John Dirks Jr Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 The sump pit is there and the plumbing is there. Where is the wire for the pump? There was no breaker labled for it at the panel either. Should I have tried to remove this lid? Is there a reason why a pit would be there but not a pump? Click to Enlarge 40.59 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonOfSwamp Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 The sump pit is there and the plumbing is there. Where is the wire for the pump? There was no breaker labled for it at the panel either. Should I have tried to remove this lid? Is there a reason why a pit would be there but not a pump? Click to Enlarge 40.59 KB I think it's a poop pump, not a sump pump. Of course, I could be wrong, WJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randynavarro Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 Looks like a pooper-pumper to me also. The sealed lid and the 3" (I'm assuming) discharge line tells me that (although I can't recall right off hand if a 3" line is even required for a sewage pump - I'd have to look that one up.) Hopefully there was a backflow preventer on the 3" line? And, yeah, where is the power cord? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garet Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 When I see ejector pumps I run the plumbing fixtures leading into them until I hear the pump kick on. Probably 1/2 the ejector pumps I find are installed wrong in one way or another, usually related to the discharge pipe. I've never seen one with a discharge pipe larger than 2". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenT Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 Most likely, that ejector pump is being fed from below the slab. The 3" line is the discharge. The 2" line is the vent. There should be a pump inside the tank. Flush the toilet, it should come on. I would not open it. Should be GFI protected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted May 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 It's not an ejector. The small line discharges to the exterior through the back wall. The large is for radon ventilation and it goes up through the roof. Also, there was no fan in line for the radon mitigation aspect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottpat Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 It's not an ejector. The small line discharges to the exterior through the back wall. The large is for radon ventilation and it goes up through the roof. Also, there was no fan in line for the radon mitigation aspect. It could be a passive radon system, a fan could be added later if radon is a problem. I see systems like this in two towns that I work in; they both require builders to install passive systems when the home is being built. No need to guess what it is. Just simply say you don't know. I don't think I have ever seen a sump pump in a radon pit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynesoper Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 That's actually a good idea! I have seen many cases where the radon system was not working due to water filling up the hole.easy install too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Scott, In our area most radon mitigation systems are in sump pits with pumps intact and operational. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted May 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 If it were stand alone radon mitigation pit, would it need the smaller pipe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 No. to be effective it can have only one point of entry for air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted May 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 No. to be effective it can have only one point of entry for air. That's what I thought. There was also a dedicated receptacle just above the pit where the sump pump would have been plugged in. It is just outside the frame of the picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenT Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Scott, In our area most radon mitigation systems are in sump pits with pumps intact and operational. Les, I don't run into many radon systems where I am. The passive system idea makes sense, as does the sump pit/pump. My question is, does the sump pit (container) act as a plenum to collect the gas? Is the discharge pipe simply attached to the sealed lid/cover? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottpat Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Scott, In our area most radon mitigation systems are in sump pits with pumps intact and operational. I guess our water table is so low and we have so much rock that is why I have not seen sump pumps. Makes complete sense to have one though. Does the EPA address sump pumps in radon pits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Lewis Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 No. to be effective it can have only one point of entry for air. It certainly could have more than one suction point through the floor, using the same radon fan. The 3 inch pipe looks like schedule 40, which generally isn't used for radon piping around here. The pipe is required to be clearly marked for radon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMustola Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Was the house preped for a bathroom in the basement? It's possible that it is a sewage ejector system that is not being used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 No. to be effective it can have only one point of entry for air. It certainly could have more than one suction point through the floor, using the same radon fan. The 3 inch pipe looks like schedule 40, which generally isn't used for radon piping around here. The pipe is required to be clearly marked for radon. How is the pipe labeled for radon different from schedule 40, Neal? I've never actually looked that closely at mitigation-system pipes around here, but I think they're typically PVC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Lewis Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 It's usually a thin wall type, which I guess is PVC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Beck Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Around here, fro Radon remediation, I usually see a 4" pipe (and sometimes larger!) with a sight gauge manometer that shows that the system is working. I honestly don't know if the manometer is used in passive systems or just active systems. It looks to me John, like you have a sump pit, plumbed but no pump. I once saw a builder who had installed two sump pits and put a pump in only one. The AHJ made him put a pump in the second pit. Once the punch list was checked off and the Occupancy Permit granted the builder sent a laborer back to retrieve the 2nd pump[:-yuck]. Jeff Beck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 PVC is the material description, Sched is the wall thickness. Passive can have an indicator, but my experience is that they do not. My observation was the sump would be under a vacumm and the second smaller pipe would be introducing air from where-ever and not allowing radon gas to be vented (as a passive system) I should have said a single source being the air from under slab via sump. I have seen single fan systems with two pickups. Tough to balance and costly to install. Systems installed in active sump pump pits must have end of suction pipe above water level at all times, and the foundation drainage feeder pipes must be above the water level at all times so gas will be vented to exterior. Usually the radon guy does not consider that so the system is worthless. The manometer will show several inches of vacumm and folks think that is just dandy. It ain't rocket science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erby Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Here's some info to help you. http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/consguid.html See the part about using the sump pit for a suction point. I'd think the sump pump discharge would need a backflow preventer but I'm not a mitigator. I'd guess this one is a sump pump pit and discharge line with a passive radon pipe installed but no pump or radon fan installed yet. Sealed cover would be to help reduce the radon entering the home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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