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Thread: One of many unthinkables has happened.

  1. #1

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    Default One of many unthinkables has happened.

    Some of you may remember when we added our house extension which gained me a man cave/new drum room/recreation center. That was actually 6 years ago next week.

    It started as a rehearsal room but the acoustics weren't good so it became like a den or alternative relaxation space with couch, TV, computer, audio system, extra drum set or two, might be cased up or just stacked or both.

    Don't recall why I went down there tonight but not often do I venture down barefoot. Tonight was an exception. It turned out to be a good thing.

    Walking towards the sump area and noticed the carpet was damp. I look towards the sump pump and the rug was dark around the perimeter outline of the sump itself.

    I went over to it and pulled back the wet carpet to discover the sump was full but not overflowing.

    I figured the sump pump had quit and possibly burned out.

    I also noticed the battery back up light was glowing orange. Low battery. So I unplugged both devices and plugged them back in one at a time. Nothing.

    Pulled plugs and tested the GFI circuit to discover that it didn't release or reset.

    I went in search of a good long heavy duty extension cord and plugged the battery back up and the sump pump into the tandem outlet connected to the extension cord and that worked. I got power back to the sump area.

    Now I'm in damage control trying to dry out this mess before mold and odor take over. Wish me luck. Pictures at 11 or now.


    20160616_231646 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr


    In this picture you can see the advancing wet stain that goes all the way to the bookcase.

    20160616_231631 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr


    20160616_231734 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr


    20160616_231859 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr
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  2. #2

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    Default Re: One of many unthinkables has happened.

    Man, that sucks! Good thing you caught it when you did though. Hopefully the damage is contained to just the carpet.
    Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam
    "I shall either find a way or make one"

  3. #3

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    Default Re: One of many unthinkables has happened.

    That's terrible. Good luck. We have an alarm on our sump pump and septic system. Gives you warning when water level gets high. You may want to consider getting one.
    Last edited by inthpktplayer; 06-17-2016 at 05:56 AM.

  4. #4

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    Default Re: One of many unthinkables has happened.

    Wow bummer, but good thing you caught it in time. Wow, you got a gotta lotta drum sets Bish!
    Enjoy the little things in life because one day you`ll look back and realize they were the big things.

    -Karrie

  5. #5

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    Default Re: One of many unthinkables has happened.

    Quote Originally Posted by Powertrip240 View Post
    Man, that sucks! Good thing you caught it when you did though. Hopefully the damage is contained to just the carpet.

    I just checked it and it seems so. It's also not as damp as it was last night so I'm hoping it'll dry nicely.

    Quote Originally Posted by inthpktplayer View Post
    That's terrible. Good luck. We have an alarm on our sump pump and septic system. Gives you warning when water level gets high. You may want to consider getting one.

    That's part of the issue. There is a low battery warning alarm on the backup pump that probably went off while the battery had juice. But being down in the basement in a "closet" probably contained the alarm enough we just didn't hear it. I'm going to learn to leave that door open.

    Quote Originally Posted by NikoSeven View Post
    Wow bummer, but good thing you caught it in time. Wow, you got a gotta lotta drum sets Bish!
    Yeah, and sometimes that can be a "not so good" thing. Especially when it comes to emergency evacs.
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  6. #6

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    Default Re: One of many unthinkables has happened.

    wow so glad you caught that in time!!

    After my last little water incident and seeing this too I really want to build small risers for my kits!

  7. #7

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    Default Re: One of many unthinkables has happened.

    That is why going barefoot pays off !

    Looks like you found it in time..............carpet should dry OK.
    Rent a Rug Doctor and it will look new again.

    Spaz.................riser might be a good idea.
    Gretsch USA & Zildjian
    (What Else Would I Ever Need ?)


  8. #8

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    Wow. You're actually getting RAIN ? Lucky Dog!! We went from rain every day in April and the first half of May to NO rain, wind and now 100* heat for the last month. I have cracks in my yard that I can stick my foot into, LOL.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by SpazApproved View Post
    wow so glad you caught that in time!!

    After my last little water incident and seeing this too I really want to build small risers for my kits!
    I'm really starting to think this direction myself. Right now anything that could get wet is sitting on styro-foam packing sheets. The kind that is used for sandwiching panes of glass for home theater stands. I've been saving them for years and they are paying back in dividends.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ricardo View Post
    That is why going barefoot pays off !

    Looks like you found it in time..............carpet should dry OK.
    Rent a Rug Doctor and it will look new again.

    Spaz.................riser might be a good idea.
    I would have liked to catch it a couple days earlier but I've been so busy with all the band activities I've not paid much attention to the home surroundings this week. My bad.

    Quote Originally Posted by N2Bluz View Post
    Wow. You're actually getting RAIN ? Lucky Dog!! We went from rain every day in April and the first half of May to NO rain, wind and now 100* heat for the last month. I have cracks in my yard that I can stick my foot into, LOL.

    Here's the sucky part. No rain. We got some minor cloud bursts over the past several days but nothing significant. I get a lot of water run off from the houses behind me that are up a small incline from mine. I seem to have tapped into the underground reservoir of water as my sump pump hardly ever dries up.
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  10. #10

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    Default Re: One of many unthinkables has happened.

    Lucky you caught it in time Bish!

    In the part of town I live in all the houses were built 120 - 150 years ago (to hilarious building standards!) on the side of a very steep hill, one side of most of the houses are below ground, many buildings have basements converted into apartments - as it rains almost constantly in the UK, this type of water damage is common here.

    It will help if put oscillating fans down there and keep them running for a few days - mold will not form where there is air movement. Check if you can rent a portable dehumidifier - this would dry things out fast, but using fans will speed things up.

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by crispycritters View Post
    Lucky you caught it in time Bish!

    In the part of town I live in all the houses were built 120 - 150 years ago (to hilarious building standards!) on the side of a very steep hill, one side of most of the houses are below ground, many buildings have basements converted into apartments - as it rains almost constantly in the UK, this type of water damage is common here.

    It will help if put oscillating fans down there and keep them running for a few days - mold will not form where there is air movement. Check if you can rent a portable dehumidifier - this would dry things out fast, but using fans will speed things up.
    Thanks for the advice, CC.

    I do have 3 fans down there now running since last night. I hope to have a good progress report this evening.
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  12. #12

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    Default Re: One of many unthinkables has happened.

    Whew! It's really good that you caught it in time.
    Not only the drums could have had potential damage but things like the furnace, water heater or any other appliances (fridge)..etc.
    Maybe getting one of those water leak detector alarms would be a good idea too.

  13. #13

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    Update:

    The carpet is almost dry, the rancid odor has almost vacated and my totally awesome red shag rug has dried out nicely. Haven't check it for any residuals but I think it will be ok.

    Today I replaced the GFCI outlet. There was power to the outlet but upon closer inspection the outlet had fried its internal circuit board. No recovery for that one.

    Next will be to bring all the furniture and other stuff back in and then I will be good as new.

    It certainly could have been a lot worse.

    Thank you all for your comments and participation.
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  14. #14

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    Oh no Mark! Wishing you all the luck trying to get it back to normal.

  15. #15

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    Thanks, Rich. Sorry so late. Had seen this thread in a while.

    Well it happened again. So not only did I have a tree fall in my yard but I finally figured out what is wrong with my sump pump drain system. Apparently it's been going on for several years.

    Down towards the street and in front of the house is where the main clog was. Tree and grass roots fully clogged the 4" tube. I diagnosed where I thought the clog was and we dug it up exactly where I had predicted. So we replace a 10' section and remove the "Y" connector that tied the front downspout into the drain. It's in the right of the picture.


    20170731_185549 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr


    I also had tubing exposed at the gate making the gate unusable and a hump the water could not get over. I also removed the back downspout that was connected as well as was humped creating a dam the water was having difficulty making it over. This section went under the fence about another five feet into the back yard.


    20170731_185604 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr

    This is now just one long run from the back yard sump pumps all the way to the street. A year will tell if it's fixed. Grrrrr
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  16. #16

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    Default Re: One of many unthinkables has happened.

    Here's some shots of the clogged parts. Makes you wonder. Nature kicks butt.


    20170731_185333 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr


    20170731_185340 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr
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  17. #17

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    This is probably the coolest part. Where we cut into the yard was right at this spot where upstream it was 100% clogged and this is what was making its way to the street.


    20170731_185227 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr


    Right where the hole ends is where we cut through the tubing and this was the part that was heading to the street.


    20170731_185300 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr


    This is the other side of the first dig up near the garage.


    20170731_185244 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr


    This was just having fun with the neighbors.


    20170731_185949 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr
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  18. #18

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    That's crazy! One nice thing about my basement; tile block walls, painted concrete floor and floor drains. I'd love to finish it with drywall and carpet, but the low-maintenance aspect is nice. We had carpet on the ground floor when we moved in, but the wife ripped it all out when she found finished Oak floors under it. After seeing the dirt that accumulates in just one day, we'll never have carpet again. I would, however, like an area rug in the bedroom, LOL.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by N2Bluz View Post
    That's crazy! One nice thing about my basement; tile block walls, painted concrete floor and floor drains. I'd love to finish it with drywall and carpet, but the low-maintenance aspect is nice. We had carpet on the ground floor when we moved in, but the wife ripped it all out when she found finished Oak floors under it. After seeing the dirt that accumulates in just one day, we'll never have carpet again. I would, however, like an area rug in the bedroom, LOL.
    My brothers and I grew up on hardwood floors. Nothing better for sliding when in socks. Jump start in living room, slide down hallway, bash into bedroom door at end of hallway. Repeat. (Or in my case,) being the oldest/largest, bashing into little brothers before they can get out of the way. Muauaahahahahahahahaaa

    Wife is the opposite of yours apparently. She loves her plush carpeting....everywhere but the basement....
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  20. #20

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    Oh gosh... when it rains, it pours!

  21. #21

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    that is wild!!

  22. #22

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    Whew! Glad you were able to get at the root (sorry) of the problem. Looks like it's all fixed and ready for the rainy season.
    Last edited by late8; 08-17-2017 at 12:37 PM.

  23. #23

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    Glad you got it done. The wet season is right around the corner.
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  24. #24

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    All connections have been restored but one.

    All yard holes have been filled back up except for dumping some new black dirt in the cracks.

    I have pictures, but will be darned if I can find them. lol

    Soon.
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  25. #25

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    Default Re: One of many unthinkables has happened.

    Here's the before...








    and here's the after...


    20170803_171649 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr


    20170803_171659 by Pigg Penn, on Flickr


    Had several sump pump discharges since then with no mishaps.

    We haven't really even had a good rain since that last storm so I haven't been able to test the system under stress.

    I'm really ok with that, however.
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