Radon pump install
- Thread starter fatjay
- Start date
old and tired
Veteran Member
Wow, I wish I had readings that low. My high mark was 116.4 (same monitor) - Normal readings is 7-8. If I let the basement "breath" (open doors), I can get it down to 4-5.
At my age, it doesn't matter... I do have a fan to try and keep it under what it was.
If you are worried, add more fans....
At my age, it doesn't matter... I do have a fan to try and keep it under what it was.
If you are worried, add more fans....
That statement holds true, no matter from where he's trying to pull pressure, existing sump location included.
One of the businesses my father owned in the 1980's did radon remediation, and we did a whole neighborhood of houses built in 1953. All had a good layer of crushed stone under their concrete basement floors, so there's hope for you.
chim
Elite Member
You're missing the boat if you don't seal off that sump. You want to have negative pressure under the slab. My one BIL had a pro do a system and they used a piece pf plexiglass or Lexan and silicone caulk. I've installed three radon systems. One here and one for each of two different sons. Fortunately these were done before I retired so the PVC pipe was sourced from the freebie pile at work. The fans and accessories were purchased from Val Riedman and I'd recommend him for any needs. If you send a sketch of your place he'll give you guidance:
www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com
My 2 story place has a roughly 30'x30' main basement and another 16'x25' concreted crawlspace. I drilled a hole for a 4" SCH40 PVC near the center of the main basement on the unfinished side of a wall and another for a 3" PVC in the crawlspace. I removed about a 5 gallon bucket of stone and dirt from each hole and left the void. A homemade auger (modified cut-off screw-in trailer anchor) made it easier to work through the holes in the concrete. Piping is 4" with a 4x3 wye to pick up the crawlspace where the pipe passes through to go up through a closet and the dead space above the garage to the fan. Then it goes straight up through the roof. Fan's been running continuously since about 2010. Pic below is from 5 minutes ago. Looks like some blue juice may have evaporated over the past 13 years
One son had a raised rancher. There was a wall separating the garage and finished part of the basement, and on the finished side there was a set of steps with a storage space under it. There was minimal stone fill under his slab. We made the hole in the storage space floor, went out the wall into the garage and up through a closet and into the space above the first floor ceiling.
The second son has a rancher with a daylight basement on one side. We drilled his in the utility closet in the basement where his well pump accessories, water heater, sump pump etc are located. We were able to get through a floor joist to the garage and up through the garage. This was the only one with a sump pump and it was sealed with what looks like a factory-made black plastic cover. When we drilled the hole in the concrete, there was no crushed stone there. He checked with Val and he recommended a different fan with a greater pull.
I haven't kept the numbers, but all 3 were very successful in reducing the radon readings. I used a core machine and made the holes just large enough for the pipe and a little butyl duct gasket gum between the pipe and the concrete made a good seal.
Do It Yourself Radon Mitigation Help Guide
A do it yourself radon mitigation system is doable but you will need to have some expert advice to get good results.
www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com
My 2 story place has a roughly 30'x30' main basement and another 16'x25' concreted crawlspace. I drilled a hole for a 4" SCH40 PVC near the center of the main basement on the unfinished side of a wall and another for a 3" PVC in the crawlspace. I removed about a 5 gallon bucket of stone and dirt from each hole and left the void. A homemade auger (modified cut-off screw-in trailer anchor) made it easier to work through the holes in the concrete. Piping is 4" with a 4x3 wye to pick up the crawlspace where the pipe passes through to go up through a closet and the dead space above the garage to the fan. Then it goes straight up through the roof. Fan's been running continuously since about 2010. Pic below is from 5 minutes ago. Looks like some blue juice may have evaporated over the past 13 years
One son had a raised rancher. There was a wall separating the garage and finished part of the basement, and on the finished side there was a set of steps with a storage space under it. There was minimal stone fill under his slab. We made the hole in the storage space floor, went out the wall into the garage and up through a closet and into the space above the first floor ceiling.
The second son has a rancher with a daylight basement on one side. We drilled his in the utility closet in the basement where his well pump accessories, water heater, sump pump etc are located. We were able to get through a floor joist to the garage and up through the garage. This was the only one with a sump pump and it was sealed with what looks like a factory-made black plastic cover. When we drilled the hole in the concrete, there was no crushed stone there. He checked with Val and he recommended a different fan with a greater pull.
I haven't kept the numbers, but all 3 were very successful in reducing the radon readings. I used a core machine and made the holes just large enough for the pipe and a little butyl duct gasket gum between the pipe and the concrete made a good seal.
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48hr post startup and i'm at 0.70. I haven't ruled out coring out the concrete slab a foot over from the pipe and creating a sealed off hole that the pump can suck from, but i do wonder how much better I can get from 0.70 for the added expense and price.
My friend has a sealed off system professionally installed and he hasn't gotten below 1.5. However, my office is in the basement and I spend a lot of time there, radon is a very real concern for me. If I can get to 0 or even 0.35 that's even better.
My friend has a sealed off system professionally installed and he hasn't gotten below 1.5. However, my office is in the basement and I spend a lot of time there, radon is a very real concern for me. If I can get to 0 or even 0.35 that's even better.
Yes, you will reduce levels, just by eliminating how much can leak up through that hole. If nothing else, you're creating a net-negative pressure locale, such that the majority of air leaking out of the house is thru that pipe, at least when the clothes dryer or range hood aren't battling against it.48hr post startup and i'm at 0.70. I haven't ruled out coring out the concrete slab a foot over from the pipe and creating a sealed off hole that the pump can suck from, but i do wonder how much better I can get from 0.70 for the added expense and price.
My friend has a sealed off system professionally installed and he hasn't gotten below 1.5. However, my office is in the basement and I spend a lot of time there, radon is a very real concern for me. If I can get to 0 or even 0.35 that's even better.
I suspect penalties of running that rig as-is will be cooler rooms at some distance from the pipe (or thermostat), as you're probably drawing more air into the house to feed the radon blower. Maybe also increased heating costs.
By just sealing the pipe to the sub-slab region, as previously described, you help to eliminate these issues. That is one of the reasons I previously recommended penetrating the slab on the opposite corner of the basement from the sump, rather than right next to it.
buckeyefarmer
Epic Contributor
My reading has been creeping up.