If it wasn't for bad luck.... (the joys of being a homeowner)

[toxicz28]

I'd have no luck at all!
I'm sitting down enjoying my home away from home, (this site) and my wife comes to me and says that we have a flood by the washing machine. OK, I get up and look, water everywhere. By the washer, and into the garage :scared: ! While she is mopping up the water, I start to trouble shoot. Check the water pipes, drain pipes, washer, etc., etc., and nothing. I then notice that most of the water is by the stairs next to the dryer. So, I start removing wood to get a look see. What do you know, more water! Out comes the shop vac, and I'm vacuuming water 'till 11:30. I go to bed stumped.
I go to work today and tell the boss the situation, he gives a bunch of suggestions and tells me to go home at noon to get it figured out. (thanks Dad! :hail: ) Well, I get home and vacuum up some more water and remove an entire step, so I have access. The I decide to recreate what my wife was doing before this happened (laundry and a bath for the three-year old). I start the wash, and fill the tub. Right when the washer goes into spin, I drain the tub a run downstairs to observe. Well, after about a minute, it looks like someone turned on a hose underneath the stairs! There's water everywhere, it's even leaking THROUGH the cinder blocks! Well, that means the house drain pipe broke! And since it's under a concrete slab, the only way to fix it is to break up the slab! And since neither I, nor the previous homeowner (I talk to him occasionally) know where the drain pipe is run, I have to gut my downstairs bathroom, and start breaking up the slab untill I find the pipe and follow it from there (from one side of the house, to the other).
As if that isn't bad enough, my big screen tv $hi+ the bed yesterday too!:crying:
Anyone want to trade lives?
Anyone...
Anyone...
Bueller.....
Bueller.....
Bueller.....
Is that crickets I hear??? Oh well!

[Norwoodx55]

I think this just means you have a lot of good stuff coming your way. Everything happens for a reason.... or something. One can only hope. Good luck.
Brett

[protour_chevelle]

Get a plumber and have him run the camera through your pipes... The cameras will tell you how far in the break is and where it is.

-Matt

[indyjps]

that sucks. ive had an interesting week too. got a delinquent tax bill from the county saying my home will be in jeopardy if i dont pay the years taxes in full by feb 6, i bought the house in march and paid them in full @ closing. i contact the closing company and find out the lady that did my closing has since been fired for skimming money and they suspect mine was included. so i gotta cough up the tax bill to the county asap and have my lawyer contact the closing company.
next day took my g/f's trailblazer (26k miles) into dealership to have trans checked. thing was shifting in and out of o/d a couple of times a minute over 60 mph. new trans and transfer case rebuild. at least thats still under warranty.
day after that i think i broke my pinkie toe so things are looking up but damn it hurts.
since things happen in 3's i think im karma'ed out for a while.

[CAMAROBOY69]

That sounds better than what I went thru about a year ago or so. I will cut the long story short and say the problem is a huge tree next to our house. It grows right into the sewer lines that run from our house to the city sewer. Yeah that was a horrible experience when you go into your basement and see 6 inches of water.
We pour the Pipe Doctor stuff down there once a year hoping to god it keeps the roots out. Not good times.
Cost to replace the pipe is around $3,000 if it eventually gets too plugged up.

[TPI Monte SS]

OH man, sorry to hear about that! I was hoping you'd get lucky, and just have to fix the washing machine. Our ~3 year old GE washer had sediment built up in the solenoid that controls water flow into the washtub, and occasionally it would stick open. If you weren't babysitting the washing machine, the tub would overfill and flood the basement. At least that only cost me $30 in parts and an hour of my time. How far into NY are ya? Maybe I could cruise up and give you a hand on a weekend.

[toxicz28]

OH man, sorry to hear about that! I was hoping you'd get lucky, and just have to fix the washing machine. Our ~3 year old GE washer had sediment built up in the solenoid that controls water flow into the washtub, and occasionally it would stick open. If you weren't babysitting the washing machine, the tub would overfill and flood the basement. At least that only cost me $30 in parts and an hour of my time. How far into NY are ya? Maybe I could cruise up and give you a hand on a weekend.


Thanks Steve, I was hoping the same thing too. My wife was hoping it wasn't, untill I told her it could be alot worse than replacing the washer. She changed her tune real quick then. I'm about an hour north of White Plains, and if you could, that would be really appreciated. But, I want to wait untill I hear from the insurance company first. That should be "sometime next week" I'll keep you posted. Again, thanks to all!

[TonyHuntimer]

If you've never had problems and all of the sudden it's reallly bad...a slip joint pipe must have come loose. Is it possible the drain pipe on the bathtub came off? This happened to my sister-in law.

Good luck,
Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

[paul67]

Have you found the drain if not use divining rods thats how i found my water mains , easy get 2 copper pipes about 6" long and 2 gas welding rods about 18" long bend 1 end about 6" 90 degs put into pipes hold pipes about 12-16" apart with the rods facing away and walk over the slab as you walk over the mains the rods will come together,trust me it works my mains was 2 1/2 ft down.

[steemin]

Toxicz28,
Sorry to hear about your problems...
I own a company that specializes in water damage restoration.
You need to make sure that you properly dry all of the structural components (drywall,wood,carpet, insulation etc) that may have gotten wet or you could have some serious problems down the road.
If you want some free advice feel free to contact me..
My e-mail is [email protected]
Scott

[toxicz28]

If you've never had problems and all of the sudden it's reallly bad...a slip joint pipe must have come loose. Is it possible the drain pipe on the bathtub came off? This happened to my sister-in law.

Good luck,
Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com
Tony,
It's not the bathtub drain, I have access to every drain pipe that is above the concrete slab, and was able to check each one.
After looking, and remembering incidents over the past 4 years I've owned the house, I theorized that this problem has been going on for over a decade. It was mistaken for ground water. Here is what I theorized, it makes perfect sense, and I'll try to be as brief as possible.
Pipe breaks and starts leaking water.
Owner puts new walkway and stairs in, finds ground water where walkway is going.
Doesn't want new walkway to get trashed quick, so he has a curtain drain installed running down driveway (200' +) to drainage ditch at end.
He sells house to second owner who re-paves driveway and sells to me about 6 years later.
Town comes along and re does drainage ditch adding a catch basin and closing off my curtain drain.
I start having drainage problems.
I talk to a contractor about putting in a curtain drain.
Walkway sinking, I pull the brick to re-level it and discover that I already have a curtain drain that's not doing a very good job.
The wife gives my son a bath while doing laundry, and coincidentally drains the tub the same time as the spin cycle, overloading the broken pipe and the over saturated ground leaking through and interior block wall into my garage level.
Also, when I pulled up one of the steps to get access, I noticed that the wood was all rotted, and the nails that were exposed underneath were rusted up really bad.

Guys, again, thanks for all of your suggestions, tips and advice. I really appreciate all of it!

Rob

[shmoov69]

Get a plumber and have him run the camera through your pipes... The cameras will tell you how far in the break is and where it is.
-Matt
I had a doctor do that, it was not very fun, I can't imagine having a plumber do it to me!! :seizure:


Ever had a tornado run through your house? I did a couple years ago. I will take the pipe break! :box2:
Had that happen a year before also, except it was a pressure pipe and not a drain pipe which let 10,000 gal of water in my kitchen, family room, living room and dining room. :crying:

BTW- sorry for your luck, that does definately suck, espically since it is all unexcessable.

[toxicz28]

The insurance adjuster came by today. So far, he said they will cover exposing of the pipe. He doesn't know if they'll cover fixing the pipe, or covering it back up yet. We'll see what happens with this.


Have you found the drain if not use divining rods thats how i found my water mains , easy get 2 copper pipes about 6" long and 2 gas welding rods about 18" long bend 1 end about 6" 90 degs put into pipes hold pipes about 12-16" apart with the rods facing away and walk over the slab as you walk over the mains the rods will come together,trust me it works my mains was 2 1/2 ft down.

Well, for $hi+$ and giggles, I tried it. And if I didn't see it for myself, I wouldn't believe it. I tried it first where I knew there were pipes, and it worked! I then started walking around over the slab, and what do you know, it worked again! Anyone want to guess where the pipe is???? It runs right underneath a bearing wall :banghead: !!!!

On a side note: The tv is fixed. Only $160 with parts

[toxicz28]

Ever had a tornado run through your house?

Yeah, I named him after me!:twothumbs

[shmoov69]

Yeah, I named him after me!:twothumbs

Good one, never thought of that! LOL! My newest one with the same name is not yet running! Only 4 Months old. :twothumbs

[Bill Howell]

Just curious, being a builder.
1. Are you on sewer or septic tank?
2. Have you had alot of rain lately?
3. Have you inspected the outside of the house( foundation) yet and found any cracks?

[gsxrken]

You may have your W/M on tub on a a drywell that is saturated or shot. Years ago this was often done in septic system applications due to the amount of water those two fixtures use. Generally speaking, drain pipies don't leak unless there is something blocking them. Of course, roots, heaving due to frost, or poor crafstmanship from day one could cause leaks. I second the nod for a drain man with a camera snake.

[Neil B]

Toxicz28,
Sorry to hear about your problems...
I own a company that specializes in water damage restoration.
You need to make sure that you properly dry all of the structural components (drywall,wood,carpet, insulation etc) that may have gotten wet or you could have some serious problems down the road.
If you want some free advice feel free to contact me..
My e-mail is [email protected]
Scott

Scott,

Last week I had a 2nd floor air handler evaporator leak which caused a visible water stain on the first floor ceiling. We tried to air out the air handler closet as best we could but there is really no way to dry out the ceiling area without cutting it open. The air conditioning guy said the ceiling would dry out on it's own in a few weeks, but I doubt that. What do you recommend?

Thanks. -Neil

[toxicz28]

Just curious, being a builder.
1. Are you on sewer or septic tank?
2. Have you had alot of rain lately?
3. Have you inspected the outside of the house( foundation) yet and found any cracks?

Bill,
1. Septic
2. Surprisingly enough for NY in January, yes!
3. Inspected yes, cracks no.

I had a plumber come out and put a camera in my pipe. He found standing water in it. So much, that he couldn't see. He feels that the pipe split and shifted at the foundation wall, and it's leaking into the house. Now the fun begins. Digging up the front of the house, and breaking up the slab in my family room. I guess I'll have to pop in Master of Puppets track 8*!! :git: :headbang: :firefire:










*Damage Inc.

[toxicz28]

Scott,

Last week I had a 2nd floor air handler evaporator leak which caused a visible water stain on the first floor ceiling. We tried to air out the air handler closet as best we could but there is really no way to dry out the ceiling area without cutting it open. The air conditioning guy said the ceiling would dry out on it's own in a few weeks, but I doubt that. What do you recommend?

Thanks. -Neil

Hey! stop hijacking my post!!!! j/k:)
Try a dehumidifier.

[Steve1968LS2]

On our last house the floor was always nice and warm in the laundry room.. dogs loved it and we didn't think much of it..

Got a water bill for a HUGE amount of used water.. 300 gallons a day or some crazy number.

Plumber came out and listened to the floor with a stethscope and it turned out to be a leaky hot water pipe under the floor. Out came the jackhammer shortly followed by a $3000 bill at the end. Luckily my homeowners covered most of it.

I feel your pain..

[Bill Howell]

Bill,
1. Septic
2. Surprisingly enough for NY in January, yes!
3. Inspected yes, cracks no.

I had a plumber come out and put a camera in my pipe. He found standing water in it. So much, that he couldn't see. He feels that the pipe split and shifted at the foundation wall, and it's leaking into the house. Now the fun begins. Digging up the front of the house, and breaking up the slab in my family room. I guess I'll have to pop in Master of Puppets track 8*!! :git: :headbang: :firefire:

I would not get the jackhammer out just yet. If it is holding water, it is not split at that point. All holding water means is that it is backed up. I would locate where it goes into the house outside, cut the pipe a foot or so past the house then run the camara in and see what it looks like.
I bet you have some clog or a overrun septic. The backed up water is a symtom, not a cause. you really need to find what is causeing the back up. The split pipe theory could be how the water is seeping back into the foundation. Unless you have had undermining around the foundation, I seriously doubt the pipe has split.
I hope something here makes sence, I just hate to see you tear up more and not find anything.My gut feeling is a root impeding the flow, seen it before. It would also spill at the same point, and let the water seep back into the foundation. I bet though you will find a tree root the problem. How old is the piping? Plastic or cast iron? Any big trees in the same area?
Pump the tank dry, then do the same test you did earlier. Look at the imput of the tank and see if you have a good constant flow when the washing machine is on spin or if it is a slower flow that the output of the washer. Then you will KNOW it is a root or something.
Plumbing is not rocket science, don't get taking on some wild ass guess.

[6'9"Witha69]

Plumbing is not rocket science, don't get taking on some wild ass guess.
A few of my friends are sparkys (electricians) and they have a saying about plumbers ("turd chasers" as they call 'em). "You only need to know 2 things to be a plumber. 1) Water flows down 2) Payday is Friday."

[TonyL]

as a 15 year maintenance guy, the backed up water tells me you have a blockage problem, and the water spilling in your house is a result, Standing water will find a way out. the root sounds most likely. or a hotwheel. Hotwheels are great for becoming lodged in pipes and gathering toilet paper. At least have him auger the pipe out. you stand to lose very little at this phase. then camera the pipe again.

[steemin]

Scott,

Last week I had a 2nd floor air handler evaporator leak which caused a visible water stain on the first floor ceiling. We tried to air out the air handler closet as best we could but there is really no way to dry out the ceiling area without cutting it open. The air conditioning guy said the ceiling would dry out on it's own in a few weeks, but I doubt that. What do you recommend?

Thanks. -Neil

Hey Neil,
I would most certainly cut an access hole into that area.
This will not only help the drying process but it will also allow you to more accurately assess the damage.
If there is wet insulation above the ceiling I would remove that as well.
Dehumidification (lowering the grains of moisture in the air) is helpful.
But air movement is even more important..
(I would do both)
Mold/mildew likes to grow in a stagnant enviroment.
Air movement not only speeds up drying time but it reduces the possibility of mold issues as well.
Find a local tool rental company that rents turbo fans or any other brand of a squirrel cage fan. Place the fan in the effected area.
The most important thing is to not underestimate the actual effected area. We have different meters (penetrating and non penetrating)
to help us in identifying all of the "wet" areas.
Carefully examine everywhere the water could have ran. You can use a level to determine slope and get a general idea of which way the water would run. Another option in determining what areas are actually effected is to call in a water damage restoration professional.
Follow them around while they are assessing the damage. They should point out the affected areas for you. Be very careful. Many companies in this industry are not reputable. You should not be charged for an estimate. If you need to use a water restoration service make sure that they are IICRC certified.
Sorry for the Hijacked thread....
Scott

[toxicz28]

I would not get the jackhammer out just yet. If it is holding water, it is not split at that point. All holding water means is that it is backed up. I would locate where it goes into the house outside, cut the pipe a foot or so past the house then run the camara in and see what it looks like.
I bet you have some clog or a overrun septic. The backed up water is a symtom, not a cause. you really need to find what is causeing the back up. The split pipe theory could be how the water is seeping back into the foundation. Unless you have had undermining around the foundation, I seriously doubt the pipe has split.
I hope something here makes sence, I just hate to see you tear up more and not find anything.My gut feeling is a root impeding the flow, seen it before. It would also spill at the same point, and let the water seep back into the foundation. I bet though you will find a tree root the problem. How old is the piping? Plastic or cast iron? Any big trees in the same area?
Pump the tank dry, then do the same test you did earlier. Look at the imput of the tank and see if you have a good constant flow when the washing machine is on spin or if it is a slower flow that the output of the washer. Then you will KNOW it is a root or something.
Plumbing is not rocket science, don't get taking on some wild ass guess.
I holding off on the metallica cd for now. My insurance company authorized payment for whatever exposes the problem, so, we're going to dig up outside first, and then go from there. I'm still putting my money on the broken pipe under the floor though. The plumber said he had about 22' of cable out for the camera before he hit blockage. That is just inside the foundation wall. But, if you are right Bill, I will gladly send you a six pack of your favorite beverage :)! Here's a pic of the worst area of the leak. Mind you, this is 12' inside the foundation wall.

[toxicz28]

Sorry for the Hijacked thread....
Scott
Don't sweat it, I need that same advice :twothumbs !

[Jim Nilsen]

I was watching one of those home do it yourself shows one night and it was the British lady on it that after a bit had me laughing at how she kept saying homeowner.

I had to get the wife and have her listen to her say it.

It kept coming out sounding like this:

HO MOANER

Now I know what I am when I get screwed by something with my house and I start to complain about.

Jim Nilsen

[1970cuda]

you spoke of trading at the beginning of the tread. try this one..
i got fired from my job after seven years because " i was holding to company hostage because i was the only one that did so many jobs". so i decided to take some time off before getting a new job. i took the family on a drive from az to utah to visit the wifes family. 12 hours in a mini van is fun with two young kids. well the trans on the van does out with 36818 miles and no warranty. $2800 later we headed home. got home and my son plugged up the drain in the master bath sink and flooded the bedroom and ruined the cabinets. had to replace them and of course no one makes on in the size used by the builders so i had to do tile work to make it fit. that was a fun three day project along with new carpet. once that was done then two days later the washing machine drain hose comes unplugged and flood the other side of the house. luckily there is tile one that side. $.65 clip to fix. then the hot water loses pressure. i go to home depot and lowes. both of them say since the home is 10 years old it is the water heat. it must be limed up and needs replacement. i buy a new one and install it. still no worky. they tell me that maybe i got a defective one. i ask them if it could be a clogged line and they say no since i have copper pipes. i tear the new out and return it and get another new one. guess what same problem. turns out there was a clog in the out going lines and that was it. also when i was doing my soddering i must of loosened one of the fitting in the wall because it started to leak and took out the wall and the stand for the water heater. guess what the only way is to fix the water heater stand is.....r & r the water heater. well the fun is behind me for know and maybe I can start looking for a job now..........oh did i mention the wife is pregnant.....................

[shmoov69]

maybe I can start looking for a job now..........oh did i mention the wife is pregnant.....................

Sounds like you NEED to start looking for a job now! You got way too much time on your hands! :slap:

[toxicz28]

you spoke of trading at the beginning of the tread. try this one..
i got fired from my job after seven years because " i was holding to company hostage because i was the only one that did so many jobs". so i decided to take some time off before getting a new job. i took the family on a drive from az to utah to visit the wifes family. 12 hours in a mini van is fun with two young kids. well the trans on the van does out with 36818 miles and no warranty. $2800 later we headed home. got home and my son plugged up the drain in the master bath sink and flooded the bedroom and ruined the cabinets. had to replace them and of course no one makes on in the size used by the builders so i had to do tile work to make it fit. that was a fun three day project along with new carpet. once that was done then two days later the washing machine drain hose comes unplugged and flood the other side of the house. luckily there is tile one that side. $.65 clip to fix. then the hot water loses pressure. i go to home depot and lowes. both of them say since the home is 10 years old it is the water heat. it must be limed up and needs replacement. i buy a new one and install it. still no worky. they tell me that maybe i got a defective one. i ask them if it could be a clogged line and they say no since i have copper pipes. i tear the new out and return it and get another new one. guess what same problem. turns out there was a clog in the out going lines and that was it. also when i was doing my soddering i must of loosened one of the fitting in the wall because it started to leak and took out the wall and the stand for the water heater. guess what the only way is to fix the water heater stand is.....r & r the water heater. well the fun is behind me for know and maybe I can start looking for a job now..........oh did i mention the wife is pregnant.....................

Thanks!!!! You made me feel a whole lot better about my life.

[toxicz28]

Well, To Bill Howell and all of the others who said it was outside the house, you were right! Somewhat.... A backhoe came and dug on Friday. We found a 2' section of pipe that was rotted away, and filled with dirt causing a clog. Also 3' away from that, the pipe was broken. The plumber removed the pipe and tried to go inside with the camera, no good, clogged. He tried to clear with water from inside (tub, toilets, sinks, etc.), Most of that water ended up in my garage. Yup, a leak inside too! He the gets it cleared and throws a pipe in so I could shower and flush. Saturday, he comes back with a jackhammer and breaks up the floor in my family room. About 3/4 of the way across, he finds a small hole in the top of the pipe. He spends all of this time cutting the pipe (cast iron) with a sawzall, only to have the pipe that should be solid, loose and jiggling around under the floor that wasn't chopped yet. He pulls the pipe out (broken clean in two), more chopping, more digging, and finds the end of the pipe exactly where he hit water the first time in with the camera. Right in the middle of the house! Now, I'm left with a 2'x2'x16' trench inside, a 6'x4'x15' trench outside, a 3 year old son that wants "me" to fix it, and a whole lot of hope that the insurance will pick up the whole tab! Wish me luck.

[Bill Howell]

Odd about the pipe inside, no slab cracks or issues? If it is any consolation, the trench would have had to be all the way to the crack anyway. At least you are on the road to recovery now. I bet mama is real happy with all the mess too....lol

[shmoov69]

Ooooh, that sucks dude! Sorry to hear about that! A nice smelly trench inside the living room! Well, on the bright side, you will get new carpet out of the deal!
Good luck with the insurance!

[Kenova]

I've never had any major problems with my house, but after reading this thread, I'm damn glad I have a basement.
Ken

[rockdogz]

Hmm, that's scary... we have a pre-tension slab, so you can't go through it... wonder what happens with houses here that have a broken pipe under the slab! :scared: