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Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here.
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Posted by Kyle on September 25, 2008, 1:45 pm
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...)
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Posted by hallerb@aol.com on September 25, 2008, 3:01 pm
show/hide quoted text
> 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
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Posted by The Reverend Natural Light on September 25, 2008, 3:22 pm
show/hide quoted text
> (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.
show/hide quoted text
> (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.
show/hide quoted text
> 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.
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> 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...)