On Tue, 13 Jan 2015 02:19:51 -0500, micky
wrote:


I keep wondering, if the pipes to his garden faucets freeze, burst, and
then flood his basement, how high would the water have to get to seep
though the cinderblock wall into my basement? AIUI, there is likely
just one layer of cinderblocks between us. I don't think it would
happen, but otoh if it happens when they're away for a couple days???

The pipes woudn't "burst", would they? They'd have a crack or two
running the length of the frozen part, 1 to 6 inches?, maybe only a
millmimeter wide??? How much water would come out of that? The sump
pump would try to remove it, but I keep wondering if it would be big
enough. 1/3 or 1/2 HP.

A water pipe is 1/2" or 3/4". A sump pump has a 1-1/4 discharge. The
pump should handle it.

Freeze proof outdoor faucets would solve that too. Or just offer to
shut off the ones they have now and explain that they need to do these
simple things to avoid costly repairs later. Some people just need to
be educated and may need a little 'prompting'.

You can suggest things, but you
cant MAKE him do anything.

I know that. And I think I'm done suggesting, unless some new problem
arises. (and to be honest, if I see the plumber, I ask about this and
whether he's getting an upflush toilet. I wonder if he took me
seriously on that. I was in their house to look at the sump pump, for
which they seemed grateful, and I noticed the basement sink wasn't
plugged. The previous owner too, I warned her 2 or 3 times, and when
the stream flooded, she had a sad look on her face when she told me she
forgot to plug the sink. I didn't ask anymore, to not rub it in. I
really liked her. Very pretty too. I had a plan to lose 40 pounds and
30 years and ask her out. Didnt' lose any weight but I lost 15 years,
however before I knew it, she married someone else.

If there is ice building up in YOUR yard,

It may well get on part of my yard, that's only 3 feet from the ice now,
which will mean, because of bushes, taking a different route to my car,
which will mean walking over a corner of my other next door neighbor's
yard, a guy who seems to sincerely think he owns the piece of land I'd
be walking on (in addition to the corner that is his)!!! Fortunately
the mailman walks that same path, so my footprints in the snow won't be
the only ones (though the mailman goes only one direction!)

But other than that small piece of land, the drain water runs out about
20 feet from my yard so I'm sure that will never happen. I did stop
shoveling the snow a foot early** because it was covered with his ice.
And I have to walk on the snow to get to my car now, instead of the
sidewalk, but that won't really hurt anything.

Saturating your basement walls an drain field around the house is not
good for BOTH house foundations. You may or may not have water enter
your basement, but it's still not a good thing.....