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  • Results 1 to 12 of 12

    Thread: Water leak around bottom drain and pvc pipes

    1. #1
      Doman71's Avatar
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      Water leak around bottom drain and pvc pipes

      Hello guru,

      Please let me know where I went wrong and how to properly fix the issue. What I have is a monolithic concrete pour. 8" thick shell with Xypex and fiber strands. Concrete has cured for almost 2 month now. Recent rain filled my filter pit with water(I'm still in the process of excavating the pit) and that water seem to have saturated the earth around and under the pond... water is now seeping in through the bottom drain and pvc pipes.

      So... is this because normal concrete do not seal against pvc? also that Xypex crystallization stops at the pvc/abs material and does not bond to them? or there are other factors such as concrete company forgot to add Xypex? wrong ratio? or some other execution mistakes?

      More importantly, how do I fix it? My plan right now is chisel out some concrete around the leaking joints, then stuff some hydraulic cement in there. Will hydraulic cement expand and create the seal? And, since I'm not confident in the Xypex Admix in the concrete mixture... I was going to coat the inside of the pond with Xypex Concentrate. Maybe overkill? but I'm ok with that... just let me know if there are technical concerns.

      I've also read other pond builders paint an epoxy coat... maybe for aesthetic or maybe additional water proofing, but I'm consider this too. If I was to do the epoxy paint(Pond Armor), can/should I add fiber chopped strains around the BD, pvc, and skimmer to further reinforce and waterproof these joints?

      Thanks for reading.

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    2. #2
      batman is offline Senior Member
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      How deep is the pond in the ground? How high did the water get around the pond? Swimming pools are required to have a hydrostatic valve to let water in and equalize pressures in empty situations such as this. Put in a temp sump pit and keep the outside water pumped out. You don't want the shell shifting.

      If the water rise has been minimal there could be issue with cement not fully around pipes and air pockets letting water in.
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    3. #3
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      Pond is 5 feet deep(inside dimension), roughly 3.5' below and 1.5' above. Concrete all the way around with exception of a 4'x4' planter and 4'x4' pit on one side. I don't recall the Rhino II bottom drain having a hydrostatic valve port... so yeah, no hydrostatic valve installed here. When the filter pit is done(dirt packed in and drainage), I don't expect there to be that much seepage or saturation thereafter. The planter will get some watering, but not to the point of flooding. Regardless of not having a hydrostatic valve, I think I would still have a leakage problem.

    4. #4
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      Quote Originally Posted by Doman71 View Post

      More importantly, how do I fix it? My plan right now is chisel out some concrete around the leaking joints, then stuff some hydraulic cement in there. Will hydraulic cement expand and create the seal? And, since I'm not confident in the Xypex Admix in the concrete mixture... I was going to coat the inside of the pond with Xypex Concentrate. Maybe overkill? but I'm ok with that... just let me know if there are technical concerns.
      I don't have bottom drains but my tpr's I used hydraulic cement like you suggested and it's worked
      great so far. I know I've seen Russ use a type of sealant too but I couldn't find the actual post.

      I know I used Concentrate on the inside along with Admix in the block walls, but the Xypex rep
      said it was overkill too... but that overkill has seemed to work well so far.

      I don't think the Xypex itself can make a good seal with the pvc but the hydraulic cement seemed
      to do the trick.

      You'll get it figured out.
      --Steve



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    5. #5
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      It's a separate valve installed through the walls. Many times required by building code in swimming pools. Point is don't take the chance on an empty shell and get rid of the outside water. Once it's full of water and heavy not an issue. 1.5 feet out of the ground is a plus.

      On concrete tanks I've seen concrete chipped out from around pipes and repaired with Hydraulic cement.
      Last edited by batman; 01-09-2020 at 07:44 PM.
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    6. #6
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      Quote Originally Posted by icu2 View Post
      I don't have bottom drains but my tpr's I used hydraulic cement like you suggested and it's worked
      great so far. I know I've seen Russ use a type of sealant too but I couldn't find the actual post.

      I know I used Concentrate on the inside along with Admix in the block walls, but the Xypex rep
      said it was overkill too... but that overkill has seemed to work well so far.

      I don't think the Xypex itself can make a good seal with the pvc but the hydraulic cement seemed
      to do the trick
      .

      You'll get it figured out.
      A gleam of hope... When I'm done with the filter pit, I don't expect much water accumulation or saturation to reach the earth below.

      Thanks

    7. #7
      Doman71's Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by batman View Post
      It's a separate valve installed through the walls. Many times required by building code in swimming pools. Point is don't take the chance on an empty shell and get rid of the outside water.

      Iive seen on concrete tanks I've seen concrete chipped out from around pipis and repaired with Hydraulic cement.
      Good point. Next time it rains and pool in the pit, I'll drop a sump pump in and drain it out instead of letting it settle/seep.

      Thanks

    8. #8
      icu2's Avatar
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      I'm not sure how wet it's been over the whole 2 months in your part of CA but remember
      the Xypex needs to be wet to "work". I think the walls and such seem to tighten up with
      time after the pond is full too. But I wouldn't count on it around pvc pipes and would chip
      the concrete around them and pack that hydraulic cement and see how it works.
      --Steve



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    9. #9
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      Quote Originally Posted by icu2 View Post
      I'm not sure how wet it's been over the whole 2 months in your part of CA but remember
      the Xypex needs to be wet to "work". I think the walls and such seem to tighten up with
      time after the pond is full too. But I wouldn't count on it around pvc pipes and would chip
      the concrete around them and pack that hydraulic cement and see how it works.
      Understood. Part of the reason I allowed the water to pool in the pit was to saturate what little exterior wall it can and stimulate the crystallization... and to see if there are leaks. The alternative is to fill up the pond and let the saturation and crystallization happen inside out. The plan at this point is to use the hydraulic cement(let it dry for a couple of days), apply the Xypex Concentrate(let it dry for a couple of days), then fill the pond all the way full. Leaving the pond full for 1-2 weeks for the crystallization to saturate and to monitor the water level for leaks.

    10. #10
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      Most pours that I'm familiar with cut in around the pipe/bottom drain and fill with Marine sealant or PL. These adhere well to the pvc and plastic.
      I know it's late for your situation but it's for those considering building their own so they will have the info ahead of time. Leaks be no fun.

      Still learning as I go but y'all can call me Marilyn

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    11. #11
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      I have seen concrete cracks injected and sealed with success before. This kit is advertised for sealing around pipes. Says no drilling but if no gap exists I'd think some small holes would need carefully drilled around the drain.
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    12. #12
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      Happened to run into an old friend that has a concrete business that does many commercial tanks and also home cisterns. For PVC pipe penitrations they put water stops on the pipe before pouring. He was not familiar with a koi pond type bottom drain but said the comment on post 10 is reasonable. They use a butyl rubber sealant.

      Too late for here but a FYI for others planning.
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