New home owner here. When I bought my home, they did the radon test and found the levels high, so a radon fan was installed. I recently investigated the radon fan setup, and discovered that it seems to be coupled with a submersible pump in the basement. Is this normal? I'm concerned that running the submersible pump is using a lot of energy (it's a 9.7 amp/115 volt pump, which equals ~1115 watts by my calculations).
A little more info: it seems that there are two PVC pipes into the sump area. One is connected to the submersible sump pump, and the other is presumably connected to the heat pump outside.
Also, there is a noticeable level of water in the bottom of the sump. Is this normal? The sump is sealed, but is NOT air-tight. Is this normal? The manometer pressure value indicates 1.6, if that means anything to anyone.
What is the function of the submersible pump?
Best Answer
That thing is called a sump pump. It has nothing to do with your radon or your heat pump. It has one purpose, removing groundwater from your basement. Without it, your basement may eventually flood.
The water at the bottom of the sump is normal. This is what primes the pump. Many pumps rely on hydraulic lock (the incompressibility of water) to function aka to "prime"... And also need the water as a coolant and lubricant. So don't be surprised when you find a pump that Does Not Like running dry.