Sweating water main.

[Robert Jones]

Today's first inspection. Water main, where it enters through the foundation, sweating like crazy. I think it's been doing it for quite a while as there was quite a puddle of water on the crawl floor. Water was stagnate. Mold growing on the plywood sub-floor.

I am guessing high humidity would cause this? poor ventilation? both?

Home was built in 63. Outside temp around 50 degrees.

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[John Dirks Jr]

Looks like too much water for condensation alone. Maybe ground water is traveling along the buried pipe and entering the crawl through the pipe penetration.

Are you sure its mold (3rd pic) on the plywood? It looks like the pattern is limited to specific pieces of sub floor. Why would mold grow only on that piece and not on the other piece of plywood or floor joists?

[Rob Amaral]

very cold water would also be part of the equation.. right? Was it a community well?

[John Kogel]

I'm with John on this one. Too much water for that minimal surface of pipe.

It could be groundwater or a leak.

[gtblum]

It might be a combination of the two.

I've been in at least two rain forest basements in the last couple of years that were so wet and humid from ground water, that the whole cold water plumbing supply system, the joists, and the bottom of the floor were dripping water.

[Robert Jones]

Thanks guys. I too think that the water is a combination of sweating and ground water. It's a city feed.

[Jack Ahern]

Have it tested? Ground water is not treated.[:-banghea

[Gibsonguy]

Any running faucets? Old seals on sinks and tubs or toilets that run can cause a "non-stop" water flow, never giving the water inside the entrance pipe a chance to warm up. It can cause a lot of condensation if the ground water is very cold (like it is here in Canada!)