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There is water dripping from the gas inlet pipe coming inside the house at the basement whenever there is heavy rain.

How do I stop water coming in whenever there is rain? Is there is some sort of sealant that needs to be applied? If so, what type of sealant?

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    A picture of where the pipe enters the building would allow us to answer the question more accurately. Otherwise it would just be speculation.
    – gnicko
    Commented Jan 26, 2023 at 14:36
  • Does this answer your question? diy.stackexchange.com/questions/244221/…
    – MTA
    Commented Jan 26, 2023 at 16:57
  • Does the pipe enter your basement above or below ground level?
    – spuck
    Commented Jan 26, 2023 at 17:30
  • What kind of pipe? What kind of wall? Where relative to grade? Is freezing a possibility? Please revise to add enough detail for us to help.
    – isherwood
    Commented Jan 26, 2023 at 19:31

2 Answers 2

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Caulking.

Preferably butyl if you can find any these days (it does not fully harden, so it's more tolerant of thermal movement between steel/iron pipe and building than silicone or polyurethanes.) But polyurethanes may be the best you can find these days.

Applied on the outside. Use backer rod if there's a large gap.

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  • Not as flexible as caulking... but what are your thoughts about plumber's putty?
    – spuck
    Commented Jan 26, 2023 at 17:33
  • Wonderfull answer, executive stile, short and to the point
    – DIY75
    Commented Jan 26, 2023 at 17:53
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    @spuck, plumber's putty isn't appropriate. It's not sticky enough or (as far as I know) designed for exterior use. Duct seal, on the other hand, would be.
    – isherwood
    Commented Jan 26, 2023 at 19:30
  • Anything wrong with using duct seal compound, a.k.a. "monkey shit?"
    – Huesmann
    Commented Jan 27, 2023 at 12:25
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I suspect the answer is "anything that won't chemically attack the pipe". My first instinct is hydraulic cement, but a spray foam would probably do the job.

As the other answer says, caulking might be a better answer.

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    Spray foam will break down under UV exposure (Source: Personal experience). It will work, but it will need to be refreshed every couple of years. Also, I'm not certain that it's 100% waterproof, especially once the outer skin has degraded.
    – FreeMan
    Commented Jan 26, 2023 at 15:38
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    If it's leaking, I'm presuming underground entry; no UV. And I have an aboveground hole thru my foundation's south wall where the foam has been slowly degrading and eroding back but has maintained an adequate seal for a decade; should probably be redone soon, admittedly. (Old oil filler penetration, now used to run a compressed air hose out for inflating tires. I can't use an expanding cement with these old bricks; could use lime mortar now that I have some.)
    – keshlam
    Commented Jan 26, 2023 at 15:49

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