Sump Pump/Radon Dome - Constant Moisture/Water


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Old 07-01-18, 02:55 PM
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Sump Pump/Radon Dome - Constant Moisture/Water

Hello,

I am new to this forum and look forward to contributing knowledge and using others knowledge and opinions.

My problem is that I have water that is sometimes measurable entering from somewhere in the corner of my basement near and around my radon mitigation sump dome. The conditions outside seem to play a role in this as well. When it is 85 degrees or hotter with at least 60% relative humidity a puddle forms around the corner.

What you should know:

I installed the sump dome, sump pump and radon mitigation system myself. I have put 3 coast of UGL Drylok on the block walls. I followed instructions to a "T". I put silicone on the underside of the pump dome and used tap-cons to bolt it in place. I silicon-ed the crap out of the rest of the PVC pipe connections and everywhere I could think of that water could be coming from.

I run a dehumidifier about 20 feet away in a utility room that has the door closed at night and open during the day.

Can anyone shed some light on what could be the problem?
 
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Old 07-01-18, 04:14 PM
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Can't really tell from the photos where the water is coming from. Is that a drip on the coupling... above the upc code in your picture?

If you can tell us if it's dripping... or just appearing on the floor (and nowhere else) that might be a clue. Also include a pic of what is outside this wall on the exterior. Far enough back that we can see gutters, etc.
 
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Old 07-01-18, 04:39 PM
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I will get those pictures ASAP! Yes, that is a drip from the check valve but that is because I was inspecting it, tightening and loosening it hours earlier.
 
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Old 07-01-18, 05:11 PM
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Is the dome sealed to the floor using double sided adhesive foam strips? Or does it just sit on the concrete and can be lifted off at will?

Maybe water is condensing on the underside of the dome and drips down the side to land on the concrete lip of the pit. Some seeps outward horizontally instead of flowing in and dripping back vertically into the pit.

Scratch this reply, OP already mentioned silicone seal around the rim.
 

Last edited by AllanJ; 07-01-18 at 05:47 PM.
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Old 07-01-18, 05:27 PM
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Interesting point. The dome is sealed with an entire tube of silicone on the underside and bolted into the concrete with 14 tapcons.
 
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Old 07-01-18, 05:32 PM
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Ok, here are the requested pictures of the outside of the home. Excuse the terrible landscape and dents in the siding. I put in the egress window and rented a backhoe for the first time and needed a learning curve, LOL!

Let me know if this helps. Also, the sump pump never runs and has maybe ran 2 or 3 times since the install 3 years ago.
 
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Old 07-01-18, 05:36 PM
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What is the small pipe behind the radon fan? And I assume the small pipe to the right of the fountain is from the dehumidifier?
 
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Old 07-01-18, 05:44 PM
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The small pipe behind the radon fan (actually attached to the system) is the drainage pipe for condensation or rain. The small pipe to right of fountain is the discharge pipe for the sump pump, that rarely, if ever runs. I installed it in the home 3 years ago, never had one before.
 
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Old 07-01-18, 05:48 PM
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So that condensation pipe just runs out onto the ground right there?
 
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Old 07-01-18, 06:03 PM
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Yes, that is correct.........
 
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Old 07-01-18, 06:14 PM
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Yeah, if you cannot identify any leak inside, it is probably all coming from your condensate tube.

CMU is hollow, so if there is any crack in your foundation outside (waterproofing is best done outside, not inside) water that gets into the cmu wall immediately runs down and pools on the slab... where is can eventually leak in on the pad.

To confirm this, dry the water you can see with a blow dryer... then watch which way the water comes from. I'm betting it comes from the wall.

Also, put a bucket under the condensate tube to get an idea of how much water it accumulates daily. Cool air hitting hot humid air is going to create a lot of condensation... same thing your dehumidifier does to pull moisture out of the air in the basement.

Most radon diagrams I have looked at show that tube bypassing the fan, then tying back onto the fan duct... running back down to the sump pump... and outlets for that drainage should be far from the foundation... not right outside it. Just like you want the water from your downspouts to drain some distance away...The farther the better.
 
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Old 07-01-18, 06:33 PM
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Thank you for the reply and the ideas. I will definitely be putting a bucket under that drainage tube. I currently am letting the floor and walls dry with a high velocity fan right now, I will have to grab some vodka and sit there for awhile, LOL!

I'm wondering if attaching a clear plastic tube, with self sealing silicone tape, about 10 ft long to the drainage pipe could be helpful. Only time will tell.

Thank you!
 
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Old 08-04-18, 03:19 PM
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sump pumps run only when activated by high wtr levels in the sump - makes sense, right ? we install bsmnt dewatering systems for a living,,, install the sub-floor systems leading to a sump in where there's a zoeller pump,,, most pumps we install don't ever turn on - here's why: say you have a leak - even a gallon of wtr ( 231 cu " ) can cover 300' of floor making things looe much worse than actual,,, so once the wtr's directed into a sump, that gal can dissipate into the soil w/o the pump ever turning on,,, don't tell anyone in atl, tho,,, we still need the $$$
know its an old thread but the explanation's still good
 
 

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