A PITCHED SYSTEM MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

Here are two French drain systems that are commonly installed nowadays. On the left, Polyethylene pipe (PE) enters the pit, rather shallow, inches from the top of the floor. This tells you the pipe is not pitched. It is level throughout the perimeter of the basement if it enters the sump (the lowest part of the French drain) only inches from the floor level. On the right, PVC pipe enters the pit much lower and has a downward slant to it indicating the PVC pipe was pitched as it made its way around the basement to the sump. Arid Basement Waterproofing installs their systems like the one on the right, using PVC pipe and pitching the pipe to the sump.