There are several methods to lower Radon levels in a building. The recommendation is always to prevent Radon from entering the house. In some cases, there is no choice rather than reduce Radon after it has entered.

What is will not change is that a Radon reduction system similar to any other system needs some occasional maintenance. It is recommended to look at the warning devices regularly and make sure the system is working correctly. Here are two common warning devices for Sub-slab Depressurization (SSD) systems:

Left: RadonAway Manometers      Right: RadonAway Air Flow Alarm

Eventually, it may need to replace the fans. However, good quality Radon fans work from 5 to 10 years and even more.

RadonMarket Academy, Centro di Formazione Professionale del Radon

The post HOW TO KNOW IF A RADON MITIGATION SYSTEM IS WORKING PROPERLY? appeared first on RadonMarket Academy in English.

✅ Stack effect or chimney effects,
✅ Soil pressure, and,
✅ HVAC systems.

Whether it is natural, like the stack effect, or introduced to the building by an unbalanced HVAC system, these forces change the balance and create pressure differentials between the outside air and the inside air. The pressure differentials between outside and inside then define the behavior of soil gas entry into the house. Hence we can say that the mechanism of Radon entry is all about pressure differentials.

In this number of RadonMarket Mag, we examine this topic in more detail and see how the pressure differentials are measured.

We could have three conditions for pressure differentials. The building could be in positive^📣, negative, or neutral pressure with respect to the outside. Let’s start with a neutral pressure condition.

✔️ NEUTRAL PRESSURE
When good communication to the outdoor air exists in the basement, like open windows and doors or other big openings, the differential pressure reduces significantly. Therefore, there is not much movement between inside air and the Radon laden soil gas.
Open windows and doors significantly affect the differential pressure and also provide some dilution, which helps reduce the Radon level.

Radon & Neutral Pressure

✔️ NEGATIVE PRESSURE
Most houses have negative pressure^📣, which means that the pressure inside the house is lower than the outside air pressure. Negative pressure inside the building creates a vacuum that draws the outside air, including the soil gas, into the house. The negative pressure and the indoor Radon level are directly correlated. Higher negative pressure cause higher indoor Radon level^🔔, and by decreasing the negative pressure, the indoor Radon level decrease.

Radon & Negative Pressure

A house in a negative pressure can suck air directly beneath it and generally up to 10 meters around its perimeter. This area could become even larger when the soil gas beneath the house’s perimeter cannot find a connection to the outside. For example, when around the building is covered by asphalt. Radon comes from the foundation, mostly (NOT Always!), there would be a higher Radon level in the basement. However, there is no predictable ratio between the basement and upper floors.

✔️ POSITIVE PRESSURE
When air blows from outside into the house creates positive pressure. The positive pressure pushes the soil gas back and does not let Radon comes inside. In this case, besides retarding the soil gas entry, it also provides some dilution. It is more common to see positive pressure in large buildings or houses equipped with swamp coolers.

Radon & Positive Pressure

🤷 How to measure pressure differentials?
➡️ Digital micromanometer
They measure the pressure difference between two ports on the instrument.

➡️ Smoke Bottles
The smoke only shows the direction of airflow and does not provide a quantitative result. However, they are easy and very quick to use.

➡️ GM 1-2
The RadonAway GM 1-2 is a one-of-a-kind diagnostic aid designed specifically for the needs of Radon mitigation professionals. It is equipped with both a micro manometer and a grab sampler. The Radon grab sampler feature is the perfect diagnostic tool to assist in finding Radon sources, and the micro manometer measures pressure field extension.

RadonAway GM 1-2 Radon Grab Sampler/Micro Manometer

The post RADON AND PRESSURE DIFFERENTIALS appeared first on RadonMarket Academy in English.

Reza Hosseini, PhD – Managing Director at RadonMarket, R&D Manager & NRPP MFM Certified Radon Professional at Niton srl

Until now, we have always talked about continuous Radon monitors or so-called CRM (Continuous Radon Monitor). In this number of RadonMarket Mag we would like to start a new series of reviews on the Radon Mitigation tools. Of course, we will continue to know more about CRM and other measuring instruments in the future, so continue to follow us on the main page of RadonMarket Mag.

We start with the heart of any classical Radon mitigation system, which is the Radon Fan.

RADONAWAY

First, we need some technical background on Radon mitigation approaches to know why we need a Radon Fan.

The Sub Slab Depressurization (SSD) is the most common method to perform a Radon mitigation project. In this approach, the air pressure in the ground beneath the building is kept lower than the indoor air pressure. As a result, higher indoor pressure pushes the Radon laden air down and does not let it come up from the ground inside the building.

Even though a very small pressure difference is enough to achieve this goal, a passive system is not sufficient in many cases. Plus, the passive SSD system is usually installed in new buildings, and many old buildings are not equipped with that.

In an active SSD system, a fan continuously sucks the air from the ground to decrease the ground pressure. Therefore the central part of any active SSD system would be the Radon fan. In short, the Radon fan is responsible for continuously sucking the ground air in order to keep the ground pressure under the building always lower than the indoor pressure.

This section does not aim to discuss Radon mitigation methods. Therefore, we stop here our discussion on the SSD system and go forward to know more about Radon Fans. However, if you would like to learn more about SSD or other mitigation systems, follow the RadonMarket Mag here or visit the RadonMarketAcademy.com, in which new materials be available frequently.

Knowing the importance of a Radon fan, we should also know which fan is suitable for an active SSD system. Here are the questions:
1- Could we consider any type of fan as a Radon fan?
2- Which Radon fan is proper for your Radon mitigation project?

Answering the first question is easy. The Radon fans should be specifically designed for Radon mitigation. There are many factors to be considered when using a fan for a Mitigation project.

The fan should provide high airflow, energy efficiency, quiet operation, and effective Radon reduction. It also needs enough vacuum when dirt under the slab is packed with likely low system airflow.

The air from the ground brings humidity inside the fan motor. If you put the Radon fans outside, its housing could stay directly under the sun for a long time. If you put the fan inside the building, the housing should be appropriately sealed. The last thing you want is a leak in the housing of your Radon fan.

Regardless of the climate or soil conditions, Radon fans usually work constantly without turning off, which could be some years. A Radon fan should be ready for all these situations to guarantee a good quality mitigation system.

Fortunately, there are Radon fan producers who have a long history dealing with all these issues. They have identified possible problems that a Radon fan encounter during its lifetime and upgraded their Radon fans’ to overcome them. One of these producers is RadonAway.

For over 30 years ago, RadonAway introduced to the Radon industry the first radon-specific fan. Their first radon mitigation fan was installed in 1990. Since then, their fans have become the most popular, reliable, and effective Radon fans in the world. Niton srl is the exclusive distributor of RadonAway fans in Italy.

Now lets, see which Radon fan is suitable for your Radon mitigation project. This time the answer is not easy. Practically there is no best fan, but there can be the best fan for your situation. Generally, fans can be broken into four categories:

1. Low Wattage Fans – good sub-slab gravel and slab sealing.
2. Mid Range Fans – less than optimal sub-slab aggregate and/or slab leakage
3. High Flow Fans – Lots of slab leaks or very porous soil or multiple foundations to treat
4. High Vacuum Fans – Packed dirt under the slab with likely low system airflow.

If you are interested to see a full comparison between the Radon fans, you may read more here.

However, to have a more straightforward approach to find a proper Radon fan and not have tens of options to choose from. Here we can recommend two Radon fans from the RadonAway, which are ideal for most sub-slab Radon mitigation systems, the RP145i and RP 265i.

RP145i and RP 265i Radon fans:
Both RP145i and RP 265i are from the RadonAway Pro series. The Pro Series Radon fans are the culmination of years of research and field testing by RadonAway engineers, working with advanced plastics experts. The challenge was to produce a durable, fire-retardant engineered plastic housing to meet the demands of the Radon application and the RadonAway stringent quality requirements. The result is a specially formulated plastic, making the Pro Series Stay-White fans™, unlike any other Radon fans. Pro Series fans will stand up to exposure to the outdoor elements over time and do not contain potentially harmful materials such as fiberglass.

Caratteristiche:
+ Alloggiamento Stay-White™ (il bianco rimane vivo anche se esposto al sole)
+ Efficienza energetica elevata
+ Funzionamento super silenzioso
+ Piena conformità alle normative elettriche
+ Girante motorizzato temprato in acqua
+ Giunture sigillate per impedire anche piccole le perdite di radon (tenuta double snap RP145i)
+ Certificazione ETL: per uso interno o esterno
+ Motore termicamente protetto
+ Per uso commerciale e residenziale
+ 230VAC, 50-60Hz, 2500RPM, 80W Max

Accessories:
In addition to Radon fans, RadonAway offers a wide array of products ranging from sump pumps & accessories to pipe accessories.

All the accessories are made and compatible with RadoAways RP145i and RP265i fans. You can find all the accessories for performing a Radon mitigation project on the RadonMarket website.

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