Basement leak water pipe

[wct097]

So my mom's basement has been flooding. It appears that the water is coming in around the water pipe where it enters the house. There appears to be a sleeve of some sort coming through the foundation that the water pipe passes through. Our theory is that the sleeve is compromised somewhere or that the sealant (assuming there is some) inside the sleeve is compromised.

Today my brother spent a number of hours digging a 4' deep hole in the flower bed to access the pipe where it comes into the house. Apparently the sleeve that we thought only passed through the foundation extends somewhat further. How far is hard to determine.... for all we know, it goes all the way to the road.

So what says JU? Call a plumber and see what they'll charge to cut the sleeve and probably pipe open, replace a portion of the pipe, and reseal it? Try it ourselves? Dig further out into the yard to see if we can find where the pipe enters the sleeve?

I've never had to deal with something like that before, so I'm not even 100% sure how those things are supposed to be sealed against water intrusion.

 

[abqtj]

So the water supply line is in a chase? That's weird for a home

 

[Meh]

Plumber, preferably licensed. That way it will be to code, if anything bad happens they know who to call, and they are responsible for doing the job correctly.

 

[synonymous]

Digging yourself is cheap. What is this sleeve made of? I know how I'd go about fixing the issue.

 

[BirdOPrey5]

You think the water is coming from the pipe or from the environment?

 

[wct097]

The water is coming from the environment and is coming in around the water main which is apparently inside this chase or sleeve. I'm not sure what the sleeve is made of, but I think it's some sort of metal that is wrapped in something akin to insulation or flashing.

Oh... and the kicker? The water meter is about a 1/3 of a mile away at the end of the state road. I gave mom a number for a plumber that installed the new WH and expansion tank in the Compound. They seemed trustworthy and I was happy with the work.

I'm not sure how I'd go about fixing it. I'm not sure what the water main is made out of. My cousin, who looked at it with my mom and brother seems to think it's some sort of PVC, but I could swear copper was coming into the basement. If it were my house and my project, I'd probably cut the water off and take a sawzall to the thing, cutting out a foot or so section, then dremel the chase back so I could get to the line to attach a new section to go through the chase into the house.... then I'd fill the chase with some manner of sealant, inside and out.

Mom thinks that little earthquake a year or so ago caused the sleeve to crumble/crack in addition to a spot on the inside of her foundation.

 

[BirdOPrey5]

Have to say, I find it unlikely the water is coming from the environment.

 

[wct097]

Have to say, I find it unlikely the water is coming from the environment.

It only comes in during periods of heavy rain and it's muddy water, not clear. I can't see how it could be coming from anywhere other than the environment.

 

[SAD]

All water comes from the environment

 

[BrandonM7]

All water comes from the environment

BOOM - SCIENCE, MOTHER****ERS

 

[Justin]

There could be a black hole linking her basement to the bottom of a lake or ocean.

 

[Twindows]

Call a basement water proofing company. They'll figure out where the water's coming from.

 

[wct097]

Call a basement water proofing company. They'll figure out where the water's coming from.

We know where it's coming from. The fix is less obvious.

 

[BirdOPrey5]

It only comes in during periods of heavy rain and it's muddy water, not clear. I can't see how it could be coming from anywhere other than the environment.

If it isn't a constant thing why not just cement around the pipe when it is dry? We did this with a leak into my basement in heavy rain (not around a pipe) and it's been good a couple years now. Maybe use silicon or something.

 

[wct097]

It's a pretty tight fit. We figured that the chase would only extend beyond the foundation by a few inches and that we could seal it from the outside more efficiently. She has a plumber coming to give an estimate this morning. We'll see how that goes.

 

[Justin]

Fill up that hole your brother dug with silica gel packs, replace them every couple of years.

 

[DieselSJ]

Keep digging.

Also call the county and see if you can find out what the building code is for that. It should tell you if that chase goes all the way to the meter.

You sure the leak is between the chase and the water line? Looks like the foundation is wet so it could be coming in from between the chase and the foundation.

 

[wct097]

Had a professional look at it. He thinks that it's just coming around the chase, not through it, and is likely due to clogged gutters and lack of drainage across the front of the house. Suggestion is to chink out a bit, refill with hydraulic cement, then waterproof outside, clean gutters, and mound dirt against the brick work to encourage water to flow away from the foundation.

 

[wct097]

So three "professionals" have looked at it and each come up with their own idea of what is wrong and how to fix it. The problem still persists. Everyone keeps saying that it's not coming in through the chase, that it's coming in around the chase from the outside. One guy said it was because the gutters were leaking and water was puddling at the foundation. The second guy said the drain tile was clogged and needed to be cleared out. The third guy said the outside of the foundation just needed to be sealed. Brother also dug out further into the yard and was unable to find the end of the chase. For all I know, it goes all the way to the meter, 1/4 of a mile up the road.

So mom has paid a guy to find and clear the drain tile around the foundation. She's had my brother clean the gutters out (they have that gutter guard stuff on them), and she's also had him do the black water sealant stuff on the outside around the chase.

Still leaking. I still think it's coming in through the chase. There is a slight gap under the pipe where it comes out of the chase.

I told her once it was dug up that she should call a plumber, but for some reason she won't. At this point, I'm wanting to find something to squeeze/spray into the gap where the pipe comes out of the chase.... then I want to paint over the whole thing (on the inside) with the water sealing compound for good measure.

 

[DieselSJ]

So three "professionals" have looked at it and each come up with their own idea of what is wrong and how to fix it. The problem still persists. Everyone keeps saying that it's not coming in through the chase, that it's coming in around the chase from the outside. One guy said it was because the gutters were leaking and water was puddling at the foundation. The second guy said the drain tile was clogged and needed to be cleared out. The third guy said the outside of the foundation just needed to be sealed. Brother also dug out further into the yard and was unable to find the end of the chase. For all I know, it goes all the way to the meter, 1/4 of a mile up the road.

So mom has paid a guy to find and clear the drain tile around the foundation. She's had my brother clean the gutters out (they have that gutter guard stuff on them), and she's also had him do the black water sealant stuff on the outside around the chase.

Still leaking. I still think it's coming in through the chase. There is a slight gap under the pipe where it comes out of the chase.

I told her once it was dug up that she should call a plumber, but for some reason she won't. At this point, I'm wanting to find something to squeeze/spray into the gap where the pipe comes out of the chase.... then I want to paint over the whole thing (on the inside) with the water sealing compound for good measure.

Fix your pic links.