Drainpipe Information
There are several options for drainpipe used with French Drains and Surface Drains and Channel Drains.
For Home or Small Business, Drainpipe comes in 3 basic sizes. Three-inch, 4 inch and 6 inch are the most commonly used.
Additionally, there are 3 kinds of drainpipe Aswell. The 3 varieties are ADS, SD, and 40 schedule.
Oklahoma Drainage and Sprinkler Repair — Installing – French Drains – Surface Drains – Channel Drains – Sump Pumps.
Providing Expert Sprinkler Repair – Broken Sprinkler Pipes – Sprinkler Head Adjustment – Sprinkler Valve Replacement
We provide Service for Folks in: Norman, Oklahoma City, Edmond, and Moore.
Central and Western Oklahoma is our Service Area since 1993.
ADS Drainpipe
is Black and Flexible. It comes in “Solid, Perforated, and Perforated with Sock.”
ADS Solid Drainpipe, 6 Inch on the left, 4 Inch on the right.
The above picture is ADS Solid 6 inch and 4 inch.
French Drain with Trench Liner and Pipe Filter
The Above Picture is a French Drain Installation in progress. The Pipe is ADS perforated 4 inch pipe with Soc.
Perforated French Drainpipe with Soc
Drainpipe Applications
The Black Pipe shown above is Perforated with thousands of small holes. The pipe is inside a black Neoprene Soc. The Sock is a filter to keep the pipe clean and Free of Debris. The white fabric shown above is a Trench Liner that provides additional protection for the Perforated ADS Drainpipe.
Sewer and Drain (SD) PVC Drainpipe.
Next, we have Sewer and Drainpipe or (SD) for short. It is a smooth wall drainpipe that is Rigid and nonflexible.
A Surface Drain Drainage System is being installed in the above picture.
The White PVC pipe shown above is 4 inch.
Finally, we have 40 schedule PVC. It looks exactly like the SD pipe shown above but there are differences.
40 Schedule pipe is much Heavier. The walls are much thicker than SD Pipe. It has a higher level of Resin in the PVC Plastic.
40 Schedule PVC pipe is even more rigid and stiff. It is extremely nonflexible.
SD Pipe
SD comes in Solid and A Perforated Variety. It doesn’t normally come with a Soc Option. If you want SD Perforated Pipe with a Soc. You will have to buy the Soc and put it on yourself. That option is rarely done by drainage contractors.
4o Schedule Comes only in a Solid Pipe Option. Perforated 40 Schedule is not available.
4o Schedule normally isn’t used much for Drainage. It is intended for High Pressure Water Applications.
I have installed 40 schedule Drainage Systems, but they are rare. 40 Schedule Drainage Systems are very much OVERBUILT! They don’t break or wear out. In most cases they last longer than the people who own them.
They cost many times more than SD or ADS Drainpipe.
Forty Schedule Drainpipe
40 Schedule Drainage systems are far and away the most difficult to install. The Drainage Contractor or Person who installs one must be highly skilled and experienced. The pipe is extremely stiff and unforgiving. All measurements must be precise.
Drainpipe Size
is critical. 4 inch and 6 inch are the most common Drainpipe sizes. Three-inch Drainpipe can be used but should normally be avoided. They are usually too small. It doesn’t take much water to overwhelm them.
Four-inch is the most common size used but 6 inch is being used more and more.
As a General Rule, you should not connect more than 3 water inputs to one 4-inch pipe, or it will become overwhelmed much of the time. Three Gutters can be connected to a 4-inch pipe. Three Drain basins can be connected to a 4 inch pipe too. Or some other combination of those two. One long stretch of French drain can too if it isn’t much over 60 feet in length.
If in doubt, use a 6-inch Pipe.
ADS vs SD
I would say that 80 percent of all drainage systems use ADS. Roughly 20 percent use SD. Less than 1 percent use 40 schedule.
For Me, ADS holds up a little better than SD and is easier to install.
My Experience
ADS and SD purchased from your local Depot type store are inferior. They are cheaply made with low levels of Resin in the pipe. The drainpipes don’t last very long. They can be damaged by tree roots or the ground shifting in a short amount of time.
SD Drainpipe can crack or break
I recommend purchasing ADS and SD from professional contractor suppliers. In Oklahoma City Ewing and Davis Pipe are very good and sell a good product.
