(1) We are on a well. During certain weather conditions in the spring, with simultaneous rain and snow melting, water leaks into the basement through the sleeve which contains the water line from the well and the electrical line from the pump. The sleeve comes through the basement wall at floor level. How can I stop the water leak?
(2) Please may I have instructions for your famous ventilation fan system. As a result of moisture in the basement we detect a musty odor in the summer.
Answer:
If you want to get rid of the leak, excavate down to where the hole is on the exterior and, using an ordinary auto body fibreglass patch kit, seal it up. Do it just like you would an auto body repair. The surface of the concrete has to be squeaky clean for it to work.
Cold air holds more moisture than warm air and is, therefore, heavier. As air cools, it falls and keeps falling until it reaches the lowest level in the house. It cannot fall beyond the basement floor and that is where it has to be collected and pumped outside before that moisture gets a chance to condense in order to get rid of the moldy, musty odour and/or avoid it in the first place. A booster fan (250 CFM +) is available as a ‘pop in’ unit to fit 4”, 5” or 6” round heating duct. This can be installed in a totally separate duct line that is at least six feet from the nearest heat source. A timer on it will ensure that it operates only during the night (9pm to 9am) so cold, moist air it pumps out is not replaced by air that brings in even more humidity from outside. All joints and seams in the duct are taped and sealed for maximum efficiency and rather than a heating-type grill it should be a return air-type grill. To avoid having to core another hole in the foundation wall, this system can be vented, via a “TY” through the clothes dryer vent. Because none of the doors in the house go all the way to the floor, cold, moist air should find its way to that grill.
