All Forum Posts by: Jun Ho Lee

@Rich O'Neill So the unfortunate thing is, the most recent plumber tried to shut off the valve at our waterbox, but said he couldn’t access it due to some sort of dirt/rocks in the access pipes. So we couldn’t rule out any theories…

Regarding the flow, it is pretty consistent, and seems to hold constant regardless of outside weather conditions. Although patching up the hole with sand definitely decreases the flow (could be sand absorbing the water, or the water just finding some other path of least resistance)

Thanks for all your input though! I’m trying to get more plumbers to assess the situation

@Bill B. Thanks for your comments and the insights! We haven’t been able to stop the leak yet - we were just able to stop the flow a little bit with sand. Thankfully we do have a French Drain, which appears to catch the flowing water as of now. Also we don’t have a well - everything is connected to the public water / sewage. Thanks for the well wishes - we’re currently getting multiple plumber opinions since some of them have been conflicting…

@Jenn Richardson Sewer or water bill definitely hasn't increased since the leak...But then again, I've noticed the hole only recently so I would need to wait until the next billing cycle to be certain. It could be groundwater but just worried since I can't visually determine the source of the water nor where it's flowing into... I definitely don't want a random sink hole in front of the property!  

@John Mocker Thanks for your comment on the post. I did talk with my insurance agent but she said the water lines (under the sidewalk) aren't covered with my home insurance. I haven't asked about the foundation coverage though. But is there a way to assess foundation damage without actually digging up the basement / tearing down my walls? 

Thanks for your insights! 

@Rich O'Neill Thanks for your comment! The water gushes continuously and looks clear. So we are suspecting it's a water line issue, not a sewer issue. (Additionally, that's what the city PWD stated in their Notice of Defect) 

Plumber actually just came out to inspect the area too but he doesn't think it's our water line. He checked our water box on the sidewalk and said it's dry, and suggested that the leak might not be from our water line. He said the leak could be either from groundwater or from someone else's line. 

Planning to call a few other plumbers tomorrow morning for additional opinions. It also looks like I can dispute this notice of defect with the city. Do you happen to have any experiences with disputes? 

Thanks again for your insights.

Hello everyone, 

So a few days ago I found a small hole near my sewer lines in the basement where water was gushing out. I called a plumber and City PWD for inspection since I didn't want bigger problems (enlarged holes etc.) down the line. The City PWD came out yesterday (plumber is scheduled to come tmrw) and told me that there is a potential leak in the water line and gave me a Notice of Defect (NOD).

A quick google search reveals that a typical work of this nature costs thousands of dollars. I initially thought home insurance would cover such situations, but after research, I realized I need a separate insurance for service line protection... 

Did I pick the short end of the straw with this property purchase? What's the best money and time saving way to deal with this situation? 

Any help or guidance will be hugely appreciated. Thank you everyone in advance!

FYI, this is my residence which I bought recently for house hacking.

@Ryan Thomson Thanks for the resource suggestions! I've also enjoyed those episodes - haven't checked out Craig's book yet but I'll be sure to check it out! 

@Jonathan Dempsey Thanks for the comment Jonathan! I'll reach out if I have any questions! 

@Eric Greenberg Thanks Eric! Right now, my plan is with a single family! As a local investor, do you have any recommendations / preferences given Philly demographics / zoning laws? 

@Mollie Hess Nice to meet you too! I'm also just starting out but happy to share any knowledge I gathered so far! 

@Brandon Rush @Joseph Micheal @Kayla Givens @Rebecca Orlich

Thank you everyone for the comments on my post! I sent everyone a connection request! 

Looking forward to interacting with you guys via the community! 

@Justin Windham @Julio Gonzalez

Thank you everyone for commenting on my post! I just sent invites to connect with all of you! 

@Stephanie Althouse Thanks Stephanie! Just sent you a connection request - Excited to learn in the forums!