Jeff Gainey
08-14-2011, 12:25 PM
I thought I would share my recent inspection with all. House built in 2004, 4000 sq ft, 2 story with finished basement, which I did the initial buyers inspection for.
I am running all the water locations during my functional flow and get down to the sump pump pits. there are 2 installed along with a sewage ejection pit. I open the 2 sump pits and see an abnormal amount of flow coming from the main pit. Even in the battery backup pit the water is cascading down the side with a steady pace. I could fill a gallon jug in about a minute from the flow. The tenants in the home said in the spring the sumps never stopped working.
Hot dry summer with just about an inch of rain 2 days ago. Still I think that is a lot of water running. I leave the pits open for now and go on with the inspection. I go upstairs and turn the water off upstairs everywhere and go back down to the utility room. There is just a trickle of water in both pits. So I think why not try this test again. Two more times-same result. Water flowing when supply is on. The main waste line for the house is about 4 ft up the wall on same north wall as pit location.
I tell the buyers we as home inspectors just get lucky sometimes being in the right place at the right time. Different circumstances would never have found this.
The plumbers found a disconnection in the main sewage line buried underneath the driveway with a camera probe. Seems like they were getting the neighbors runoff as well. :(
The pictures show the different flows That were present.
I am running all the water locations during my functional flow and get down to the sump pump pits. there are 2 installed along with a sewage ejection pit. I open the 2 sump pits and see an abnormal amount of flow coming from the main pit. Even in the battery backup pit the water is cascading down the side with a steady pace. I could fill a gallon jug in about a minute from the flow. The tenants in the home said in the spring the sumps never stopped working.
Hot dry summer with just about an inch of rain 2 days ago. Still I think that is a lot of water running. I leave the pits open for now and go on with the inspection. I go upstairs and turn the water off upstairs everywhere and go back down to the utility room. There is just a trickle of water in both pits. So I think why not try this test again. Two more times-same result. Water flowing when supply is on. The main waste line for the house is about 4 ft up the wall on same north wall as pit location.
I tell the buyers we as home inspectors just get lucky sometimes being in the right place at the right time. Different circumstances would never have found this.
The plumbers found a disconnection in the main sewage line buried underneath the driveway with a camera probe. Seems like they were getting the neighbors runoff as well. :(
The pictures show the different flows That were present.