# Had a radon mitigation system installed. VERY noisy



## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)




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## WhiteMike (Jan 8, 2017)

I appreciate your response ron but those videos literally have nothing to do with the questions I asked


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Hi Mike. Your instincts and research are correct. I'm not a Radon expert but AN 8" PIPE, that is ridiculous. If the air sealing between the slab and below grade has been properly done there will be a very low air flow. The purpose of the fan is to produce a negative pressure below grade and the fan size is based upon the remaining leakage, not the initial radon reading.

Now, if the below grade gravel/soil is draining to daylight it can present a problem achieving the necessary negative pressure. Before I start suggesting fixes for that can you check the "u-tube manometer" they (should have) installed in the basement to see if they are getting that negative pressure?

Pictures would help?
Does the fan have a rating tag?

Bud

Also, did they do any air sealing in the basement, perimeter to wall, sump pit, any other penetrations?


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## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

WhiteMike said:


> I appreciate your response ron but those videos literally have nothing to do with the questions I asked


I think the videos show the correct size of the pipes and the fan decibel is not no where near as you described.


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## WhiteMike (Jan 8, 2017)

Yes ron you are correct, my apologies. 

My house is on a crawl space, no sump. There's perforated pipe underneath some plastic that I assume they sealed to the edges of the foundation, coming out of the crawl space just above grade on the outside is the 8 inch pipe, fan, and more pipe going up. I will try to get some pictures and post them...not sure of the fan size I will get that info as well. I do have a video that I took of the noise so I can send it to the contractor, not sure if/how I can post a video? 

Could my high reading of 110 be the cause of the bigger pipe? Would the amount of radon detected have anything to do with fan and pipe size? FYI main level of house is 1600 feet which is on top of the entire crawl space, there is a 500 ft bonus room upstairs. The radon tester was put in a closet in one of the main level bedrooms.


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## WhiteMike (Jan 8, 2017)

Bud what do you mean by below grade soil draining to daylight?


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## WhiteMike (Jan 8, 2017)

Pictures


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## WhiteMike (Jan 8, 2017)

If my pictures aren't showing up the fan is CFM: 600 @ .20" w.c.


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## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

Where was the test performed, house or crawl space.?

Is your crawl space vented.?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radon

I'm not saying you don't know about radon but give this a quick read. It clearly states that Radon gas accumulates, and that's when its dangerous. 

""" Radon is a chemical element with symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless[2] noble gas. It occurs naturally as an intermediate step in the normal radioactive decay chains through which thorium and uranium slowly decay into lead; radon itself is a decay product of radium. Its most stable isotope, 222Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 days. Since thorium and uranium are two of the most common radioactive elements on Earth, and since their isotopes have very long half-lives, on the order of billions of years, radon will be present in nature long into the future in spite of its short half-life as it is continually being regenerated.[3] """


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## WhiteMike (Jan 8, 2017)

Test was performed in a bedroom closet on the main level floor. The crawl space is not vented. 

I've done quite a bit of research on radon itself, and only some on mitigation...and I'm not going to post my opinion, let's just say the ONLY reason I agreed to have it installed is because the buyers offered a price above my asking price and it was their only request after the inspection, so I figured I would bite the bullet and have one installed.


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## WhiteMike (Jan 8, 2017)

The response I got from the mitigation company regarding the 8 inch pipe and the fan they chose is because the soil in my area is very permeable (this area is known for high levels of radon...per the tests that inspectors do). They agreed to come fix the noise issue and perhaps put in some smaller pipe.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Around the perimeter of the foundation there should have been a drainage system for water to carry it well away from the house. Depending upon the grade those will sometimes drain to daylight, an open pipe that surfaces some distance away. If you have such it can cause issues with the radon system trying to establish the required negative pressure.

Did you find the u-tube manometer? 
Did they or are they testing for current radon level?

I believe radon gas is heavier than air so I would be concerned about the test location as that sounds well above the crawlspace floor (plastic).

Did they install the plastic and perforated pipes as well?

If you can get down there check around the perimeter, around any support columns, and any other penetrations, like water and sewer to be sure they did a good job of sealing. 

1. You need a reference radon reading from the crawlspace floor that is the location that needs to come down below 4. Everything above that height will be less.
2. Check their air sealing work.
3. Do you have a poured concrete foundation or a block foundation?
4. Find and read that u-tube manometer.
5. The size of the fan is related more to the air flow required to achieve the 0.2 iwc (inches water column) and not directly related to the radon reading.

Bud


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## ddsrph (Nov 23, 2013)

Mike
Was wondering how your radon issue turned out? Also what part of the country you are in. 110pc is very high ( I think the record is 2600) and should be a clue to others that a few bucks spent on a self test kit could be well worth it. I may be installing a system in my new house which is on a slab and should be easy to do.


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