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-   -   I have an underground service for my cablevision and it leaks a lot. (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=559520)

  • Mar 3, 2011, 11:49 PM
    Kenskites
    I have an underground service for my cablevision and it leaks a lot.
    Itried usong "great stuff" and that just slowed id. I took out the "good stuff" and now I have to empty 5 gal pails of water from the leak. Is there anyway to stop this?
  • Mar 4, 2011, 02:04 AM
    joypulv
    Please describe 'it' better. Poured concrete wall? Cinder block? Rubble?
    Great Stuff isn't for any of those kinds of leaks. Answer below in more detail.
  • Mar 4, 2011, 02:45 AM
    Kenskites

    It's a concrete foundation with Sched 40 that was run below the surface. The problem is that the pipe itself has water in it, the only line coming through that pipe is my cablevision, I have to stop the leak and don't want to dig up the entire line to try and fix it. I believe I just need to seal the pipe so that the water stays within.
  • Mar 4, 2011, 03:39 AM
    joypulv
    Hydrostatic pressure is very strong. I don't get why cable is run through that pipe to begin with; I would dig outside your foundation and run it up the outside wall and in through the framing/siding with a simple rubber grommet. Then cap off the PVC. Cable is unattractive running along a house but it's better than dealing with leaks.
  • Mar 4, 2011, 03:46 AM
    Kenskites
    I know that but all the services to this house are underground. I just want to stop the leaking. Would a hydro type cement do the job? How about Silicon? Any other suggestions?
  • Mar 4, 2011, 03:50 AM
    tkrussell
    Hydraulic cement should work, you may need to dig down outside at the point this conduit and seal it there also, just to be sure.
  • Mar 4, 2011, 03:57 AM
    Kenskites
    I still think that you don't quite understand. The leak is not from around the pipe, it is coming out of the pipe. Do you still think that the Hydrolic cement would work? Pipe is Sched 40 PVC.
  • Mar 4, 2011, 05:26 AM
    tkrussell
    Ahh Ok gotcha. I have seen this problem and I have seen hydralic cement installed inside the pipe with the cable coming through the cement. This usually works, however, what ends up happening then is the pipe can fill up with water, and the pressure may end up being too much for the cement to hold back.

    With electrical lines what I have done is dig down outside a few feet away from the foundation, intercept the pipe and cut out and remove a section of pipe, say a foot or two. Prepare the base below the pipe with gravel leaving about six inches or so of space.

    Next seal the conduit going in the direction of the building at this point, leaving the other pipe open to drain into the gravel base. Then I install a handhole enclosure above the cut pipe leaving the opening below the pipe for water to drain into, and end up with an access plate at grade level in the event the cable needs to be replaced at a later date.

    Here is what a handhole looks like:

    HandHole.com

    Landscapers use smaller versions for lawn sprinkler systems, for example.

    This method, while not easy due to the digging and cutting the conduit without cutting the cable inside, and then the cost of the handhole, is a tried and true method that will stop the water permenently.
  • Mar 4, 2011, 01:33 PM
    ma0641
    I would pack in as much silicone caulk as possible, jam paper or fiberglass insulation in to dam it and tape it as tightly as possible. I don't believe this is a hydraulic pressure problem, the cable isn't more than a foot below grade. It will ultimately seal. Silicone is what the phone companies use for similar conditions. My well pipe comes in 2 ft. below grade and the PVC conduit is filled with silicone and hasn't leaked in 10 years.

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