Water leaking into basement from outside water hose


  #1  
Old 08-23-19, 01:17 AM
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Exclamation Water leaking into basement from outside water hose

Hey guys. I've been in this house for less than a week, and replaced the garden area with sod so my dogs have a bathroom space. I bought a soaker hose and left it on with the cap covering the end on tight, because, hey, that's what it's there for. We came home after 5-6 hours and realized that there was a considerable amount of water in the basement. The basement is about 60/40 finished/unfinished. On the unfinished side the wooden shelves were clearly damp and darker than the dry wood. Lengthwise they were visibly wet about 5-6 feet from the wall, almost all the way up to the top of the basement (bottom of main floor). There was previously a patch installed due to flooding resulting from rain in that garden before it had a concrete patio, all these condos had wood slats previously. This patch was dry to the touch and the exterior wall was dry all around. Just this partition wall in the basement was wet (very wet though). On the other side of this partition wall is the finished portion of our basement, which has carpet. I dried some with a towel and realized it was thoroughly soaked. I then pulled it up, it's just carpet pad and tacks. The carpet pad was pretty wet, and from what I've read it isn't worth salvaging. Can I just replace part of this pad, and how would I attach it to the dry portion of pad after cutting and sizing it? More importantly for this thread, (plumbing), I want to verify that my logic makes sense. The exterior wall is dry, and there were no leaks during much heavier rain, so it can't be a bad foundation. The patch which would be the weakest point, is bone dry all around. It's a non-freeze or whatever they call it type faucets, and I read they can cause water to back up in the line if they were left with a hose attached over a freeze. The old lady who was here before us definitely could've done that. I am concerned about this partition wall that was wet on the unfinished side. The finished side of wall is dry, but I'm concerned about mold/mildew growing behind those wood shelves, which is I guess where the exterior faucet line goes behind. I budgeted for emergencies when purchasing the house, so should I let an expert look? I know mold is one of the worst things you can have.

Thanks all, first time posting and also first time homeowner.
 

Last edited by Sam Goodman; 08-23-19 at 01:18 AM. Reason: forgot to write I left the cap on the soaker hose
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Old 08-23-19, 03:12 AM
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So a bit of rambling here!

First think is clean up the water mess, remove the carpet and padding (yes the wet can be removed and patched) but if the carpet is out it might just be easier to replace.

Next get fans and dehumidifiers running to remove moisture, a one time soaking is not going to cause mold so dry it up.

Now you have to find the leak. If water was running for extended period it's either leaking from the plumbing or leaking in through the foundation.

Sorry, we're not there, your going to have to do some investigation to find the leak, it's coming from some where, then we can help with suggestions to remedy!
 
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Old 08-23-19, 07:04 AM
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Im sure the leak is the hose given that the foundation patch is dry and the exterior wall is dry in the basement. I’m concerned about the other wall getting wet, the partition wall. Should I just let that air dry too?
 
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Old 08-23-19, 10:23 AM
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Usually, when a frost-free faucet cracks due to freezing, the resulting leak is significant. Which makes it "better" because you know it's an issue right away. In your case, it sounds like a slower leak - which doesn't mean it isn't a spigot issue, but it's less likely.

Unfortunately, I think you next step has to be to cut a hole in the ceiling where the faucet is. You need to get your eyes on it to see if that's what's leaking, or if it's another issue like the foundation.
 
 

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