I've created a problem. Did not set out to do so...

On this house remod which we've been working at for way to long... the basement never had any water leaks or water problems of any type.

One of the items which started us on the major basement remodel - was when the 50 year old steel water supply line failed. I replaced it; starting at the Water Meter - with 1" cpvc piping.

Since this is plastic pipe - I encased it in 2" galvanized steel pipe. That way, an errant shovel cannot bust the pipe, and if you needed to replace the cpvc - just dig at the meter - disconect that joint; and then run new pipe up thru the 2" galvanized... Great plan (I thought.)

At the meter end; the pipe is buried probably around 4' At the house end - the pipe is buried around 3' But the ground slopes towards the house - so the pipe is also actually sloping toward the house. Could be a few little valleys in the run.

Total Run Length: 32.5'

We have experienced some water problems from the galvanized protection pipe.

1. Initially, I did not (dumb, dumb) tighten all the joints fully or consider the water tightness. One week it really, really poured rain, and one day - we had water coming in thru the pipe. The basement was not in any means finished - so I unburied the line; and took each joint apart, and sealed it. Have not experienced that problem since.

2. About 3 years later; doing drywall work... we had a ton of mudding going on. I noticed that a granite covered section of concrete in the Main Bedroom in the basement - was getting wet. Water was dripping from the granite. My wife noticed that the windows had condensation...

Now, as we had finished the basement - we put in a low cost water alarm - just beneath where the water supply line comes into the basement.

So, early one morning - I am awoken by the water alarm going off...

Turns out - condensation from in the air - had condensed on the inside of the 'protective' steel 2" pipe. It had collected in the pipe, and had now reached a point where it was dripping out...

We're working on hardwood floors in this area, can't have the water. At this point - the access box had not been closed, and the area was not insulated.

We dryed it out by running a de-humidifier, using a 30' fiberglass wire pole - fished a cotton string up about 20'; and let that wick water out for several days...

After that - we insulated the access door cover; and kept the door shut... that was just 1 year ago.

Recently - we had our new Water Heater go out... I had to shut off the water, since we decided to move some of the water lines around the WH - so that no height restrictions existed for a WH. This meant shutting off the water supply.

I wasn't thinking about condensation, thought the job would only be a couple of hours; so I left the access door open.

It had gotten late, and so I missed a glue up joint around midnight. Around 2:30am when I went to check the plumbing (can't wait for morning you know...) - the unglued joint popped, and I had water... While I was cleaning that up - guess what? That water alarm for the access panel went off!

Ran over there, and had water running out of the pipe... Used up a lot of towels getting a handle on it. Now, we've had cotton string stuffed up in it for about a week; and I finally removed that and the de-humidifier today.

Put back the water alarm, and closed up the access panel.

The night it went off -(after we had been working on the WH) was ALSO - as it turns out - a very special weather day. I wondered to my lovely wife - why it was 72 degrees with no heat - at 2am.

She says the weather guys were talking all about it; and it had been this really, really, WARM & WET air mass over the region.

So, now I have this dilemma. I had the access panel open all day - on a day which it turns out was really warm and wet. Unique for Seattle. But my basement windows didn't have condensation on them... the granite wasn't weeping...

So, we are wondering if this condensation water had just been building up for the year - and took this day to start coming out and setting the alarm off.

OR - would this moisture be just from leaving the panel open - on this really warm and wet day??

We are considering pressing in plumbers putty around the cpvc and galvanized pipe at the wall. This would be to prohibit air from flowing into the pipe and condensing water out. But this could also have a 'dam' effect - so that if you were still condensing water - when the alarm went off - you would have a really big mess when you pulled out the putty...

If you remove an electric outlet cover - you feel airflow. So, I consider that possibly I am still having condensation issues even with the access door closed - because of possible air flow down thru the wall.

I don't wish to cover up a problem. I wish to fix it. I thought the insulation on the door fixed it. And it might have. And it was my failure to close the door...

But this is now in an area where we have hardwood oak floors. The access panel is in a bedroom closet. If you have a water problem - it will cause significant damaage. (Which is why the water alarm.)

We're going to be selling this house soon; and I can't see telling someone to shove a damm cotton string up the pipe every 8 months.

Maybe none of you know, but I am looking for your wisdom based on experience.

So, it could be that the access panel door keeping closed is the solution.

It could be that keeping that closed and spraying a low expansion window/door foam or stuffing plumbers putting into the space between the cpvc and 2" pipe would stop the condensation.

But we don't need a dam. That would just eventually 'break'. oh my.

I could use some good expertise on this. I have posted picures. See link below.

Water Meter: Plastic pipe coming out of 2" galvanized. Been sealed up that way for quite some time.

Access Panel: Closet Area in the basement bedroom; with the access panel door just slightly closed for the photo.

Insulation Door: Access Panel door totally open - giving a view of insulation glued onto it, and the other stuff.

Supply Pipe: More close up of the cpvc supply pipe coming out of the basement wall, with the water alarm beneath it and to the side. The immediate space just below it - is the bottom curved portion of the 2" galvanized pipe.

I also wonder if possibly I should remove the insulation covering up the galvanized pipe at the water meter end. I initially put this on - to keep rain water from dripping from the water meter cover - into the pipe and down the line... (it goes pretty much straight down); and to keep dirt from getting into it. But, it does (I think) block airflow. It might be that condensation would dry up easier - if this was open.

BTW: the condensation which is forming is not from contact with the cpvc. It is from air touching the cold inside walls of the 'protection' pipe...

This has been a long post. But I gave a lot of detail. Hope someone might be able to help.

Thank You.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pictures of the problem