Dry wells and French drains are effective drainage solutions, they serve different purposes and can be used in conjunction with each other. Dry wells are holes filled with gravel or other materials that serve as the endpoint for your drainage system. When water is directed to a dry well, it is filtered through gravel and soil.
A French drain is a trench that collects water and directs it to an appropriate location. A French drain needs an exit point to release all the collected water and a dry well can be an ideal option for this purpose. Therefore, dry wells can make excellent endpoints for French drains.
Having proper drainage in your yard is very important to prevent costly foundation and basement repairs. While sump pumps provide a suitable solution, they can be expensive due to their reliance on electricity. In this article, we’ll compare dry wells and French drains to help you decide which option is best for your home.
What Is a Dry Well?
Dry wells are deep-dug holes designed to collect excess runoff from surface drainage and release the water into the subsoil. It is an effective solution to prevent flooding and protect your landscape from further water damage.
What Is a French Drain?
A French drain is an outdoor trench drain consisting of a perforated pipe that collects excess water from gardens and lawns and directs it downwards using gravity. This helps prevent further water damage to foundations and basements while also reducing hydrostatic pressure on retaining walls.
Dry Well Vs French Drain
What Is the Purpose of a Dry Well?
Dry wells offer a reliable alternative to French drains. It consists of gravel and fabric-lined channels that maintain the shape of a vertical trench, filtering water and draining it into the surrounding soil. They may also have perforated casings that effectively remove oil and other contaminants, thus preventing clogging.
Dry wells are designed to push surface water down to the ground and prevent backflow toward the home. Which makes them an excellent end point for French or trench drains and catch basins. They are particularly useful in areas with high rainfall, preventing overflow.
A significant advantage of dry wells is the ability to add concrete or polyethylene tanks to expand their water capacity. Unlike internal French drains which do not expand during installation. Additionally, they can be lined with brick walls for added security.
However, dry wells are limited to sites of less than an acre, while French drains can cover a more substantial area. Also, while shallow French drains can work in clay soils, dry wells require coarse, loamy, or sandy soils for proper drainage. However, they are easy to dig and clean.
How Does a Dry Well Work?
A dry well is an underground area that is filled with rock or gravel. When water enters a dry well, it flows through the rock or gravel and then into the ground. Typically, a filter fabric is used in dry wells to separate rock or gravel from the surrounding soil. This helps prevent clogging and ensures proper drainage.
What Is the Purpose of a French Drain?
French drains are the best solution for removing surface water that builds up around walls, driveways, or waterlogged areas in your lawn or garden. It is a relatively simple and cost-effective method of dewatering that does not require special equipment or complicated equipment. French drain Pipe is buried in the earth to allow water that pools around your home to drain away from the structure.
How Does a French Drain Work?
Water always finds the path of least resistance, which can be a challenge in flatter areas with poor drainage. However, French drains provide a solution by channeling water to an appropriate location where it won’t cause problems, such as a storm drain or rainwater collection system.
French drains work by using layers of gravel to encourage groundwater to seep into the sewer. Water moves more efficiently through gravel than through clay, allowing it to enter the pipe more quickly. The impermeable fabric prevents debris from entering the pipe. which ensures maximum drainage.
Dry Well Vs French Drain: Installation Cost
The average dry well installation cost in the United States is about $3,030. The price varies between $1,165 to $4,420 depending on the size and complexity of the project. If pumps or filters are required to collect the volume of water and disperse it into the soil, the total cost can increase.
Professional French drain Installation Costs between $2,800 and $6,500 on average, depending on the client’s requirements. You may spend as little as $500 or as much as $18,000.
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Do I Need a Dry Well with a French Drain?
A French drain is a good alternative to a dry well and, in certain situations, a preferable option for surface drains. Standing water may be directed to a storm drain, a pond, a river, or other suitable drainage place using French drains. A French drain transports water underground via a perforated pipe.
Which Is Better Dry Well or French Drain?
Dry wells are more efficient in high rainfall areas and can hold up to 5 gallons of water per foot, depending on the type of gravel used. In contrast, french drains do not hold any water and can overflow with heavy rain and direct the water back to the house.
Dry Well Vs French Drain
French drain systems break the flow, direct water to low-lying drainage ditches and pools, and prevent flooding and marshiness on the overall site. On the other hand, a dry well accepts water from different surface and roof runoff drainage systems, holds it, and percolates it into the surrounding soil and gravel.
What Is Better Than a Dry Well?
A rainwater harvesting system works by collecting water from your roof when it rains and storing that water in a below-ground tank.
How Deep Is a Dry Well?
Dry wells are typically three feet deep and should be designed to accommodate the stormwater volume (determined in Step 3). Adjust the dimensions of your dry well as needed to fit your site.
What Causes a Dry Well to Fail?
Dry wells can be susceptible to clogs coming from sediment, debris, and other blockages that come with runoff, which makes the dry well useless. As wastewater seeps out of the bottom of the pit any solids that do not dissolve will settle to the bottom, too, which prevents draining.