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Old 07-08-2016, 09:40 PM
 
10 posts, read 17,150 times
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I live in a ranch-style house with a walkout basement. House was built in 2006, and I've been in it since 2009. The basement has a sump pit, but I have never seen a drop of water in it even during the most intense midwest rainstorms.

This past year I have noticed a couple sections of the basement floor, in almost perfect 1ft x 1ft squares, water was weeping up through the floor. Also, during one particularly intense storm, water was leaking in between a couple sections of the poured concrete foundation wall. And yet, nothing in the sump pit.

This evening I decided to investigate the pit. I took the lid off, and there's one four-inch black corrugated pipe emptying into it. I couldn't feel an obstruction elbow-deep, so I turned on a hose full-blast and threaded it up the pipe as far as I could, probably about thirty feet before hitting a stop. What struck me as odd is not a bit of the water I was full-blasting into the pipe was coming back out. None -- not even right up until the hose was in only a foot at best.

This leads me to one of two conclusions: whatever is surrounding the drain is absorbing the water that quickly (ha, not likely) or the grading on the drainage pipe is way backwards. Any other thoughts?
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Old 07-08-2016, 10:10 PM
 
23,510 posts, read 69,890,838 times
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Actually - quite likely. Decent lower levels are often poured concrete over crushed limestone rock. Why one or two areas have a problems are different issues. The wall likely wasn't waterproofed on the outside, and the footer may be preventing water from getting to the drainage under the floor. The spots on the floor MIGHT be a vernal spring or spot where the gravel was thin due to an obstruction.
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Old 07-09-2016, 03:43 AM
 
Location: The Triad
34,091 posts, read 82,438,418 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mightybonus View Post
...water was leaking in between a couple sections of the poured concrete foundation wall.
This is about backfill, tar seal etc and other OUTSIDE the wall issues.

Quote:
In almost perfect 1ft x 1ft squares, water was weeping up through the floor.
This happens. Usually from rising water tables.
(My first house? The street was built on what was once the farm pond.)

Quote:
...there's one four-inch black corrugated pipe emptying into it.
...not a bit of the water I was full-blasting into the pipe was coming back out. None

...the grading on the drainage pipe is way backwards.
There really shouldn't be any grading on the pipe.
It's meant to lay level and be dry most of the time.

As water comes in from walls with issues ...
that water should be encouraged to get below grade where it will mix with the
rising water table water and weep into the perforated pipe from below.

Most commonly by means of holes through the block below the concrete
and open gap at the edge of the (new) concrete used to cover the trench.

Weep holes in basement walls
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Old 07-09-2016, 03:33 PM
 
Location: Columbus, OH
1,058 posts, read 1,236,979 times
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Does your sump pit have holes in the bottom of it? Most of them do, as it lets water in from well below the basement floor surface. The pit fills and the sump pump gets rid of it. Water should, in most cases, only come in through the black piping in severe cases of massive rain storms.
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Old 07-09-2016, 03:51 PM
 
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No, I do not see any holes in the bottom. Should I drill a few?
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Old 07-09-2016, 05:43 PM
 
Location: The Triad
34,091 posts, read 82,438,418 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mightybonus View Post
No, I do not see any holes in the bottom.
Do you actually see the bottom?
The pump and usually a square of concrete is in there too.

Quote:
Should I drill a few?
If none? Absolutely. A few extra won't hurt.
A 1" paddle bit will work well.
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Old 07-09-2016, 06:09 PM
 
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Yes, I can see the bottom. The whole pit seems to be a simple one-piece black plastic. There's no pump or block present.

When we say to drill holes in the bottom, does this mean straight down through the bottom, or in the sides of the pit towards the bottom? Or both?
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Old 07-09-2016, 10:11 PM
 
Location: Johns Creek, GA
17,403 posts, read 65,528,173 times
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A sump basin with NO PUMP-
So, is there a "system" or not?

Almost makes my think that the basement could have been plumbed for a bath and this is the basin for it (no reason to install pump when there's no bath).

The whole idea of the basin is to "collect" water for DISCHARGE. If it's just collecting water with no means of removing it there's something wrong here.

DON'T drill any holes in the basin. The chances it's sitting on 4-6ft of gravel are certainly slim too none.
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Old 07-10-2016, 07:54 PM
 
Location: Columbus, OH
1,058 posts, read 1,236,979 times
Reputation: 1778
Wow. You have what appears to be a sump pit, but there is no sump pump in it? Bizarre. Yeah, then do not drill holes in it then.
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Old 07-10-2016, 08:12 PM
 
10 posts, read 17,150 times
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Well, obviously if I get results I'll put a pump in it. But seven years without a drop of water...I'm not quite there yet.
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