# 12x12 square hole in basement floor( pics )



## smoothbore26 (Sep 23, 2009)

any ideas ??? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





[/IMG]






[/IMG]






[/IMG]

i also have a sump pump in the other corner of the house with a inside trench done by ct basement systems .. i asked the service tech what it was and did not have a idea..the sump pump rarely goes on even with all the rain ct had this year..inside the hole is rather nasty and quite damp , any ideas would be great thank you


----------



## inspectorD (Sep 23, 2009)

It looks like a sump hole from the interior curtain drain....how did the CT basement tech not know what it was for? Call them back to get a seasoned tech out there to tell you what is up, I know the company and the owner, he wants his folks educated.


----------



## smoothbore26 (Sep 23, 2009)

i bought the home a month ago and knew ct basement did the trench and sump so i scheduled a service for the pump and ended up getting a new pump and i asked him if he knew anything about it and he didnt know..you mention a interior curtain drain can you explain this a little more. Now that i have a interior trench with pump is it necessary to have this old pit?  As far as ct basement the guy was really knowledgeable as far as their system that was previously installed and had good info as far as diverting water away form my home kudos to him. thank you for your help with my issue. mike in ct


----------



## inspectorD (Sep 24, 2009)

A curtain drain is known as a few things....french drain, curtain drain, and weeping tiles.
They all serve the same purpose, to direct water to an area where it can be controlled or pumped out. The hole you have is for the same thing as your sump pump is doing. that is why I am wondering why they did not inform you of the issue.
The only other thing it could be is a drain to the exterior sewer system or other drainage the town built in, Why did they install a sump pump when this hole?drain may have been available?
This is why I said get the real boss out there.


----------



## smoothbore26 (Sep 24, 2009)

thanks for the info.. the only reason i see they didnt trench the water to the existing hole is it is not the lowest point in the basement. My furnace hw heater and washer dryer and 12x12 hole is on an additional 1-2" slab poured on top of the original basement floor. hey are you the owner/boss of ct basement ? ....inspector thanks again, mike


----------



## inspectorD (Sep 24, 2009)

I'm a superhero in my spare time,
I would still let them know about the issue, they missed an opportunity for water ...or sewage...to enter the basement.
Good luck and your


----------



## smoothbore26 (Nov 5, 2009)

update: after a few days of hard rain i started to notice the sump pump on the front side of the house going on a few times a day , so i checked on the square pit i first asked about and it was filled almost to the top with water just over the pipe sticking out , i let it be for a few days and it never went up or down...today i got the shop vac and removed the water along with some mud ...it began to fill slow again from the ground as if the water was coming up into the pit but may just be because of saturated mud and gravel, there was also a small drip from the pipe ???


----------



## JALEXED2 (Nov 5, 2009)

You may have helped answer your own question with your followup.  You  clearly have the opportunity for water to enter the pit.  It is currently blocked with sand/gravel/dirt which is why you don't normally see water flowing into it.  I'm guess (as your are probably also) that the water then will travel to it's next "opportunity" which is your sump pit.  It may very well be that the builder put in two sump pits either by design or in error.  Either way, you have an entry into your basement from the exterior tile/drainage system.  So the answer is you probably need the pit whether you want it or not.  The sand/gravel/dirt mix is accumulation over the years when there was not much water flow to expel it from the tile/piping.  As an earlier poster suggested, call your contractor back and get some local advice on the next step.  They may recommend a flushing of the line.  If it is even possible, you might try to find out who the builder was and get a foundation print that should show the foundation and drainage tile routing.  I was able to get that with my house but my house is only about 11 years old so I could still track down the original contractor/engineering firm.


----------



## JALEXED2 (Nov 5, 2009)

After re-reading your post, another possibility comes to mind.  You stated it is an "inside trench".  This seems a bit unusual and may be a "fix" that CT Basement Systems did.  The sump pit in your photo may be the orginal pit provided by the builder.  There may have been a low spot in the drainage tile/piping and a contractor "repaired" the system by providing a new pit at the location you noted which would be in a location where water previously entered the basement (my guess).

If your lines are muddy, etc... that will obviously hinder water flowing into either pit but it would tend to flow to the lower pit first (obviously).  Only in heavy rains would the water then backup to the higher pit (your photo).

I'm guessing quite a bit here.  CT Systems claiming they don't know doesn't add up.  It is their profession and they should be able to diagnose if one pit is higher than another and also why a "retrofit" as you have would be an appropriate fix.  You might call in another contractor to get a third party review of the work performed.


----------



## smoothbore26 (Nov 6, 2009)

jalexed2 thanks for your help this is the link to what i have installed in the basement now from ct basement

Basement Drainage System - WaterGuard Basement Water Leakage Solution

just to clairify my basement is 100% bone dry its a 1947 full brick cape
i will get them back to my house to see what this pit is.. i think your right it was probaly cut in by the builder in the 50s  like i said in the past post i removed the water in the pit below the pipe and now my sump pump seems to have not gone off in the last day ....im thinking maybe another sump pump in that pit to rid the water as it fills ...thanks again .mike in ct


----------



## MaFoundationFix (Mar 4, 2010)

I would say that my big question is this. When they installed the new perimeter drain and dug the trench, how did they not see this and offer you a solution? Wherever the water is coming from into this pit, it should have been incorporated into the water-guard system.

On a separate note, anyone in New England with an open basement waterproofing system should have a radon test. The water-guard system is just that. It leaves gaps around your basement to take in water from wall leaks, etc. These gaps create an easy path for harmful levels of radon to enter your home.

Visit http://massachusettsradonmitigation for more information about radon.


----------

