LESLIE: We’re going to talk to Mark in Pennsylvania about a French drain.
MARK: I bought a home back in November. And the house has a French drain system in it. I have received (inaudible). It’s warranteed. And I can’t seem to get the guy out there to come out and show me where it drains out of the house. Is it – it’s a gravity flow system.
TOM: Right.
MARK: And I can’t – I’ve searched all over the property. I’ve run water into the system until it should be coming somewhere outside. I’ve been – there was lots of rain in the Pennsylvania area and I was looking for it and I just can’t seem to find it.
TOM: It may not be pumped out. Mark, does this go to a sump? Like a hole?
MARK: No.
TOM: So you have these slots between the basement floor and the wall?
MARK: Yeah.
TOM: Is that what you’re seeing when you call it a French drain? And does it look like the concrete floor was excavated out for any type of piping system to be installed?
MARK: Yes.
TOM: OK. And so it’s got to go to a sump somewhere.
MARK: Well, it – I live on the side of a mountain.
TOM: OK.
MARK: So how it was described to me is that for the gravity flow system …
TOM: OK.
MARK: … instead of going into a sump hole …
TOM: Mm-hmm.
MARK: … it’s being pumped out using – I was told that there would be a pipe that runs out of the house …
TOM: Mm-hmm.
MARK: … and just comes to daylight somewhere.
TOM: Alright. And you can’t find where the pipe exits the building?
MARK: No.
TOM: And you haven’t had any flooding or any of that sort of thing?
MARK: No, works perfect.
TOM: You know what, Mark? I would leave well enough alone.
LESLIE: (chuckling) You’re like, “Stop looking for it.”
TOM: Yeah, stop looking. You don’t have a problem and, you know, there are things that you could do to look for that. There’s ground penetrating radar and there’s cameras that can be put inside of drain pipes and all that sort of thing. But I don’t see any compelling reason for you to do that. The system is there. The system is working. So don’t ask any questions. You know? It’s a leap of faith. (Mark chuckles) It’s got to be dropping that water somewhere. It’s not in your house. So just kiss it goodbye and be on your way, OK?
MARK: Alright, thanks.
TOM: Mark, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
Leave a Reply