Plummers ...electricians ?

[smerchly]

This is weird .......I found some water dripping from my electric panel in the basement ....removed the cover to locate the leak & found water coming through the main one inch service pipe . I checked outside & think the water is getting in from the down pipe where it connects to the box and meter . I called Horizon & she told me to call a licensed plummer . This is an electric pipe leak which may be allowing water to get inside my meter , so why a plummer to fix it and not an electrician ?

[cplummer]

She is clueless. Call an electrician.

[Tom S]

Call a sparky. Tell him your conduit has a bad seal somewhere and is leaking. She probably heard 'pipe' and decided it's not her problem.

[Chrisb]

Electrician is what you need not plumBer.

What type of service do you have? overhead or buried?

[smerchly]

Overhead Chris......100 amp service ....1955 house .

I took the inside cover off to have a better look at the leak which has stopped dripping . I checked the same location outside & I am quite certain that I found the origin of the leak ......which looks like an easy fix with either a rubber gasket or silicone .

...a few shots I took today .....too cold to fix until Sunday (50F) Notice the drops of water on the bottom lip of the box ......

....top of the box where I believe water is entering inside .....

.....the main line from the outside is at the bottom right corner where water was dripping inside the elect.panel

It seems the "smart meters" are smarter than the people who collect the money to run them .......If I need an electrician , my nephew is qualified .

[bassmaster24]

I'd just run a bead of caulking around that conduit smerch....

Check your siding for cracks too could be getting behind it and running down. Does your meter sit at the same level as your panel inside or is it higher?

[smerchly]

The meter is about 3.5 ft. higher . I'll check it out for rust & dirt at the conduit and caulk it .

Thanks for the replies gents !

I have a much larger problem with a leak in my block basement which was dug up and sealed over 20 yrs. ago ......may have cracked open by a large asphalt roller next door while doing the driveway , about 3 months ago .......looks like a re-dig for me .......

[Chrisb]

I think you found the leak but I see something else that is not correct under current code. There should be a bushing where those feeder cables exit the conduit.

it protects the wires from damage by the threads.

You could also have some duct seal put into the conduit to seal it.

[smerchly]

Thank you Chris . I'll be sure to get this fixed properly .

[Tom S]

The meter is about 3.5 ft. higher . I'll check it out for rust & dirt at the conduit and caulk it .

Thanks for the replies gents !

I have a much larger problem with a leak in my block basement which was dug up and sealed over 20 yrs. ago ......may have cracked open by a large asphalt roller next door while doing the driveway , about 3 months ago .......looks like a re-dig for me .......

Eeee. Been there, done that. I did a membrane so that I would't have to worry about a coating being compromised.

[DNorton]

The meter is about 3.5 ft. higher . I'll check it out for rust & dirt at the conduit and caulk it .

Thanks for the replies gents !

I have a much larger problem with a leak in my block basement which was dug up and sealed over 20 yrs. ago ......may have cracked open by a large asphalt roller next door while doing the driveway , about 3 months ago .......looks like a re-dig for me .......

Have you ever thought about what's called a "crack injection" they do it from inside provided it's accessible. Fairly straight forward works well and saves a ton of cost if your going to hire someone to re waterproof that wall. Might be something to consider. I worked for a waterproofing company for a few years gotta say it wasn't very much fun, can only imagine what it would be like to be in the home owners shoes.

[snakeman4]

Have you ever thought about what's called a "crack injection" they do it from inside provided it's accessible. Fairly straight forward works well and saves a ton of cost if your going to hire someone to re waterproof that wall. Might be something to consider. I worked for a waterproofing company for a few years gotta say it wasn't very much fun, can only imagine what it would be like to be in the home owners shoes.

can't do a "Crack injection" on a block foundation. but they do work wonders on a poured foundation.

[smerchly]

Yes block basement , finished inside , hand dug about 20 years ago (tar & plastic membrane ....new weepers & I believe connected to sewer line outside , right where the majority leak spot is... . The water comes in at the very bottom where the wall meets the floor . The gas line is right over this spot and also a window with lots of stone base under it . It will need to be dug by hand again . I'll wait until late summer/fall to dig when the dirt should be dry and have the membrane installed . This area has a clay base which holds water .....maybe the whole foundation should be filled with stone ....The new driveway next door will need to be cut a few feet from my house to do the dig . It was sloped enough to take water away from my wall....

I have removed about 18" of the wood paneling & insulation to expose some of the wet area . I can replace it later with wainscoting .

i am using some towels to soak up the water ......Think I need to clean the grunge spots with bleach .

[Tom S]

Have you ever thought about what's called a "crack injection" they do it from inside provided it's accessible. Fairly straight forward works well and saves a ton of cost if your going to hire someone to re waterproof that wall. Might be something to consider. I worked for a waterproofing company for a few years gotta say it wasn't very much fun, can only imagine what it would be like to be in the home owners shoes.

That was tried a number of times on my poured foundation by a previous owner. Every one gave out after a number of years. I did tar and delta wrap, new weepers, lots of gravel. And I've been working on correcting the grading to get water away from the house - this was not kept up on and brought water right up against the foundation.

[Chrisb]

Water will always come out at the bottom on block walls. Blocks are hollow and the water will fill them from the bottom up.

The best solution is to dig, waterproof, drainage barrier, new tile if needed and lots of stone. I did a section of my house last spring. Hasn't leaked yet with all the rain this year and last summer including when one of the gutter pipes fell off and drained right against the wall.

[knightfisher]

Yes block basement , finished inside , hand dug about 20 years ago (tar & plastic membrane ....new weepers & I believe connected to sewer line outside , right where the majority leak spot is... . The water comes in at the very bottom where the wall meets the floor . The gas line is right over this spot and also a window with lots of stone base under it . It will need to be dug by hand again . I'll wait until late summer/fall to dig when the dirt should be dry and have the membrane installed . This area has a clay base which holds water .....maybe the whole foundation should be filled with stone ....The new driveway next door will need to be cut a few feet from my house to do the dig . It was sloped enough to take water away from my wall....

I have removed about 18" of the wood paneling & insulation to expose some of the wet area . I can replace it later with wainscoting .

i am using some towels to soak up the water ......Think I need to clean the grunge spots with bleach .

Bill if water is coming in from both sides of the corner wall, you will have to do the entire lengths of both walls. I have some delta membrane from the last job I done for a customer which you can have.

[smerchly]

Bill if water is coming in from both sides of the corner wall, you will have to do the entire lengths of both walls. I have some delta membrane from the last job I done for a customer which you can have.

Thanks Dan , I hope I can get by with digging up about 6 feet or so on each side . I need to check behind a hidden wall on the north side that hides the old cast iron sewer pipe to the septic tank . ( north wall is on the right in photo). The new sewer pipe exits right at that corner and the weepers also exit there ......One would think the excess water would easily find it's way out to the street from the weepers that exit there . What would happen if a 1/4 " hole was drilled at a 45 degree angle from the inside at the floor/wall to the outside ? Would water drain out to the weepers , or cause more water to come in ?

[Botchegalupe]

Overhead Chris......100 amp service ....1955 house .

I took the inside cover off to have a better look at the leak which has stopped dripping . I checked the same location outside & I am quite certain that I found the origin of the leak ......which looks like an easy fix with either a rubber gasket or silicone .

...a few shots I took today .....too cold to fix until Sunday (50F) Notice the drops of water on the bottom lip of the box ......

....top of the box where I believe water is entering inside .....

.....the main line from the outside is at the bottom right corner where water was dripping inside the elect.panel

It seems the "smart meters" are smarter than the people who collect the money to run them .......If I need an electrician , my nephew is qualified .

Repairing the outside box, meter and stack is the responsibility of the power utility, it shouldn't cost you a cent.

[Chrisb]

Repairing the outside box, meter and stack is the responsibility of the power utility, it should cost you a cent.

Not anywhere I know of. They own the meter. You own the rest of it up to where the wires connect.

[smerchly]

Not anywhere I know of. They own the meter. You own the rest of it up to where the wires connect.

The guy who upgraded the old 60 amp to 100 amp put the new stack and box in ....a sloppy job on the outside with bolts holding the stack on 30 degree angles etc .....needs to be fixed properly with the rest of the repairs . I called Horizon as I feared the water could drip into the meter causing damage which I may be forced to pay ..... It will be sealed on Sunday ( warm day)

[knightfisher]

Thanks Dan , I hope I can get by with digging up about 6 feet or so on each side . I need to check behind a hidden wall on the north side that hides the old cast iron sewer pipe to the septic tank . ( north wall is on the right in photo). The new sewer pipe exits right at that corner and the weepers also exit there ......One would think the excess water would easily find it's way out to the street from the weepers that exit there . What would happen if a 1/4 " hole was drilled at a 45 degree angle from the inside at the floor/wall to the outside ? Would water drain out to the weepers , or cause more water to come in ?

Don't do it Bill. The blocks have water in them, and seeping in as it is. You don't want them to drain into basement.

However I have done jobs where we did drill on the inside, but had formed and poured a sealed trough which went to a sump pump. There is also another way to repair from the inside. Give me a call.

[bassmaster24]

Any trees close to your house? Possibly old weeper is full and backing up. Sitka makes an anchoring epoxy that works well to seal if you want to fill mortar cracks if you find any. I like the membrane Better than the delta wrap no tap cons just roll the primer on and stick it.