Generally, radon levels higher than four pCi/L have the highest risk of a number of conditions, including lung cancer and stomach cancer. In order to reduce the radon levels in your home, several methods are used, one of which is a radon pump.
Radon is one of the top reasons for lung cancer around the world, taking about 20000 lives every year alone in the US as stated by EPA. It is advised to get the radon level tested in your home if your surrounding areas are known to have high radon levels.
The process used to remove, reduce, or eliminate radon from your home is known as radon mitigation or radon reduction. Because radon levels have been found to be pretty high in every state of the US, radon remediation methods have been used by almost everyone since the 1980s.
Given that, radon pumps seem to be quite popular, but before putting your resources in, one must see do radon pumps work or not. If you are looking for the same, here you will get all your answers as we have done the research and put it here in simpler words.
Radon pumps
Radon pumps are one of the most commonly used methods of radon remediation. Efficient radon pumps can remove up to 99% of radon from a house. The process known as Active Soil Depressurization (ASD) is a method for radon remediation that is one of the cheapest and most reliable solutions for radon.
Through the process of Active Soil Depressurization, the radon that is present beneath the ground is collected before it even makes its way to the house. For this process, the systems are constructed according to the design of the building, and they range from simple to complex structures.
It is one of the most commonly used methods because there isn’t a lot of cost associated with it in terms of operating and maintenance. Because only a limited amount of electricity is used by the fans, it is typically cost-effective.
According to the design of the system, the different parts operate together in order for it to work properly. Simply, the radon-laden gas is removed from the soil and is transferred far away to a place with no chance of reentry into the home. The different constituents of a typical ASD system are as follows:
- A plastic pipe
- A sump lid connection
- A fan
The plastic pipe of the system is connected to the soil underneath the house through a hole in the slab floor, and this gas is released outside with the help of the fan that operates continuously.
Things to consider when installing a radon pump
The things that homeowners should keep in mind when installing a radon pump are as follows.
The discharge of the radon gas through the pipe should be at least ten feet above any opening of the house. This is done to certify that there is no chance of radon reentering into your home.
In order to meet the requirements of ten feet above an opening, the discharge pipe can be routed up the terrace of the house.
Radon fans that are used to push the radon gas out are not supposed to stay in a living space. Always keep your radon fans in a place like an attic or any other crawlspace.
In a house with a functioning radon mitigation system, there must be a clear indication that states that the system installed is running smoothly. The indicator must be installed in a prominent location that is easy to see.
If the local electricity requires a license to be used for radon fans, it must be acquired in order to start providing energy to the fans.
There must be a label and an instruction manual that is easily understandable present at every level of the building. This ensures proper communication of the radon fan rules to the occupants.
As stated before, if the radon levels are higher than they’re supposed to be, installing a radon mitigation system becomes essential. After getting it installed, the homeowner should get it tested within twenty-four hours to ensure that it is working properly. Even if it is working properly, get it tested every two years.
Conclusion
From the given information, it can be established that if the radon pump is installed in a correct manner, it is going to work effectively and will provide you with desired results. This article not only clears the misconception about the working of radon pumps but also highlights a few points you need to take into consideration when installing them. Remember that accurate installation is necessary in order to make it work flawlessly.