Midwest Radon

As documented in our records and portrayed in response to a Realtor’s inquiry:Our firm installed a radon mitigation system at this home on July 19, which includes a sump cover required by state regulations in accordance to national radon standards As per standard operating procedures, we responded the same day we received a call describing basement water intrusion by sending a supervising staff member to the property on July 27th, at about 11:a.mto review the situationThe results of the review were then evaluated in coordination with senior staff.The review revealed a sump pump installation that did not appear to have been installed by a professional As per our photograph of conditions found: Rather than a pump with a secure mount for its float switch that is normally adjusted for pit size and clamped in place to prevent obstructed activation of the pump, the float was secured with a wire tie to discharge piping and its tether wire longer than usual, as installed or possibly having slipped due to unclamped mounting As a result, the longer than usual tether wire allowed the float switch, during significant rise and fall activity caused by heavy rain, to catch under a drain-tile that extends into the pitThis caused the pump to cease activation.The supervising staff member who reviewed the conditions on site was told by the homeowner that they had experienced water in the basement one other time.The nature of sump pump activity is based on rainfall and homeowners are often not alerted to problems until there is heavy rain Most pumps do not activate unless there is rain sufficient to float the activation switch upwardAs water fills the pit, the float switch rises to eventually activate the pump and dances around with turbulence of entering waterAs water is pumped out of the pit, the float falls downward until its switch turns the pump off During heavy rain, this repeats over and over again as a cycle until rain subsides If the tether on the float switch is too long, problems can occur such as witnessed hereOn the Saturday after installation (July 22nd) from about p.mthrough a.m, approximately 2.09” of rain fell in the zip code where the home is locatedThis is a sizable amount of rain that under previous wet conditions is sufficient to cause water intrusion into a basement unless a sump pump is activeWhen picking up the radon retest device on Monday, July 24th approximately p.m., no water issues were observedThe observance of a water problem occurred the morning after rainfall of approximately 5” in the zip code (July 26th p.mto about July 27th a.m.) Flooding was reported all over the city during and after this rain event.Our installation staff typically check that pumps are operational but otherwise have no reason to touch anything within the pit as they install the covers on top of the pit Nor do they render judgement calls on the adequacy of pump installations Knowing all these circumstances in conjunction with photographic evidence, our firm did not accept responsibility for the unprofessional pump installationWe have no reason to believe that activities for installing the sump cover would have resulted in a float switch caught under an intruding drain-tile pipe Tell us why here

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Assumed Answered]
Complaint:
I am rejecting this response because: Obviously the sump pump had been working for yearsThe homeowner never stated that the sump pump that was installed at that point, was the same one that had failed beforeTherefore the sump pump that was currently in there and is still in there is working properlyIt had been working before with heavy rains and would have continued to do so with no problemsThe mitigation company is the only factor that changed in this processIf the mitigation company had not of touched the sump in the first place the situation would not have occurredI do not accept the excuse of the pump not being professionally installedObviously the pump was not brand new based off the picture that the company provided, and as such shows that the sump pump had been working just fine before the company intervened.
Regards,
*** ***

As documented in our records and portrayed in response to a Realtor’s inquiry:Our firm installed a radon mitigation system at this home on July 19, 2017 which includes a sump cover required by state regulations in accordance to national radon standards.  As per standard operating procedures,...

we responded the same day we received a call describing basement water intrusion by sending a supervising staff member to the property on July 27th, 2017 at about 11:30 a.m. to review the situation. The results of the review were then evaluated in coordination with senior staff.The review revealed a sump pump installation that did not appear to have been installed by a professional.  As per our photograph of conditions found: Rather than a pump with a secure mount for its float switch that is normally adjusted for pit size and clamped in place to prevent obstructed activation of the pump, the float was secured with a wire tie to discharge piping and its tether wire longer than usual, as installed or possibly having slipped due to unclamped mounting.  As a result, the longer than usual tether wire allowed the float switch, during significant rise and fall activity caused by heavy rain, to catch under a drain-tile that extends into the pit. This caused the pump to cease activation.The supervising staff member who reviewed the conditions on site was told by the homeowner that they had experienced water in the basement one other time.The nature of sump pump activity is based on rainfall and homeowners are often not alerted to problems until there is heavy rain.  Most pumps do not activate unless there is rain sufficient to float the activation switch upward. As water fills the pit, the float switch rises to eventually activate the pump and dances around with turbulence of entering water. As water is pumped out of the pit, the float falls downward until its switch turns the pump off.  During heavy rain, this repeats over and over again as a cycle until rain subsides.  If the tether on the float switch is too long, problems can occur such as witnessed here. On the Saturday after installation (July 22nd) from about 9 p.m. through 12 a.m, approximately 2.09” of rain fell in the 66062 zip code where the home is located. This is a sizable amount of rain that under previous wet conditions is sufficient to cause water intrusion into a basement unless a sump pump is active. When picking up the radon retest device on Monday, July 24th approximately 1 p.m., no water issues were observed. The observance of a water problem occurred the morning after rainfall of approximately 5” in the 66062 zip code (July 26th 10 p.m. to about July 27th 6 a.m.).  Flooding was reported all over the city during and after this rain event.Our installation staff typically check that pumps are operational but otherwise have no reason to touch anything within the pit as they install the covers on top of the pit.  Nor do they render judgement calls on the adequacy of pump installations.  Knowing all these circumstances in conjunction with photographic evidence, our firm did not accept responsibility for the unprofessional pump installation. We have no reason to believe that activities for installing the sump cover would have resulted in a float switch caught under an intruding drain-tile pipe.  Tell us why here...