I have a sump pump line that runs horizontal then up and out. I assume if the pump has not run in sometime (months even) there would be standing water in that stretch of pipe. I have to replace this line and Im wondering if I should put a cleanout on the horizontal portion right before it extends vertically in order to drain out standing water?

Also on the horizontal portion, should it pitch toward the outside (despite the vertical lift it will encounter) or should the pitch be back toward the sump pit.... however, there is a check valve installed right after the pit.



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Adding any pitch to the line is pointless until after you are at the highest point in the discharge line, and gravity will take over to drain out the remnants. I wouldn't install a clean out in the line; the easiest way to drain it is to access the pump side of the check valve and use something to push open the flap in the check. An old piece of copper tubing with a cap on the end works well; just make sure you have somewhere to direct the water, it will rush out quick.

Yes but doing that means you have to disassemble the check valve... my thinking was a cleanout would be easier? That's my uneducated guess of course.

It doesn't make sense. But I've seen stranger things. I once saw a capillary added to outside and along the drain line. It reverted back to the sump. Only issue was that it would drain each and every time the sump pump cycled. The capillary was made of clear vinyl tube. A clean out would work, but you would be doing so much more annual work.

Best Wishes

It depends on the particular check valve. I used to only use the Zoeller check valves that are installed with rubber couplings;In that case, you don't actually take the valve apart, you just disconnect the pump side. Installing a cleanout in a sump pump discharge line is like adding an access panel to the hull of a boat. It wouldn't serve a useful function 99.9999% of the time and would be more apt to cause problems. In a situation that you might actually want to drain off the water, a tee and ball valve would be a better choice so that the flow could be controlled. Again, unless you actually needed to drain the line, and it needed it frequently, adding a cleanout doesn't make sense.