House flooding from nowhere?

[EddieWalker]

From the look of Jim's drawing, I think the only way to get the plumbing to the sink is under the slab. I hate going through the slab because it's so dificult to fix a leak if one happens. If you have a sink on an island, you don't have any choise. Otherwise, through the walls, or in the attic is much better.

Eddie

 

[MarkV]

Jim are the plumbing lines done in copper, Pvc or Pex?

MarkV

 

[jinman]

From the look of Jim's drawing, I think the only way to get the plumbing to the sink is under the slab. I hate going through the slab because it's so dificult to fix a leak if one happens. If you have a sink on an island, you don't have any choise. Otherwise, through the walls, or in the attic is much better.

Eddie

Eddie, JB, and all: What I think is they build these houses the cheapest way possible. They bring plumbing into a central spot in the house and branch out to the dowstairs bath, kitchen, and up to the upstairs bathrooms all from a single wall and with as short runs as possible. On the other hand, when I built my house, I had them come under the slab and up into a wall with the water and branch out to the whole house from there. I only have water under the slab footing at one point and the water pipe has a grommet around it where it comes up through the slab. Also, my whole house is plumbed in CPVC instead of copper. At some point, I may regret that, but that remains to be seen. Since there were no codes to deal with and I'd had good experience with CPVC, I chose that.

Back to my daughter's house. . . The insurance company, AMICA, has agreed to 100% of the under slab repair costs and also to replace any tile damaged by the excavation or water and other floor coverings. I think they are happy that they can go into the slab throuh a utility room and that there is no damage to the upstairs floor, downstairs ceiling, or any walls of significance. Mold abatement will be minimal or non-existent. The one question remaining is if the leak is under a main supporting beam in the concrete. If so, the repair will be about $1000 more. It seems there are no blueprints available and no foundation plan for this house. Typical! Oh the joys of owning a tract home. If they get under there and find a sweat joint under the slab, I think that will also be a code violation. I believe they are supposed to make only continuous runs of copper tubing under a slab. Any joints have to be above the 1st floor level.

Curly Dave, if it were my house, I'd be looking at getting that pipe out of the foundation too, but to do that would require that they open up more walls and change a design on the house. I'm sure there would have to be plans submitted for code approvals and related inspections that might drive the costs above simply drilling the slab and fixing the existing pipe. The insurance company told my daughter that their paying 100% of the cost was limited to a conventional repair. They would not pay for the E-Patch. With the insurance company willing to foot the whole bill, you can't blame my daughter for going that way. They start work at 9:00 am this morning on the coldest day in 10 years. Go figure.

 

[jinman]

Jim are the plumbing lines done in copper, Pvc or Pex?

MarkV

Mark, the whole supply water system is copper. I believe it is copper from the meter at the street and the feed to the house is copper also, probably 3/4" or 1" feed from the main.

 

[JB4310]

If they get under there and find a sweat joint under the slab, I think that will also be a code violation. I believe they are supposed to make only continuous runs of copper tubing under a slab. Any joints have to be above the 1st floor level.

That makes sense, just like with wiring, you cannot have a connection or termination buried in a closed space, has to be at a fixture or an accessible covered box. that way it takes all the guess work out of the equation.

But that would require sweeping bends for those risers, alot more room and would have to be done on site. it could be done properly with the right tools, but that on site bending would be the weak point.

You mentioned the supporting beam in the concrete. Even on the few slab houses here, there still needs to be a full perimeter foundation (for frost protection) of 48" with a footing under that. That same configuration would be required under any structural supporting interior walls. The slab would be poured within the and usually below the top of the foundation walls.

What those guys will be doing today with the jack hammering and digging under the floor is what I'm usually doing with the waterproofing work.
I'm in the basement but a good percentage of those are in finished spaces. It does cause alot of disruption when you have to use a jack hammer in a finished room

JB.

 

[kenstrac]

One of the best setups on my travels was a home that was on well water they put a 4" PVC pipe in the slab all the way to the utility room and ran a 1" type K inside with a manifold and each line had it's own valve with all of the feeds going overhead in that house they even had a 1" fire hose 80' long hooked into the system.

 

[jinman]

Well, my daughter just told me that they discovered the main feed was buried beneath a main beam in the slab. It was going to be so expensive that they decided to do a PEX bypass and just open up the walls as needed. This meets code and the insurance companies requirements, but requires the inspector return before they close it up. About the time they finished, my daughter's phone rang and it was the builder offering to come out and do the repair. Somebody is sure putting the pressure on them, but they called too late. The job is already complete and the walls just have to be closed back up. My daughter is just thrilled to have hot water again.

 

[JB4310]

Glad to hear it,

I'm surprised about the builder still being concerned, I thought you mentioned he was in some kind of trouble with other clients.
Must be trying to save his reputation for the next building boom

JB.

 

[Soundguy]

had a manifold that fed 3 roms pop a pinhole leak, and they had to chissle open a hole in a support wall to get at it... them darn leaks behind crete are hard to find..

glad they found it..

soundguy