# EZFlow French Drain, alternative or gimmick?



## eddytheflow

anyone heard about or used this exflow thing?

http://www.ndspro.com/drainage-systems/french-drains/ezflow-french-drain/

i'm about to start diggin for a system but then stumbled upon this ezflow guy at lowes. no gravel? sounds good to me, as that's going to be my biggest problem, figuring out how to haul all that stuff.
i think i'd pay the premium $50 per pipe if i could get around the gravel, but i'm not willing to sacrifice performance.

also it looks like you can lay two next to each other or stack them on top of one another for more drainage.

anyone got any insight on this ezflow system?


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## concretemasonry

Some body is always re-inventing the wheel.

As an engineer that has many years experience, I have a difficult time accepting the new gimmicks that compromise a long proven system for marketing purposes. The original "french" drains never used pipe, but only correct sand and gravel and lasted centuries. The concept of the proper materials creates a many times larger radius area to collect water, which reduces the velocity of the infiltrating water and silt/clay that can easily plug a drainage system (or the foam exterior).

Using flexible corrugated pipe is certainly easier to handle, but will NEVER perform as well as rigid pvc that will ALWAYS drain better AND can easily be swithed to a solid pvc for conveying water away. The ease and flexibility of corrugated makes it very easy to create low spots and the surface is very condusive to collecting fines that can eventually plug a line. What you expect to use if the excavation has the usual dips?

Sand and gravel is cheap and you can you it as needed and where needed. There are many ways to move it from a small bobcat, to a wheel barrow or to a bunch of 12 year old kids with pails as I did when I put in an internal drain tile on a house when the builder installed corrugated exterior system failed just after the landscaping go established.

If you can walk away from the use in a couple of years with a clear conscious and afford the extra cost, give it a try.

Dick


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## eddytheflow

you confirmed my thoughts exactly.

i'm tempted to go with the ezflow, as i would probably only need one, maybe two 10' lengths, totaling less than 100 bucks. add in the cost of extra corrugated running to the street and landscaping wrap (maybe not needed for the ezflow?) and the investment because pretty small.

the alternative is purchasing a large amount of gravel that may end up costing a few hundred just to get it to my front door.

though i'd be all for the traditional french drain I may end up giving the ez flow a try. i'll be sure to let you all know how it goes.


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## AllanJ

It appears to me that this product would eliminate the need for gravel, but you still need something such as sand to do a good job of backfilling. 

Because the foam takes up a few inches all the way around the pipe, you won't be able to get the pipe itself all the way down to the level of the bottom of the footings unless you dig the trench a foot (30 cm) away from the footings instead of up against the footings. You may not dig the trench deeper so as to violate a 1:3 slope down and away from the bottom of the footings.

YOu do need something on top so pouring a basement floor over it does not saturate the top of the product with concrete. THey suggest a layer of sand or gravel but I suppose a flap of platic sheeting will also work provided the flap does not slide down the side exposing the top of the product to concrete.\

Many French drain installers wrap the perforated pipes with porous cloth. I have long recommended that the cloth not be wrapped directly around the pipe but rather some gravel be between the cloth and the pipe to guarantee that a greater surface area of the cloth is involved in water passing through. This product is the equivalent of cloth enclosing the pipe together with a layer of gravel around the pipe. A second layer of cloth (sold separately) is recommended for installations in some kinds of soil and wrapping the product directly in an additional layer of cloth does not need a layer of gravel in between.


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## fulton 22175

I wouldnt trust it , looks like it would collapse


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## 73andsane

*About my french drain*

I spent good money with a guy who installed this next to my foundation and I've had water in my basement ever since!! I suspect he knew less that I did about getting the leakage in the basement than I did but NOW--I want to cancel out that hole in the ground (french drain) but I need to know HOW to do that! If I have someone dig out whatever pipe is in there including any gravel or what can you suggest doing about it? Diane:furious::jester:


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## AllanJ

73andsane said:


> I spent good money with a guy who installed this next to my foundation and I've had water in my basement ever since!! :


Is significant water being pumped out by your sump pump? Does this water get discharged where it rolls downhill away from your house?


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