Radon

[pumper]

I've tested my house twice over the last ten years for radon, once in the basement and once on the first floor living room. Both times the reading was 4.1 pCi/L (picocuries per liter). EPA recommends homes be fixed if the radon level is 4 pCi/L or more. Has anyone else tested, and what did you do to remedy a high reading, if anything? Costly?

 

[mattl]

I had a house I was flipping tested and it was fine luckily.  My cousin  bought a house last fall, had it tested, came back slightly high.  She decided to do abatement, had the system installed for about $800 here in Mid MI.  I'm sure prices vary around the country.  If the levels are high in a living area it's worth the cost.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I remember back a number of years ago when radon was a big thing...

And why you don't want to over-insulate your home...

It's almost "another" carbon monoxide...

-- Dave

Radon - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[henene4]

I guess if you are vary of the danger, but also the cost, ventilation without negative pressure is the goal.

So setting up something like the bathroom fan running a certain time of the day would seem like a cheap alternative, together with creating an opening so outside air can go in.

Shouldn't be much more than a 100$ DIY job if the cost of getting it done "right" is putting you off.

 

[combo52]

Radon gas reduction in your home

Running a bathroom exhaust fan is not the solution. It will actually pull more radon up into the house from below the slab or in the basement.

This type of problem needs to be done by a professional that knows how to do it you could make the situation worse.

John

 

[tomturbomatic]

I wonder if you had a condensing furnace with a power vent and a power vent gas water heater if they would pull radon out.

 

[mattl]

For radon abatement they generally cut through the floor into the substrate, create a seal around that point, and continuously run a fan inline the PVC that vents outside at or above the roof line. At least that is the method I've seen in a number of installations I've seen.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Thank you. Thinking about it, the inducer fan in the water heater would not be powerful enough even though it does draw air from inside the basement. The furnace does not draw inside air so that is not a factor. I was not thinking. My brain, always on, just slightly off.

 

[Marky_Mark]

Interesting.  I'd never really given much thought to radon, being that I'm from an area that doesn't have a problem with it.

 

So I've just watched this video from the UK government: