Chimney Leaking Water Into Basement

There is also a blocked off pipe sticking out of this chimney near the drain.

Chimney leaking water into basement. In basement look for effloresence lime buildup or rusty stains on concrete slab leading toward chimney or on outside of chimney showing where water has run. Mar 30 2014 by matthew stock. The purpose of that pipe is to support the weight of the metal liner. In firebox look kfor wster staining coming down chimney or wetness in firebox if wet there may be coming down brick to basement expecially if you have an ash chute.

It is enough opening to put my hand. When leaks begin to appear in your basement make sure to consider the affects your chimney is having on it. The chimney is not fully protected from the outside elements with a quality chimney cap. Either the chimney completely emptied into my basement or the water actually came in from somewhere else.

It s worth noting that i removed all water in the chimney and the basement yesterday evening. Yet when i got home this afternoon the basement had lots of water but the cleanout had only a half inch of water. Unless located in the tropics where home heating is unnecessary and fireplaces unheard of almost every house has a chimney of some type. Where i see water leak in the basement behind the wall there is ash pit with a clean out door about 6 inches by 6 inches.

There s where the little hole in the chimney comes in. When water enters the metal vent liner it needs to drain out. Homes with fireplaces have a chimney to vent them and the whole assembly extends into the basement or crawl space to accommodate an ash pit and clean out below the hearth. Call a chimney sweep for inspection and if needed repair.

I can touch the bottom of the ash pit and i felt puddle of water which is eventually making its way into the basement. I would be looking to see if the chimney cap is missing or rusted through or if the crown top mortar cap on chimney is leaking. The chimney crown vital to protecting your home is damaged or was constructed with poor quality materials. Water can seep through the ash door also known as a dump door and enter into the basement space.

How to waterproof a leaking chimney. Sealing your chimney with a waterproofing agent will help prevent water from seeping into the porous brick and mortar and help keep your basement dry. If coming from leakage at roof level or above likely have water coming down the chimney into the firebox too then is leaking through the ash disposal door in the bottom of the firebox and down into the. To find out if your chimney leaks through the masonry surface have your sweep do a masonry absorption test mat this is a simple test where a special test tube is attached to the side of the chimney and you record the time it takes for water to be absorbed into the wall.