Explanation for wet concrete floor near soil pipe.

[sirpecangum]

I'm preparing to tile the floor... The floor near to the soil pipe remains wet (after cleaning) for longer and now, with toilet removed, the area has become wetter over the course of today after heavy rain. The flexible white soil pipe "connector" in the floor connects to what appears to be a ceramic soil pipe. Could the ceramic soil pipe be wicking water from the sewer up to the floor? This is a ground floor toilet as originally built in 1953.

The first photo - with drier floor - was taken at midday today. The second photo - with wetter floor - was taken this evening after an afternoon of rain. The rest of the floor remains dry. Can anyone explain this?

 

[jonnyswamp]

Take the pan connectors (white plastic fittings) out of the salt glaze pipe, dry everything off and look for signs of water ingress through any cracks in the pipe
Could be that water was holding in between the rubber fins of the pan connector just below the surface and, as you say, wicking back up
Take them out and you can eliminate this as one cause

 

[sirpecangum]

Thanks for your suggestion, I have removed the pan connector and cleaned it with a toothbrush and bleach. Perhaps it needs replacing? There is puncture damage to the top and damage (age related?) to the fins.

I've cleaned around the joint between soil pipe and concrete floor. Does it look as it should? I don't see any obvious cracks. Should the soil pipe make direct contact with the concrete floor? Isn't that essentially like touching one sponge with another?

Thanks for your help!



Edit: R.J.Pryce is local and they have listed a number of pan connectors on their website so I'll try to replace this one.

 

[oz-plumber]

It could be ground water from under the concrete working its way through the floor from around the soil pipe.

If it is, you have a far greater problem than you could imagine.

 

[sirpecangum]

How can I test for that problem? Wouldn't the floor be wet in other places too - especially by the walls?

 

[sirpecangum]

Thanks for your help jonnyswamp. The floor around the soil pipe has dried overnight despite rain. I wonder if when I had cleaned the floor, water had seeped into the ribs on the pan connector and that is what was causing the continued wetting of the floor around the soil pipe - about exactly as you suggested. Thank you!

 

[Staffy85]

get drain people in with cameras to check out the soil pipe further down, 1953! probably needs a dpm