exactly 10 feet from the downspout…like all the rest! It was obscured by a big rock and some mud. Everything is clear now.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions and encouragement. I feel like a total home owning bad*ss right now. For a book loving nerd like me (for proof, I refer you to my joke here), an accomplishment like this is a big deal!


EDITED TO ADD: That elbow was made of two pieces held together with screws with a screw holding it onto the gutter. With the tight bend and the protruding screw ends, it’s no wonder debris clogged it up. I’m going to see about replacing it with flexible tubing of some sort.

Well done Drew and everybody that gave suggestions.

I enjoyed this

@jkbarnes Are you sure it isn't covered up by the landscaping?

rkovars wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 10:21 pm @jkbarnes Are you sure it isn't covered up by the landscaping?

That’s well deserved! I can take it. I posted this knowing full well I might be taken to task.

And believe me, I felt like an idiot when I made the discovery for this very reason.

rkovars wrote: ↑Tue Apr 01, 2025 10:21 pm @jkbarnes Are you sure it isn't covered up by the landscaping?

That’s the rock I moved to reveal the pop-up drain!

Try those guys who worked out what was under the pyramids, Drew. They seem to know what they're doing.

When will it get warmer and dryer. It might make it easier for you to work on it.

JAFO wrote: ↑Wed Apr 02, 2025 2:17 pm Try those guys who worked out what was under the pyramids, Drew. They seem to know what they're doing.

Funny you mention this. I shared all this with my dad, and he referred to me as Indiana Stanley!