Is this considered a French drain?

21 days ago

The previous owners of our house had a jacuzzi in the basement and told me they used a French drain for it. It was in the corner where a sump pit is (I don't know if a pump was ever installed or used). I couldn't get the cover off to see what's underneath and didn't want to force it until I know what I want to do with it. All I see is a cutout with some rocks going I don't know where.

If this a proper drainage system I want to use it to drain my water heater occasionally, and to a much lesser extent, let a dehumidifier drain into it. Is this a question for a plumber? A general contractor? There's no other drain in the basement, so this is the only place the tub water could have emptied. This area uses septic tanks, there's no wastewater hookup to a sewer.

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Comments (3)

GN Builders
20 days ago
It looks like a radon sump pump cover and a French drain connecting to it... If there is a pump installed in the pit, you can drain your water heater into the pit and pump it out to the daylight.
Joe B thanked GN Builders
Joe B
Original Author
20 days ago
There's a radon removal system in another part of the basement. One of the previous owners probably had a pump at one time, there's a sump pit cover for it (laying around loose in the basement, not over the pit), and a dedicated outlet for a pump (so labeled on the breaker panel). If the hot tub owners used a pump they might have taken it with them. There's a rusted screw preventing me from opening the lid. I'll pop it open one of these days and call in a plumber to see what my options are. This is in the finished part of the basement. I wish it had been installed in the back. Thanks for your input.
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GN Builders
18 days ago
Joe, get a screw extractor-set you can get one for under 20 bucks in any box store (will save you some money having a plumber doing that) and pop that cover and see whats inside.

You got the pit in a different location, and there is a radon system installed elsewhere. This could be useless, and not doing anything, not to mention having that cut in the slab without being sealed; it defeats the radon system's purpose.

Good luck