Got the Uh-Oh Call Today

[Creamer]

My wife called me at work today and said she was in the basement and heard water running but she couldn't find where it was running and asked me if I had anything on outside. No I didn't. She said she couldn't find anything leaking but where could water be running?

She had called the city water department (small town) and they checked the meter and said it was running fairly fast if she wasn't using water. Since it wasn't running into the house I stayed at work and figured I would check it out this evening.

I get home and I can hear the water running where the pipe comes through the basement wall but there is nothing coming into the house. It must be leaking just outside the wall. I guess I know what I am doing tomorrow.

 

[om21braz]

I can sympathize with you. My last experience as yours was on a day it was sleeting outside. Hope you find it easily and can manage a solid fix.

 

[thatguy]

good luck.. and remember.. we love pics..

brian

 

[turnkey4099]

When I bought this place it had a 'damp' basement. signs of water seeping around the base of he perimeter walls. I finally spent one winter with hammer and chisel chopping a drainage channel along the footings inside the basement leading to a sump pump. Finally had a dry basement after a few years. Two years ago the seepage began again aorund 3 of the four sides and standing water at places on the floor.. I found a slow leak at shutoff and fixed that. I couldn't see how that leak would lead to all that water. Then one day I was down there and heard water running. Found it coming through the wall just above the footing under a shut-off vave for the outside hydrants on the N side of house. Shut it off, water stopped.

Sorta ease fix, about 30 minutes digging right outside the house and found a failed pvc to iron adapter right outside t he wall. Paid a plumber to fix that. Basement dry again.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

For me it was recurring pinhole leaks in old copper. About two years ago I replaced every bit of it with PEX. Problem solved.

 

[Creamer]

I called the local directional boring guy who does a lot of water work in the area - he couldn't make it today but will come Monday. Since there is nothing leaking into the house I am not too concerned - it is just going to be a higher water bill. I called the guy from the water department (who is a friend) and he said I had used almost a 1000 gallons since my wife had called yesterday.

Figuring I knew where it was I moved the "landing" between the steps and the front porch which was made out of wood and about 5'x5'. It was very heavy but due to the shrubs and front garden I could not get in there with a tractor. I got that tipped up on the front porch. Then I found a 4" slab of concrete under that "landing" which I broke a corner out of to allow me to get to the fitting. Then I dig a couple of feet into the dirt and it is getting dryer not wetter. At this point I am about two feet above the the suspected leak and no water. I checked my sump pump to see if it had run as it is located in the center of the mechanical room in my basement very near where the water comes in - it hasn't run in some time. I am baffled as to where the water is leaking at because it sure can't be here.

I called the directional boring guy again and he says if its dry it isn't going to cause much problem by Monday and he will be out. He said he should be able to vacuum a small hole and be able to tell by sound. He said the sound could travel along the waterline quite a distance and just be amplified by the block walls in my mechanical room. I decided to wait for him. We'll see.

 

[4570Man]

If it's ran a 1000 gallon in a day it should be pretty easy to find. Drive you tractor up the path of the water line. You know where that is, right? Once you find the wet spot find the wettest spot and the leak isn't far away. I've discovered several water leaks and most were detected by hitting a soft spot while mowing. How deep is your line? That could ruin my plan. Lines are only about 16-24" here.

 

[dodge man]

In NE Indiana line is probably 4 to 5 feet deep.

 

[bigtiller]

Glad to hear you,re not to concerned about it. If it was my waterline, it would constitute an emergency. With water at $25 per 1000 gallons in our household, we don't have any dripping faucets.

 

[vlcakc]

During a dry summer a few years ago the water main into our farmhouse pulled apart at the transition between the 1.5" PVC and the 1" copper just outside the house foundation due to the ground shifting. The water stream followed the copper line to the sleeve through the foundation (unfortunately the sleeve hadn't been sealed during initial construction) and into the crawl space under the house. The water district meter reader noticed the excessive consumption and shut off the water at the meter. Most of the leakage ended up under the house (about 9000 gallons according to the meter readings) with very little migrating to the surface. Needless to say a great big mess. The line repair was fairly easy as the line is in a clear area in the yard. Drying the crawl space was a different matter requiring several weeks of blowing dry air through the space. Hope your repair isn't as complicated. Vic