This paver + salt-block + bucket ice-dam remover works REALLY well.) Since the flat rooves were unheated, it always developed ice dams. (My old office was a converted 7-11 store, with 2 roof valleys that funneled water onto the flat tar rooves on either side. If the outlet starts to ice over, the ice dam will rise up and touch the salt block, creating bring that melts the ice dam. As long as the water flows around the block, the salt stays dry and nothing happens. You now have an automatic ice-dam-melter. Then place the 5 gallon bucket over the salt block, slide the handle under the paver so the bucket doesn't blow away. Bend the curved bucket handle into a rectangle that will fit under the block. Place the paver downstream of the pump output, diamond towards the pipe, so that discharged water flows around the block WITHOUT washing over the top. You'll need one or two 12' square & 2'-3' tall concrete paver(s), a 15 lbs equine/cattle mineral/salt block, and a 5 gallon bucket with a metal handle. Third, if you're worried about ice at the bottom / discharge of the pipe, that's an easy fix. It's hard to see from the picture, but the right side slopes down at a round 10% angle. Just-in-case the discharge should freeze over, I've got it discharging into a down-sloping 45° 'T' fitting so that if the lower side gets blocked or freezes, it has an 'overflow' drain. Example, I've got 2 downspouts that travel under a later-added poured concrete patio. Second, if you are worried about providing an overflow for the sump, you can have the output discharge to a 'T' fitting. I've got 3 suggestions for you-įirst, if you have a large pipe, simply cover it with a pile of raked-up leaves- they're good insulation and generally, running water won't freeze. The challenge will be setting something up with 3 feet of snow on the ground.Perhaps not.

Above ground sewage ejector pump system