Basement water

[pioneer98]

This is killing me. One reason we bought this house was because it had a drainage system with a sump pump around the perimeter of the basement. We had to put in a radon system in the basement when we moved in. Well, they basically just pull all the air out of these drainage system with a fan continuously. One night I hear the fan gurgling and I realized it was because the whole thing was full of water and the sump pump was not running. We borrowed a pump and luckily had minimal water in the basement that time. Since then the stupid radon fan has quit. It ran for like 8 years straight, so it had a good run. Not sure how long they are supposed to last.

Later when we put in a new toilet, it was messed up internally so it always ran. That's how we learned our sewer line was shot. We learned because we had like 5" of water in our basement. That toilet running continuously was enough to back it up because it was so clogged. Tree roots. Luckily, we were wise and bought the sewer line insurance through the water company. We had to pay about $1500 but the rest was covered. It didn't cover any water damage though, just the cost to replace the line.

When it rains hard there is one corner where rain comes in now that it didn't used to...But tonight took the cake. The sump pump is running fine, kicking on every 15 minutes or so. In the one corner only a little bit of water came in like always....but coming up through one of the radon vents is a gob of water. Luckily it was not deep. It just had to travel about 20 feet or so to the drain at the low point. But still a mess. There must be a clog somewhere in the drainage system between there and the sump. This drainage system has a "lifetime warranty" but we know it will cost something to get it fixed. It's just so frustrating to have this many basement water problems despite having a sump system.

[JCShutout]

I hear your pain. Have an area on the side of the house with pooling water where the sidewalk and foundation meet. I've sealed it but due to the 1000 feet of rain we've had, it keeps sneaking in through what I suspect is a crack, hidden behind the basement landing supports.

Finally gave in and am looking for a company to regrade and get that water away from the house and possibly patch. /sigh

Luckily our sump pump system works well. We did have water that one crazy week a couple of weeks ago, after an entire week of heavy rain AND a 3 hour downpour on the last day some finally started coming in.

[Freed Roger]

We have always had basement water. Now we have matching leak from the ceiling - tree branch hit the roof puncturing the shingles and deck. Making our first homeowners insurance claim (20+ years). will see how that goes.

[JCShutout]

Yeah, its somewhat normal, but pooling isn't good for the foundation long term, or so I've read.

[IMADreamer]

Somehow survived all summer so far without the basement getting wet. Then yesterdays rain came and I've got water coming in at three different places.

[Freed Roger]

Somehow survived all summer so far without the basement getting wet. Then yesterdays rain came and I've got water coming in at three different places.

With all this rain, did your family get the crops planted ?

[IMADreamer]

Somehow survived all summer so far without the basement getting wet. Then yesterdays rain came and I've got water coming in at three different places.

With all this rain, did your family get the crops planted ?

Yeah we did, then they most of it got drowned out. We've got 400 acres with significant hail and wind damage as well. We harvested 150 acres of wheat Sunday and Monday and it's garbage. The price at the elevator was $5.50 a bushel. The elevator docked us $9 dollars because of damage, mold, and the wheat sprouting because of the wet weather. So technically we owed the elevator money to take our wheat. Of course it doesn't work that way and they offered us $2 a bushel for it. Which almost covered the cost of trucking it the $120 mile round trip. We are debating just plowing the remaining 50 acres under.

We will basically be doing a crop insurance claim on all 3000 acres of crops this year.

[Freed Roger]

We will basically be doing a crop insurance claim on all 3000 acres of crops this year.

My wife's farming relatives in NW MO are doing the same.

[IMADreamer]

We will basically be doing a crop insurance claim on all 3000 acres of crops this year.

My wife's farming relatives in NW MO are doing the same.

That doesn't surprise me at all. I think NW MO got it worse than we did. Hope they come out ok.

[Popeye_Card]

This is killing me. One reason we bought this house was because it had a drainage system with a sump pump around the perimeter of the basement. We had to put in a radon system in the basement when we moved in. Well, they basically just pull all the air out of these drainage system with a fan continuously. One night I hear the fan gurgling and I realized it was because the whole thing was full of water and the sump pump was not running. We borrowed a pump and luckily had minimal water in the basement that time. Since then the stupid radon fan has quit. It ran for like 8 years straight, so it had a good run. Not sure how long they are supposed to last.

Later when we put in a new toilet, it was messed up internally so it always ran. That's how we learned our sewer line was shot. We learned because we had like 5" of water in our basement. That toilet running continuously was enough to back it up because it was so clogged. Tree roots. Luckily, we were wise and bought the sewer line insurance through the water company. We had to pay about $1500 but the rest was covered. It didn't cover any water damage though, just the cost to replace the line.

When it rains hard there is one corner where rain comes in now that it didn't used to...But tonight took the cake. The sump pump is running fine, kicking on every 15 minutes or so. In the one corner only a little bit of water came in like always....but coming up through one of the radon vents is a gob of water. Luckily it was not deep. It just had to travel about 20 feet or so to the drain at the low point. But still a mess. There must be a clog somewhere in the drainage system between there and the sump. This drainage system has a "lifetime warranty" but we know it will cost something to get it fixed. It's just so frustrating to have this many basement water problems despite having a sump system.

How hard have you evaluated your exterior options? Water getting into the basement and to the sump in the first place isn't good for the foundation long-term. I assume you've looked at trying to grade away from the house where possible. Carry your downspouts away from the house 10+ feet. Consider trenching around the outside of the foundation and sealing it.

Basements suck. Slabs suck too. I wish houses could float.