Sealing inside of PVC pipe through basement wall?

[dsaile777]

Hi all,

New member here. I'm having an issue in my basement that I'm kind of at a loss trying to fix. Hopefully I can explain it in a way that people can visualize and understand...

So, in my basement, my main water line comes in through the basement wall (obviously). It is a 3/4" copper pipe that comes in through a section of 1-1/2" PVC pipe (so, a pipe inside a pipe). The issue I'm having is, where I live, the water table is very high, and groundwater is steadily flowing in through the INSIDE of the PVC pipe. It is not a strong flow, more of a leak, and it goes right down into my french drain, so it's not a major issue, however, I'd still like to seal that off somehow so that the water is not getting inside. Is there any way or any product that can seal this off properly? I can't think of a way to seal it off while water is steadily flowing in, and since it's groundwater flowing in, there is no way for me to "turn off" the water coming in so I can plug the leak.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

-Dave

 

[Kreemoweet]

When that pipe and PVC sleeve was installed, the space between the pipe and sleeve was supposed to be filled with an
elastomeric sealant. Just about any non-water-based (polyurethane, silicone, etc.) caulk/sealant will do. I don't know
offhand of any such that will work with flowing water in the space. Maybe you could just wait for the dry season?
Or dig a hole down on the outside of the wall to temporarily remove the water until the sealant cures.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Treeman]

I wonder if you could stuff closed cell foam backer rod into the space between the copper and PVC to stop the leak??

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=closed+cell+foam+backer+rod

 

[Bannerman]

The most permanent repair will be to dig on the exterior, down to the pipe entry location. This will relieve pressure and allow the penetration to dry-out some before filling it with an appropriate flexible sealant as kreemoweet suggested. Always best to prevent water from entering the wall whenever possible and sealing also around the sleeve will prevent water from seeping between the sleeve and the concrete.

As Treeman suggested, foam backer rod, foam pipe insulation or expanding spray foam could also be used to fill the gap through the entire wall thickness to provide a further barrier, and would also provide some insulation value and structural support for the sealant.

Suggest digging all the way down to the horizontal perimeter drain pipe as you can then refill the excavation with clear gravel or install a vertical section of perforated drain pipe before backfilling. This will allow a vertical column for water to flow easily to the horizontal perimeter drain pipe below and will prevent pressure from building at the pipe penetration location.