(Since this has to do with ventillation, I’m guessing this is the best home.)
OK, many moons ago, shortly after we got our house, we did radon tests in the lower level of our “split entry” and came out at 8.something furlongs/fortnight or whatever it is. I figured since the limit was 4, 8 was within engineering accuracy and we were OK, especially since all bedrooms were upstairs.
Fast-forward 30 years. Did another test and got 13.something. Now our bedroom is downstairs and we spend most of our time down there, so I’d like to consider abatement (as would my DW, who is probably going to hound me about this — my real motivation).
As I said, this is a split entry — two story home with the lower level about half below grade, and the entry way at ground level with up and down stairs to the two levels. Completely finished up and down, save for a relatively tiny utility room.
To further complicate matters, the heating ducts for downstairs are transite pipes under the slab, and these also serve as the drain tile system, such as it is.
So, how would you abate this?
My two “best” ideas:
1) The floor in the utility room has a couple of good-sized cracks. Tap into these with suction pipes, caulk them, and hook to a high-head radon fan. When we replace carpet in the family room, caulk cracks we likely will find in the floor there. Maybe drill a few holes in the four corners of the utility room for more suction connections.
2) Rig a rube-goldberg to the heating ducts. When an interval timer goes off, shut off the furnace fan (if running), close the damper to the downstairs ducts, sense for pressure drop (indicating furnace/damper off) with a pneumatic switch, and turn on the radon fan, drawing air from the ducts. Unfortunately, this will draw air backwards through the registers, so no real vacuum can be developed.
Tearing out the existing finish and abandoning the in-floor ducts are non-starters. Gotta work with the limitations.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. –Benjamin Franklin
Replies
How many times have you tested? In my last house, I got a result over the limit on the first test. I re-tested twice and both times came in within the acceptable range.
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Just the one test, with two vials that they measured separately (which agreed within a couple of points). This was worst-case, in the middle of a cold snap in winter, when there's very little fresh air coming in.I'll probably run another test before I settle on an approach, but I don't seriously doubt the numbers -- some homes in my neighborhood are much worse.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Dan,
I live in a very hot radon "hot spot" according to the published maps. I have never checked my levels, but the maps say I should be something like 10x acceptable. That much said, my house is very "loose" (1920's construction) so that when the wind blows..............it's drafty,and probably blows the radon out.
My research on the topic says that the only valid test kits are ones that test for a minimum of 30/days, AND the test needs to be repeated multiple times over the course of a year, preferably at the lowest portion of your basement and the first floor. If you haven't done that, the #'s you have don't mean much.
Jon