Water coming into basement

[PetrolBlueSC]

Street or outside shutoff test is a great idea. Remember to close the shut off valve just after the meter also, this will prevent water inside the house from draining back down to the leak.

[strupgolf]

That water problem does not look new, it's been there for some time imo. If the previous owner did not disclose this problem, you might go to your realty company and get one of them to foot the bill to fix. Most new owners have/get a homowners policy for new surprises, like yours. My first house had a cracked pipe, covered with caulk and paint that the inspector did'nt see. It was fixed at no cost to me. Hope this helps and you find the answer.

[Eric 951]

Dollars to donuts, you have a leak in your main supply line. For the water to pool up there and the evidence of a past fix points that is your issue. Shut off the main near the street and see if it stops. If so, there is your asnwer--hopefully it will be near the meter so you won't have to go digging up the entire line, but it looks like there is some jackhammering in your near future. (The inexpensive electric hammer which Harbor Freight sells has actually been quite robust and reliable).

[fred cook]

If you have access to the outside of the block wall, dig a ditch and install a french drain. Also, while the ditch is open, clean the outside of the wall and apply a good sealant. Most of the time sealant works much better when applied on the outside of a wall rather than on the inside! Your other option would be to install a second sump pump right where you think the water is coming in and pump it to an outside location. The other thing that I would do is to make sure that all of the water is turned off in the house and then go check the water meter. If it is running then there is a leak between the meter and the house. Good luck!

[johnsjmc]

Looking at the supply pipe it looks like a continuous piece of soft copper pipe. commonly direct buried around here and should last for decades. In clay or cement life can be reduced by galvanic corrosion but still long lasting stuff. The hole through the floor where it enters is the likely route of water entry. I suspect you have a high water table Has it been raining a lot. Is there still snow melting way up there in little canada? LOL.
Even with no signs of weeping tiles or a French drain a house might have tiles laid under the floor connecting to the building sewer. They could have been added years ago too. I just had a basement flood in a 1890 house. Turns out weepers were under the floor and te main sewer was choked with roots. As other said vacuum up the water and see where it comes back in . call a plumber and if it appears to be an expensive fix call the real estate agent because the previous owner probably had similar problems.

[slakjaw]

It's not the pipe. I cleaned everything up and it's not coming back. Looks like one of the rain gutters was overflowing pretty close to where everything was pooled up. So I'm going to fix that first and see if it does it again.

[cabmandone]

Like I said, ground water and it has happened before. I'd call your home inspector and ask for a full refund.

[stealthn]

Call basementsystems.com they will install a try around your basement between the slab and wall and route it to a sump pump. They guarantee your basement for life from water intrusion

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by slakjaw

... Looks like one of the rain gutters was overflowing pretty close to where everything was pooled up. So I'm going to fix that first and see if it does it again.

Clogged gutters have caused more issues with my houses (exactly what they are designed to prevent...so I thought) than I care to think about . Over the past few years, I've removed quite a few and just make sure the drainage/slopes etc. direct the water away from the houses...YMMV.

ps: I know some of you are thinking: Clean yer dang gutters out ! I do that but still couldn't keep them all unclogged to my satisfaction, and it was an ongoing maintenance hassle.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by KC911

Clogged gutters have caused more issues with my houses (exactly what they are designed to prevent...so I thought) than I care to think about . Over the past few years, I've removed quite a few and just make sure the drainage/slopes etc. direct the water away from the houses...YMMV.

ps: I know some of you are thinking: Clean yer dang gutters out ! I do that but still couldn't keep them all unclogged to my satisfaction, and it was an ongoing maintenance hassle.

Two words: Gutter Guard. I installed the plastic stuff you can buy at the big box home stores and haven't had a problem with gutters plugging since. The only issue I have is when it's cold and snow builds up then thaws. I get some AWESOME Icicles but I really don't like those things hanging around 18 feet in the air with my kids playing outside.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by cabmando

Two words: Gutter Guard. I installed the plastic stuff you can buy at the big box home stores and haven't had a problem with gutters plugging since. ...

I tried some of the plastic snap-in ones some years back in one of my rentals....worthless POS for me. A couple of years ago, I did install some metal ones that screw in on another rental...the jury is still out on those. With big ol' oak leaves, etc. they seem just fine, but pine needles and maple "whirly birds" seem to make them a PITA also....nothing like a nice line of tiny maples growing in your gutter garden after a while . On my primary house, I've opted for gutter removal for all but a few sections. One things for sure...no matter how ya do it...get the water flowing away from your house. I'm fortunate that almost all of mine have landscaping grades which make it feasible to just remove the gutters, so I opted to go that route when feasible....YMMV.

ps: I'm sitting on 160' of the metal gutter guards that I "intend" to install on my dad's house (already removed 120' of his gutters). In his "infinite wisdom" he had the shingles overhung a couple of inches years ago (not his brightest moment), and I simply dread it. I'm also afraid that unless I trim the shingles back, I'll simply make a small PITA of cleaning out his gutters a MAJOR PITA when crap collects between the guards and under the shingles creating a moisture trap.

pps: Welcome to the joys of home ownership Slak and congrats on the purchase!

[mikesride]

Proper grade and drainage is very important...A weeping tile system and sump pump are a necessity were I live due to a high water table (is this what you guys are calling a "French drain?"). Also proper exterior foundation coatings are a must around these parts as well.
Slacker....did you get a property disclosure statement from the previous owner? I have used one in the past to leverage payment from a previous owner for similar issues.

[wdfifteen]

First thing to do is shop vac the water out and see if it's still leaking in and where it's coming in.

[slakjaw]

I got all the water out. So far it has not come back in but so far it also has not rained. I am adding an additional downspot on Friday so hoping this fixes it.