Im planning on installing a french drain on both sides of my home, and only thing im wondering about is how do I determine the elevation of the piping in the trench? How do I ensure the trench drains down and isnt dug level or where it wont drain? Is there any form of elevation level or measuring tool/instrument?
Virtually any descent will give you the result you want, which is to have excess water at the top descend to the bottom.
If the top end is at least four to six inches higher than at the end, the water will seek out its lowest level.
If you have fairly consistent rainfall in your area, I'd further suggest pouring a half gallon of bleach into the top end once a month and then running a flow of water in via a hose for about ten minutes to flush out potential mold and other stagnation that might develop in the middle of the line during low water periods when a modest amount might gather without fully draining.
If the top end is at least four to six inches higher than at the end, the water will seek out its lowest level.
If you have fairly consistent rainfall in your area, I'd further suggest pouring a half gallon of bleach into the top end once a month and then running a flow of water in via a hose for about ten minutes to flush out potential mold and other stagnation that might develop in the middle of the line during low water periods when a modest amount might gather without fully draining.
