follow up.. i was just informed that radon gas does not flow thru water.. so i guess i don't have to worry about any gas coming from the sump when it empties into the laundry tub, until i get it re-piped out of the house.

 

The problem you have dave is it is no longer correct to pump storm water to a sanitation plant in most areas. All it does is add extra expence on the citys end cleaning clean water.

As for radon you need to seal the sump and pipe a 4 inch pipe from your sump out the roof with a blower if that is an issue.

 

Radon does in fact dissolve in water, however it dissolves slowly, so there is no issue with radon bubbling out of the sump pit into your basement. However, if you are on a well, it is not uncommon to have dissolved radon in your water supply, if you have radon in your soil. Personally I think the whole radon issue is overblown, but there are those who think that radon will destroy the world. For a reading of 5, I wouldn't do anything.

 

I'm with Mr. Holzman. I worked for 30 years in the nuclear industry so know a bit about this subject. Radon exists everywhere on the planet. Mitigation in a basement or crawl space (or anywhere, for that matter) is a total scam and a waste of your money. You'd have to live in it 24/7 for a very long time for even the slightest chance of radon affecting you. There are many, many more things that will get you first.

 

I sort of thought that radon was another made up scare. We seem to have a lot of made up scares today.

 

Thank you guys.
Yes, the plumbers have been there , and due to the "strange" layout of the property, we are trying to determine the best place to run the sump discharge pipe outside.
I did hear after i posted about the radon in the water... good to know i don't have to worry about the radon gas re-entering the basement after it's pumped out of the sump, even if into the laundry tub for the time being (back into the basement environment).

Also, i tend to agree that a reading of 5, especially in an unused , unoccupied basement is not bad.. i will check the first floor living area now , just to check.
And i did find out how simple it would be once the new sump, lid, etc.. are installed, to simply run another pvc pipe outside,, hooked up to the blower fan, and straight up past the roof line... says it's dries out the slab as it pulls from the interior stone drain.. anyways. may not do anything like that, but will seal up cracks, etc.. and work on getting that french drain put in (with no gap at the walls).

Thanks again.

 

Run the sump pump discharge pipe where the water runs away from the house.

Caulk the crack (if any) between foundation walls and basement floor slab.

The tighter you can seal the sump pit lid, the less powerful a blower (and less expensive to run it will be) is needed to evacuate possibly radon laden air from the sump pump and French drain system.

You might consider having the radon vent(s) to which the suction blower is attached at the far end(s) of the French drain pipes rather than at the pit. This will cause the blower to draw out subterranean air first, since the hardest place to seal against room air is the pit lid.

 

Good idea. could have the pipe, if i decide to mitigate, at the far corner of the basement floor instead of at the pit. Could ease some crowding in the pit corner.
thanks