Just got test results back showing 45 picocuries/L in the basement-par for our town. I had previously sealed the wall and floors but now want to install a venting system. It seems relatively easy. I have an inactive sump in the basement without a pump. Never seen water in the hole. Two drain tiles daylight into it.
Is this a DIY project? How do size the fan to get the appropriate pressure differential?
Thanks for any advice.
If radon is really a problem for you Is it worh it? For insurance reasons alone, like life and homeowners. If you test positive it's probably going to be on record and will require some kind of inspection, certification, etc. Maybe you could install it and get it certified by the town or a pro? Even then, you have to warranty/insure your own work and hope that you don't expose your family to harm due to a rookie mistake missed in the inspection.
Then again, some people compare radon systems to tiger repellant.
There's probably too many variables in any house to accurately determine the proper size for a radon fan. Since you'll be pulling out of an existing drain tile / sump hole rather than through the gravel beneath a slab, one of the smaller fans is probably enough.
I'm planning to build a similar system for a similar reason (only 12 picothingies per whatever, at 45 you probably glow in the dark) using either the smallest or second smallest fan available from
The project doesn't sound too difficult. Fabricate a mount, plumb 4" PVC into the sump cover, run the other end out the side of the basement wall, up the garage wall, and out the side of the house. I haven't decided whether to mount the pump in the basement or the garage, but it probably doesn't matter too much.
Make an educated guess on the fan size. If it's too big, put it on a timer. If it's too small, ebay it and get a bigger one. Another radon test will tell you if it's working. As a side benefit, it'll also help with basement humidity and musty air, if you have that problem.
The previous owner of my place lived there for 35 years and didn't die of cancer, so it must not be that bad.
Just a thought, if you are heat alot in winter and your heating system is not direct vent with outdoor air intake, in winter alot of air will be vented up the chimney, lowering the reading in winter.
This isn't really an answer; more a 'shared experience'. We have high radon (maybe 35 pc/l), and I looked into taking care of it. The (one) local place that did it was reasonably priced (well, $1600, guarantied). But (a) their technical knowledge was not inspiring, and (b) the rules required them to go through the roof in places that I didn't want them to. I think I didn't come across as a likely sale, and they lost interest.
I looked into doing it myself, and went so far as to dig a hole under the cellar floor, and did a settling test of the soil, which I decided it was a mix of sand and gravel. I talked to someone at Infiltec, who said that if there was enough sand to fill up all the spaces, it's the same as all sand. He suggested a "high suction" pump, and advised that I'd probably need multiple penetrations.
That's still where it stands. A lot of other stuff happened, and I'm still not sure what I want to do about this. I seem not to be doing it, that's for sure.
Some URLs, in case you don't have them:
Risk analysis, and definitions (from '04, so who knows):
EPA Documents: - Radon Reduction Techniques - Technical Guidance Manual. 1993 EPA summary of most recent research on active soil depressurization techniques for houses. Document number EPA/625/R-93/011.
- Radon Reduction Techniques - Technical Guidance Manual. 1987 EPA summary of research on all radon mitigation techniques for houses. Document number EPA/625/5-87/019.
- Application of Radon Reduction Methods, 1989 EPA guide to application of radon reduction techniques. Printed copies are available from the NTIS for $31.50. Call (800) 553-6847 and ask for document number PB89-205975.
I found these pretty helpful, in terms of getting a picture of what I needed to do. I think they spell out the rules, too: how far your discharge has to be from windows, eaves, etc. My notes just say that you can order those docs by phone; But, I think they're all available on the EPA website. At least, I have some jpg's that I think came from there.
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