I have a rainwater down pipe that goes into the wall just above my basement, to go horizontally adjacent to a floor beam for a bit before joining another pipe to go out to the drain. (Don't ask me why, I don't know). The floor above the basement overhangs a bit, so where the pipe enters it's above a soffit. Condensation gathers on the pipe, above that soffit, and drips causing a small pool. No rot yet, but I need to do something about it. Dealing with why the air is so moist in the first place is another task, but this thread is to ask:
Would it be "odd" or "bad" to put a grill in the soffit, under that part of the pipe, so that any water dripping off the pipe goes out of the house instead of pooling.
The only vents/grills I've seen on soffits have been for stuff like bathroom fans - so I have no idea if this is in general a "done thing".
tweake,
Jul 5, 4:38pm
whats in the basement? is a big part of the basement below the ground? got a pic?
i suspect you could just put a drain hole and let it drain.
not to sure but possibly wrap some insulation around the pipe and seal up the gap between pipe and outdoors. try and keep the pipe temp up a bit so it doesn't form condensation. however pipes open to the air at the top so its going to be cold. hence why i'm not sure on that.
Insulating the pipe was something I'd considered, so that's useful to mention, thanks. The horizontal part of the pipe is I think slightly lower at the incoming end, so there's probably a little cold water sitting there to encourage the condensation. It's well sealed to the outside.
pzkpfw,
Jul 5, 5:08pm
I think that'd mean re-doing an entire length of soffit, and while it might help dry-out the basement, it wouldn't necessarily help with where that water drips off the pipe - unless I put something under it to catch the water and direct to that vent strip.
pauldw,
Jul 5, 5:15pm
Is it condensation or possibly the elbow on the pipe leaking?
pzkpfw,
Jul 5, 5:45pm
Definitely something I'd considered, thanks. I even bought a couple of 80mm joiners and a new tube of Marley Solvent Cement with the idea of cutting the horizontal pipe (and removing the sealant from where the elbow goes in the wall) so I could get the elbow out and make sure it was well sealed (or replace it).
But I kept a close watch on it one rainy weekend and didn't get more water, so reasonably sure it's the condensation that's the issue.
(Having said that, if I cut a big enough hole in the soffit to install a grill or vent, I may be able to do some "just in case" sealing on that elbow while I'm there.)
jmma,
Jul 5, 9:46pm
Is your hot water venting onto your roof?
pzkpfw,
Oct 23, 7:48am
Completely unrelated.
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