Improperly Installed Radon Systems
Is saving $25 - $50 worth it?
It's true that you get what you pay for. The first three examples below show what can happen when your Radon mitigator lacks experience. The installer of this system, a local competitor, is certified to install Radon mitigation systems, but has not had the benefit of mentorship from another installer with experience. The homeowner saved approximately $50 by using this company. But to bring this installation up to State of Wisconsin electrical code and recognized Radon venting standards, it will now cost him another $150 or so. Let's look more closely at what's wrong with this installation.
From a distance, the photo on the left may seem to portray an OK Radon system installation. But, if you look closely, the vent pipe does not meet the minimum requirement of being two-feet above a window that is within 10-feet of the vent. The danger here is that Radon gas can easily travel from the end of the vent pipe, right into the window.
The photo below shows an electrical hook-up done improperly. You cannot have an outside fan on a electrical chord. For one thing, there are no chords that are rated for sun resistance, so this is a fire hazard. And for another, you cannot run an electrical chord through a wall to plug it in, in this case in the basement.
The photo on the left clearly shows that the exhaust fan was installed at an angle. These fans need to be installed level from front-to-back and side-to-side to get the proper life expectancy out of them. The most frequent cause of premature fan failure is a fan installation that is not level. The bearing in the fan will get off balance, cause a lot of noise and then die.
Also, there is no cosmetic flange installed over the pipe going through the wall to cover up the caulk and protect the home from the elements.
Radon Systems Don't Belong in Front of Your Home!
This next installation was for a Real Estate transaction. As you can see below, they violated the first common sense rule of mitigation, do not install the system in the front of a home! The pipe is coming out of the front of the home, plus the installer used black rubber couplers to install the fan.
The photo to the left shows that they transitioned from a 3" pvc pipe into a 4" downspout material. It doesn't look too bad from the soffit area up, except that the downspout isn't straight/plumb. Also because they mis-measured or didn't drill a pilot hole for location, the piping came out quite a way from the side of the home. They installed a good length of pipe to get to that wall, which is also not straight.
We looked at the whole system including the basement, which to be honest, I would make my installer redo it if they installed it that way. My camera's flash was not working so the remaining photos did not turn out.
This system could have been routed through a crawlspace out to the right side of the home, towards the back corner where it would not be very noticeable, and done in this manner it would not have had to go up past the second floor roof. This would have been much better than going out the front. The system could not have gone through the garage.
These final two pictures show how the majority of the system looks. Would you want to have the system installed this way on your home?
When we install a system we have the attitude of "where would I install the system if this was my home."
Passive vs. Active Radon System Installations
My only concern is with ACTIVE systems that are improperly installed, unless a passive would be set up so badly that it could cause a health risk. Photos on the page demonstrate improper and dangerous radon system installations.
Although I no longer install passive systems in existing homes (only new construction), I have installed a few where the vent pipe is routed out to ground level. These systems are set up so they could be made into active if needed some day. But, venting a sump pit or slab at ground level poses no health concerns because there would be almost no concentration coming out of the pipe.
Passive systems newly installed in existing homes just don't work. For a few extra dollars you can rid the home of Radon, and hopefully reduce the moisture in the basement.
Radon is pushed up from ground pressures and sucked up from the vaccuum of a home. If a pipe is routed to the sump pit or slab and vented to the outside, there is a chance that it might increase Radon levels. Why? Because if it's windy outside and air is pushed into the vent pipe, more pressure can be exerted under the slab, thereby increasing the amount of Radon in the home.
Radon Fans Don't Belong in the Basement
Most improper systems have the Radon fan in the basement or some other livable space in the house. This is a huge problem, and totally against EPA standards. It's easier to install a system like this, and it will get rid of the Radon in the basement. But what if the fan had an undetectable leak on the exhaust side, one you couldn't hear? This is called mining Radon. The home would not have just a little more Radon, but could have hundreds of Pico curies. How would you like to be exposed to that? Remember the EPA wants homes to be below 4 pCi/L, and if possible below
2 pCi/L.
Watch Where It Vents!
Another huge problem is to vent an active system at ground level or less than 10-feet from grade. Most of these systems also have the fan in the basement. Studies have shown that re-entry is a serious risk. If a window would be opened, or if someone is in that area they could be exposed to very high concentrations.
Even if the vent pipe is at 10-feet from grade, it might not be right. I have seen homes where the vent is 10-feet off the ground, but there is a window within 10-feet of it, or even right above it on a second floor. Re-entry could still happen in this case.
The photo on the right illustrates another type of improper venting of a Radon system. This set-up is dangerous because Radon gas would be vented directly over the head of anyone standing on the deck.
At Radon Specialists of Wisconsin, our mission is to provide the absolute best quality work at the best possible price thereby eliminating the chance of Lung Cancer due to Radon exposure to the largest number of people. We take our work seriously because your health is at stake. Learn more about how we do business here.