ᐅ Drainage of window wells

Hello,

I have a basic question.

We have a basement with a waterproofing system against rising seepage water made of waterproof concrete and therefore no traditional drainage system.

Our light wells have a drain at the lowest point (with a leaf catcher) that leads straight down into the 30 cm (12 inches) thick gravel layer beneath the slab.

Is this method of rainwater disposal acceptable, or would it be better (or necessary) to connect the drainage from the light wells to a separate wastewater pipe?

Regards,

Dirk

Hello,

we also have a basement made of waterproof concrete (WU concrete) – however, it includes drainage. The light wells are also connected to this drainage system.

Whether discharging into the gravel layer is sufficient is something the experts here can probably confirm.

Best regards

I have installed the drainage only in the gravel... For us, it’s sufficient when I turn on the garden hose at full power for 5 minutes to clean the light well. Therefore, I have no concerns that the drainage wouldn’t be enough for water coming from above. If water builds up from below to the point that it pushes upwards through the drainage, then of course the drainage won’t work. This risk does not exist for us.

That’s why, for 3 out of 5 light wells, we decided not to use waterproof concrete light wells but instead installed watertight windows, which we can seal in case of emergency.