I recently found a leak at the hose bib on the east side of the house. We also noticed standing water underneath the house in a lot of different areas. We took care of the hose bib leak a week ago. The water initially went down under the house, but now it is back with a vengeance.
We had a plumber come out and he looked at the water meter at the street and noticed that the water valve meter wasn't advancing. At that point he went and looked at the crawlspace and noted that there is no smell. And so he came to the same conclusion that I came to, that the water under the house must be residual from the initial leak.
Our water bill last month was double what it normally is. Our neighbor behind us is lower in elevation, So naturally, all of the water under our house is draining into his yard.
At this point I am starting to think that there is still a leak somewhere else, but if the water meter isn't moving, and it doesn't stagnate and smell rancid, where could the water be coming from? We are the highest house on the block, so I would not think that this is ground water seeping up.
Do you remember ever looking under the home before there was the hose bib leak? (i read that you've only been in the home about a month.)
Water gets under homes many ways. Rain water coming off the roof without proper slope away from the home is probably number one. Also, rain gutters that drain too close to the home.
If the meter is not spinning you probably don't have a leak.
Its not easy to get the pooled water out, so most just hope it will soak into the ground. Sometimes you can crawl around with a sump pump and long discharge tube and get a lot of it.
Easiest thing to do it monitor it for a few more days.
I'd consider spending some time playing in the mud, making rivers and a sump hole. Or a bunch of fans.
If the house is newly purchased, it might have come with a home warranty. Some are good some aren't but it would be worth looking into
Possibility of leak in drain system? House have septic system or city sewers? Is the wet area near where laundry water drains or kitchen drains might be? Bathroom drains would give more odor but laundry/kitchen drain water doesn't smell bad.
It's all over under here. I never crawled under the house because that's what the damned inspector is supposed to do. No idea if he did his job though. It's definitely not waste water. That would have microbes and that would lead to a stench. It's been going on for at least a month, given our water bill. The neighbor behind us said he's never seen it this bad. It's stagnate water in his yard.
Does your inspection report have any photos of the crawl space? Any notes about water under there?
If you are pretty sure that it's not ground water I would dry it out with pumps and or fans and monitor it for the next few months.
Time to dig in a sump and install a pump. Get a few fans going under there too
NOHOME
MegaDork
8/8/21 4:39 a.m.
If the meter is not spinning, why is the bill higher?
Hose bib leaked and water pooled under the house. Logic says these events are connected. Need to confirm if the water that is in there is residual - and you need to get it out.. by pump or dehumidifier.
If it isn't residual from the hose bib leak.. you've got to figure out where it is coming from.
My buddy got water under the house because his downspouts came to the ground and turned out about 5' horizontally. Which worked great until the bottom of the horizontal downspouts rusted away (and you couldn't tell by looking at it)... leaving all the water right against the wall.
Is the ac system in the crawlspace? Maybe bad condensate pump?
If you bought within the year, you likely have a warranty.
call a number, pay probably $50, and they fix it.
