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My well line comes into the basement here. It has a pipe with a cover of some kind that is badly rusted. Suspecting I need it replaced.

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I'm wondering what this cover is called and what purpose does it serve? Why is there not just a single pipe coming into the house, or a smaller pipe within a larger pipe without this cap on it? If I break the cap off, will water come flowing in or what's the deal?

Please no doomer worst case scenarios, just trying to arm myself with some knowledge before calling the well guys.

Thanks!

podcastfan88
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    The well water pipe and the wires do not look like the openings are sealed, so the chance of water pouring out is low, might have a bit come out. It depends on how far that pipe goes, just outside of the wall or to the well. – crip659 Dec 19 '22 at 17:45
  • A surface layer of rust does not necessarily mean the cap is bad. Lots of iron & non-stainless-steel pieces rust over but don't compromise their strength by rusting through. Is the rust surface only? Or is the cap crumbling? – Triplefault Dec 19 '22 at 18:50

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I believe that is just a conduit through the block wall that the pipe and wires pass through.

RMDman
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    I concur. The builder stuck a pipe through the blocks for the plumber to bring the well lines through. – Triplefault Dec 19 '22 at 18:49
  • This pipe was briefly dripping during heavy rain but has since stopped. I guess the rust suggests it has dripped/leaked before. Would that indicate a failure somewhere in the pipe line or could it just be some intrusion through whatever sealant surrounds the cinder brickwork there? – podcastfan88 Dec 19 '22 at 18:51
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From the picture it appears you either have an external well pit which I doubt or a submersible pump. I would not worry about it. The pipe that has the water with pressure is the black one that connects to the blue one.The larger one which has the wires and water coming through is just a protection sleeve for the blocks. If you are concerned about the rust there are several types of paint you can use, some you will need to remove the rust, others will combine with the rust. It will look good when you finish painting it.

Gil
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  • Thanks! Should I be concerned about water dripping through this? There was a momentary drip this week during heavy rain that has since stopped. – podcastfan88 Dec 19 '22 at 19:49
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    Hopefully the ground is sloped away from your foundation. – Gil Dec 19 '22 at 23:16