Needing a method to channel a slow water leak along basement floor
fassbinder
| Posted in General Discussion on
It’s from a slow leaking water heater. Problem is there’s only about 3 inches to work with between the WH and the stud walls which are now wicking up the water (or allowing it to pass underneath into a carpeted area.)
I don’t want to put anything down that I won’t be able to remove after I get the WH replaced in the next week or so.
The floor drain is within three feet and is in the general direction of the slope but enough of it is making it sideways to the wall that its becoming something I want to check.
Thanks.
Replies
Cut a 26" bicycle tube to
Cut a 26" bicycle tube to make a long sausage; seal one end; fill it with sand; seal the other end, and lay it in a semi-circle between the WH and the wall.
Or maybe a bead of some sort of removable caulking.
I'll look around and see what I've got. Got lots of expandable foam but that stuff would never come off.
I'd probably use glazing compound (and have in the past, in similar situations). It's a sort of putty that remains fairly soft. It might leave a slight residue, but otherwise would be easy to remove. The trick would be getting it to stick well enough to the wet surface to do the job.
Used a long bead pf plumbers putty.
Seems to be working.
slow leak HW tank
What would happen if the slow leak turns into gushing creek?
I would not asume anything. My last slow leak drained from the drain pan into a drain line. Happened just the day before we went on holiday. I thought this would not bother me and we change the tank when we come back. Upon return discovered that the drainpipe was not hooked up to the main drain. The crawlspace was like a jungle.
Can you open the wall from the other side and do a proper dam system as suggested by other members? A little drywall patch should not be such a problem but then you are safe
Forget about the home remedies
If you want this done right, forget about the temporary home remedies. Yeah, you're expecting a new water heater in soon, and the problem won't arise until that water heater develops a leak. My current landlord had to replace the water heater in this apartment 3 times within 2 weeks. That's 2 NEW water heaters in a row that failed within a WEEK. Counting the original old water heater that failed, that comes to 3 times in 2 weeks that the whole lower floor of this apartment was flooded, big time. Now yes, this is about as worse case scenerios as they get. But rest assured, it isn't the first time this scenerio has played out, nor will it be the last. My advise is if you want water heater leakage and/or full basement water issue peace of mind, call your local Basement Systems dealer or go to worthless link deleted
BasementSystems.com made my house blow up.
Basement Systems intallers took my family hostage for a week. It was horrible.
cuttoff a 1/2 gal platic milk carton, stick it under the leak.
But if you cut it off like that, won't the water just leak out at the bottom?