New house in Wyoming–everybody has radon here. I put radiant heat in the basement slab and should pick up any radon gases in the 3/4″ stone under the floor with a 3″DVW PVC pipe thru a partition wall to the attic space. I have not gone thru the roof with the 3″ pipe yet. Question–Does anybody know why connecting this pipe to a plumbing vent with a Y would not be a good idea? One less roof penetration is my thought.
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Find online articles on options for countertops, wood-boring bits, ductless heat pumps, tighter miters, fences, and much more.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
If I am not mistaken radon venting works by 'sucking' air out of the below-slab area such as yours, creating negative pressure so the gas doesn't infiltrate above slab and into living area.
This typically involves an inline exhaust fan of some sort.
The plumbing vent stack - which is usually passive - may actually draw the exhausting radon back into the house when the drains are active?
Around in the east coast most of the radon venting come out the wall and travels up on the exterior, but these are mostly retrofits.
I do understand your desire to minimize roof penetrations.
Edited 2/13/2007 11:01 am ET by AhneedHelp
I hadn't planned on putting a fan in the radon stack unless test readings indicated a need for the positive venting. I was just going to give the underslab pressure, if there was any, a place to go
If a fan turned out to be necessary, I could disconnect from the plumbing vent and then put the extra hole in the roof.
This is just a guess on my part, but with all the paranoia and the litigious society we live in, active venting is probably the code requirement if this is an inspected job.Not sure how it would work if it is a voluntary installation.
A radon mitigation contractor - licensed presumably - would probably recommend or insist on an active (fan assisted) venting scheme.Only to tell would be to do a test before and after with whichever method you choose.