DIY Crawl Space Encapsulation on a Budget: Day 7 - Install Drain Line

Supplies:

• Vise-grip
• 3/4" PVC threaded connector
• 3/4" PVC trap
• 3/4" PVC elbow (3)
• 5' x 3/4" PVC pipe (6)
• 3/4" PVC connectors (7)
• Oatey 8-fl oz LO-VOC PVC Cement and Primer
• Kobalt 1-5/8-in PVC Cutter
• Hammer drill
• Bosch 5/8-in x 12-in Round Hammer Drill Bit
• Great Stuff 
• Scrap piece of vapor barrier
• White seam tape
• Level
• AMERICAN VALVE 300-in L Galvanized Hanger Iron
• Scissors
• Staple gun

The PVC section at Lowe's is a bit overwhelming for a novice like me, but there was a knowledgeable employee that was able to help me find everything I needed for the drain line. When I got home, I began piecing together 5 pieces of the 5' long 3/4" PVC pipe by applying the primer and cement according to the instructions. I then screwed in the threaded connector using my vise-grip. From there I connected an elbow, drain trap, and the long section of pipe to take the water from the dehumidifier outside.



Lowe's did not have a 12" x 1" drill bit in store, so another helpful sales associate in the tools department talked me into getting a smaller drill bit and making a series of holes in order to get the opening I needed to put the drain line through the foundation. I selected the drill bit that was on clearance and ended up spending about 30 minutes drilling. The hole looks really good, smooth, and surprisingly round from the exterior. While economical, this method was a terribly inefficient way to drill a 1" hole.

After I drilled the opening in the foundation, I fed a piece of pipe through into the crawl space. Before connecting it, I cut a scrap piece of vapor barrier to cover the space around the hole and a cut a star in the middle of the scrap piece to put the pipe through. I then connected the pipe using the primer and cement. I sealed around the hole from inside the crawl space using Great Stuff. After that dried, I used the white seam tape to apple the scrap piece of vapor barrier to the wall and seal around the pipe.

I used a couple of PVC elbows and short sections of pipe to lead the water away from the foundation.

Finally, I cut sections of hanger iron to support the pipe from the dehumidifier all the way down to the end of the house. I fastened the hanger iron to the joists using a staple gun, and I used a level to ensure that there was enough of a slope all of the way down.