The soaker hoses always seem to need babysitting, at least in my experience.
I get where you’re coming from—splitting the hose is definitely more straightforward. But honestly, I’ve had the opposite experience. With multiple hoses, I always end up with uneven drainage, and one spot gets swampy. The soaker hose does take some fiddling, but it spreads the water out way more evenly for me. Maybe it depends on the yard layout? Every property seems to have its own quirks.
I’ve actually had better luck running a soaker hose in a shallow trench, just an inch or two deep. That way the water doesn’t pool on the surface and it follows the grade more naturally. It’s a bit of setup, but once it’s in, I barely have to touch it. Weird how much the yard shape changes everything… my old place was flat and it was a nightmare, but here with a gentle slope, it works like a charm.
- Trenching for a soaker hose definitely helps with runoff, but I’ve found it can get clogged if you’ve got a lot of clay or silt in your soil.
- Have you tried using perforated drain pipe instead? It’s a bit more work up front, but handles bigger volumes and doesn’t clog as easy.
- Curious—how are you routing the pool water to the trench? Just gravity, or are you pumping it?
I tried the gravity route last year, just letting the pool water run through a shallow trench lined with gravel. It worked for a bit, but once we got a heavy rain, the whole thing backed up and made a mess. Ever run into that? I’ve wondered if adding a pump would help, but I’m not sure if it’d just push the problem further down the yard. Also, does the perforated pipe ever get roots growing into it? That’s been my headache with old French drains.
I’ve wondered if adding a pump would help, but I’m not sure if it’d just push the problem further down the yard.
Honestly, I’ve seen pumps solve some drainage headaches, but you’re right—it can just move the mess if there’s nowhere for the water to go. Ever thought about a dry well or rain garden at the end of the line? Sometimes redirecting is more creative than just pushing harder. And yeah, roots in perforated pipe are a pain... I’ve had to snake out more than a few on my properties. It’s frustrating, but not impossible to manage. Don’t get discouraged—there’s usually a workaround, even if it takes a few tries.
