Radon problem in basement
#1
02-19-02, 11:11 AM
Radon problem in basement
Started at 120 pCi (yes - that's 30 times the action level of 4)
Mitigation process included only a small fan connected to the end of an evacuation tube
That got us to 30 pCi
Mitigation process then called for a large fan and a 'sealing ribbon' to fill the opening between the floating slab floor and poured concrete walls. The fan was very very loud in my daughter's bedroom
That got us to 1 pCi
Asked company to put small fan back in
That got us back to 10 pCi
Very frustrated. This fan makes her room basically unlivable due to loud fan noise. I am told that sealant or Drylock on the basement walls will help - but not a solution -
Do I have any other options? Sorry if this post is in the wrong forum...but I thought some of the contractors might have some experience.
Thank you
Mitigation process included only a small fan connected to the end of an evacuation tube
That got us to 30 pCi
Mitigation process then called for a large fan and a 'sealing ribbon' to fill the opening between the floating slab floor and poured concrete walls. The fan was very very loud in my daughter's bedroom
That got us to 1 pCi
Asked company to put small fan back in
That got us back to 10 pCi
Very frustrated. This fan makes her room basically unlivable due to loud fan noise. I am told that sealant or Drylock on the basement walls will help - but not a solution -
Do I have any other options? Sorry if this post is in the wrong forum...but I thought some of the contractors might have some experience.
Thank you
#2
02-20-02, 02:12 PM
Can you move the fan?
You might be able to position the fan somewhere else.
Fan can go in attic or outside the house. You can run horizontal PVC, though you have to be careful to avoid water condensation that stands in the pipes and zaps the fan motor.
Which fans did you try? I'm about to try a doit-it-yourself radon remediation. We had a bid that specified using a RadonAway GP501 fan, because we have an old house with compressed dirt under a couple layers of cement so we anticipate we'll need multiple suction points and a high powered fan. And I HATE noise, too.
Fan can go in attic or outside the house. You can run horizontal PVC, though you have to be careful to avoid water condensation that stands in the pipes and zaps the fan motor.
Which fans did you try? I'm about to try a doit-it-yourself radon remediation. We had a bid that specified using a RadonAway GP501 fan, because we have an old house with compressed dirt under a couple layers of cement so we anticipate we'll need multiple suction points and a high powered fan. And I HATE noise, too.
#4
02-20-02, 04:51 PM
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Dr. G:
The process you went through solved your radon problem. that is exactly how it is done. You now do not like the fan noise. I would do something like this. Put a timer on the fan. Have it run during the day when your daughter is not there, and have it shut off sometime around bed time. Radon does not pour in. It creeps in very slowly. The reason I say a timer is that then you will know it will come on, and by pass human error by someone forgetting to turn it on.
The process you went through solved your radon problem. that is exactly how it is done. You now do not like the fan noise. I would do something like this. Put a timer on the fan. Have it run during the day when your daughter is not there, and have it shut off sometime around bed time. Radon does not pour in. It creeps in very slowly. The reason I say a timer is that then you will know it will come on, and by pass human error by someone forgetting to turn it on.
#5
02-21-02, 08:01 AM
Radon problem continued
Jack and others -
Thank you very much for some tremendous ideas. The timer idea is simply brilliant and I wish I had thought of it.
The radon team came back today and they are going to add another suction point in the basement to try and get it back down. I agree that they are doing everything right.
If that doesn't work - or even if it does, I am going to have them put a timer on the fan. I just really like that idea.
Thank you very much and best of luck with your projects. This radon problem is the only thing holding me back from starting my own basement DIY!
Thank you very much for some tremendous ideas. The timer idea is simply brilliant and I wish I had thought of it.
The radon team came back today and they are going to add another suction point in the basement to try and get it back down. I agree that they are doing everything right.
If that doesn't work - or even if it does, I am going to have them put a timer on the fan. I just really like that idea.
Thank you very much and best of luck with your projects. This radon problem is the only thing holding me back from starting my own basement DIY!
#6
02-23-02, 06:00 PM
Rain on my parade
Radon guy said that a timer is not recommended for two reasons:
1 - will dramatically shorten the life of the fan - I guess condensation is a problem, and a moving fan won't rust
2 - radon that does seep in during the 12hr period of 'off' will take 48 hours to decay....
Oh well....we'll see how the extra suction point goes, and will post back
1 - will dramatically shorten the life of the fan - I guess condensation is a problem, and a moving fan won't rust
2 - radon that does seep in during the 12hr period of 'off' will take 48 hours to decay....
Oh well....we'll see how the extra suction point goes, and will post back
#7
02-25-02, 06:52 PM
Some more thoughts
Where do you live? Is it possible for you to increase ventilation through most of the year?
Something you might try is to do some "smoke testing". Turn on the radon depressurization system, preferably with the larger fan, and then search through the basement to find leaks with smoke. There are special smoke kits that radon mitigators use that are best for this, but you can go a long way with a stick of incense. Walk slowly through the basement with incense and a flashlight, and waft the incense near anything that looks like it might be "leaky". If you see smoke getting sucked into a crack, even a small puff, then that crack needs to be sealed.
Another thing you might try is to ask the mitigator to add insulation around the pipes. This can quiet the pipes down.
You might also try to dig out the subslab locations a bit more, if you still have access to them.
I just got the book that is listed on the Infiltec web site, and it has a lot of tips about best ways to mitigate. The book doesn't have much to say about fan sizing as best I can tell; the infiltec web site does have a fair amount of information about the line of fans they sell. Nothing specific about noise, but the fans other ratings are pretty specific.
Good luck!
Something you might try is to do some "smoke testing". Turn on the radon depressurization system, preferably with the larger fan, and then search through the basement to find leaks with smoke. There are special smoke kits that radon mitigators use that are best for this, but you can go a long way with a stick of incense. Walk slowly through the basement with incense and a flashlight, and waft the incense near anything that looks like it might be "leaky". If you see smoke getting sucked into a crack, even a small puff, then that crack needs to be sealed.
Another thing you might try is to ask the mitigator to add insulation around the pipes. This can quiet the pipes down.
You might also try to dig out the subslab locations a bit more, if you still have access to them.
I just got the book that is listed on the Infiltec web site, and it has a lot of tips about best ways to mitigate. The book doesn't have much to say about fan sizing as best I can tell; the infiltec web site does have a fair amount of information about the line of fans they sell. Nothing specific about noise, but the fans other ratings are pretty specific.
Good luck!
