Radon mitigation, electric costs and green living
 

The Wife and I have a contract on a house where the inspection just
showed a radon gas level of 13.1 picocuries/liter. Mind you, that's in
a house that has been unoccupied for a few months after a foreclosure,
but still, over three times the EPA's limit of acceptable risk tells
me mitigation is in order.

Before I go on, let me address the naysayers: go away! I've already
done the research and made up my mind and your ranting about a money-
grabbing or government conspiracy serves no purpose here. I am
convinced of the hazards of radon gas in recent homes because we make
'em so damned air-tight that the gas builds up, unlike my old home
built in 1952 which was better about venting this stuff (and cost more
to heat and cool as a result).

Anyway. I have two concerns I hope the group can address:

(1) the active sub-slab depressurization requires an in-line fan that
runs 24-7-365, which is gonna increase my electric bill by a bit and
then some, I'm sure. Does anyone know of effective alternate-energy
systems such as a solar-powered fan or some such?

(2) How loud are these fans? If I'm on the back deck and the venting
pipe is around the corner of the house, am I going to hear it? What
about at night? Will the neighbors hear? (Might want to see if any of
the neighbors have systems, too...)

Radon mitigation, electric costs and green living
 

On Sep 25, 1:45�pm, Kyle wrote:
The Wife and I have a contract on a house where the inspection just
showed a radon gas level of 13.1 picocuries/liter. Mind you, that's in
a house that has been unoccupied for a few months after a foreclosure,
but still, over three times the EPA's limit of acceptable risk tells
me mitigation is in order.

Before I go on, let me address the naysayers: go away! I've already
done the research and made up my mind and your ranting about a money-
grabbing or government conspiracy serves no purpose here. I am
convinced of the hazards of radon gas in recent homes because we make
'em so damned air-tight that the gas builds up, unlike my old home
built in 1952 which was better about venting this stuff (and cost more
to heat and cool as a result).

Anyway. I have two concerns I hope the group can address:

(1) the active sub-slab depressurization requires an in-line fan that
runs 24-7-365, which is gonna increase my electric bill by a bit and
then some, I'm sure. Does anyone know of effective alternate-energy
systems such as a solar-powered fan or some such?

(2) How loud are these fans? If I'm on the back deck and the venting
pipe is around the corner of the house, am I going to hear it? What
about at night? Will the neighbors hear? (Might want to see if any of
the neighbors have systems, too...)

if the home sits above grade, like street lower, and has a sump
interior french drain system dig a drain to the streetr, add a couple
vents, and retest.

even if it doesnt fix your radon problem it will elminate the risk of
a power failure or pump failure flooding your basement in a storm.

neighbors have the fans i cant hear them

Radon mitigation, electric costs and green living
 

(1) the active sub-slab depressurization requires an in-line fan that
runs 24-7-365, which is gonna increase my electric bill by a bit and
then some, I'm sure. Does anyone know of effective alternate-energy
systems such as a solar-powered fan or some such?


The fans I've looked at pulled less than 100 watts. Couple of bucks a
month? There are probably easier ways to save money.


(2) How loud are these fans? If I'm on the back deck and the venting
pipe is around the corner of the house, am I going to hear it? What
about at night? Will the neighbors hear? (Might want to see if any of
the neighbors have systems, too...)

I've spent time in a house that had a sub slab radon fan. The fan was
in the garage attic and couldn't be heard at all. Standing next to
the PVC pipe in the basement I could just barely hear air moving.
Totally unobtrusive.


Before I go on, let me address the naysayers: go away! I've already
done the research and made up my mind and your ranting about a money-
grabbing or government conspiracy serves no purpose here.


Be careful, I read somewhere that radon causes spontaneous
decapitation.