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Downspout Drain Riser Connections

Connecting your gutter downspouts to a buried drainage system helps protect your home’s foundation from water damage. At High Flow Drainage, we use top-tier components like French Drain Man’s downspout adapter with cleanout for long-term performance and easy maintenance.

Step-by-Step Installation

Downspout adapter installation step
  1. Unstrap downspout and cut if needed: Remove the screws attaching the downspout to the house and trim the vertical downspout using sawzall (WITH metal blade) if needed so the adapter will fits snug.
    2. Catch basin sitting in trench
  2. Dry fit components: Test-fit the adapter to the downspout and drain pipe before taping and securing. Check with foreman on where the bottom of the riser should be in reference to the yard grade. Generally the bottom of the leaf-guard door is 3-4" above the grade, but may need adjusted per project. Try to keep all risers the same height for all the downspouts on a project.
    3. Catch basin sitting in trench
  3. Connect to pipe: Adapters made by FrenchDrainMan Leaf Guard Adapter will snap into 4" pipe. Connect it and tape. In many cases, it is easier to plumb the elbow during the same time. Tape the riser at the bottom of the eblow. DO NOT tape the adapter where it can be seen.
  4. Backfill and grade: Before backfilling, ensure tracer wire is installed in the trench so future contractors can locate our pipes. Secure the assembly, reattach the downspout strap, and regrade the soil if needed to ensure the adapter doesn't shift during further work.
    5. Catch basin sitting in trench