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Hello! Deciding where to drill the hole can depend on whats under the slab. You could start by choosing a spot in a closet where you can pull the carpet back and get at the slab. You will then want to make the hole and find out what kind of material you have under the slab. You can also go to our website where you can find more info and you can ask questions through email there for continued help. www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com/do-it-yourself-radon-mitigation.html

This slab was over dirt. So we remove 20 gallons or so of dirt. When there’s no gravel or drain tile you can still pull air but you need to use a high suction fan. These fans are meant for tight soils like dirt, sand or even clay. Many of our jobs have this situation and with the right fan and being sure to dig the pit out, we can successfully lower the radon.

@@healthyairsolutions5950excellent! Thank you. I sent you an email.

Hello, for your question about the reading on the manometer. Make sure thats it correctly zeroed. The GP501 is maxed out at 3.8, so currently it is maxed out. It’s clearly effective tho since your levels are very low. You can try removing some more soil and really try to expand the suction pit outwards under the slab. This could accomplish getting it a bit more airflow so it’s not maxed out. This will help with the life of the fan. Since you are dealing with a high suction situation, you are not moving a lot of air. A suppressor works best lessen the noise of rushing air coming out of the exhaust. If this is where the noise is coming then you could try a suppressor. You will lose a little air movement but it shouldn’t make too much difference. If the noise is coming from vibration then try loosening the clamps a little that hold that the pipe to the wall and possibly the rubber clamps connecting the fan to the pipe. You can also add some fabric in between the clamp and the pipe.

​​@@healthyairsolutions5950 thank you for taking the time to reply. Yes I followed one of your videos on installing the manometer and ensuring I was level and zeroed correctly. I will try expanding the suction pit further. And add some material under the brackets fixed to the house and around the fernco fittings holding the fan. Would adding a 2nd suction point add any benefit ??

Happy to help! So at this point since your radon levels are quite low from the mitigation a second suction pit shouldn’t be needed. It would be a way to increase airflow but I would first focus on digging the pit out and see if that works. You can use a shop vac to extend your reach under the slab and to remove more dirt.

Hello, for your question about the reading on the manometer. Make sure thats it correctly zeroed. The GP501 is maxed out at 3.8, so currently it is maxed out. It's clearly effective tho since your levels are very low. You can try removing some more soil and really try to expand the suction pit outwards under the slab. This could accomplish getting it a bit more airflow so it's not maxed out. This will help with the life of the fan. Since you are dealing with a high suction situation, you are not moving a lot of air. A suppressor works best lessen the noise of rushing air coming out of the exhaust. If this is where the noise is coming then you could try a suppressor. You will lose a little air movement but it shouldn't make too much difference. If the noise is coming from vibration then try loosening the clamps a little that hold that the pipe to the wall and possibly the rubber clamps connecting the fan to the pipe. You can also add some fabric in between the clamp and the pipe.

Hello! I believe it may be a backflow valve for the sewer. In case the main lines in street back up it won't flow into the basement.

My state mostly uses radonaway fans from what I have seen. I have swapped out a hundred of these for customers, usually they are be tween 7 and 15 years old when the bearings go bad. I have no major complaints.

There’s much concern with that. 4 inches of concrete can support thousands of pounds 🙂👍🏼

It can be done that way just be sure to not kink the hose and leave room for the label. Having the hose angled down is the key to avoid getting condensation in the pipe.

Happy to help!

Yes! The slab was thin because this home was built in the early 1900’s. It’s always a good day when we know the job is in an old home. Drilling will be a breeze that day. The majority of homes we fix will have slabs that are 5 or 6 inches thick.

One issue is that you will be sucking out the conditioned air in your home. This can not only be bad energy usage but it can can also create a dangerous situation from a water heater backdraft. When you focus the suction under the slab in creates a negative pressure that can greatly reduce the amount of radon that comes into the home.

Great question! Since it’s only reading air movement/pressure it’s not necessary to have it below the top of the manometer. It won’t affect the reading.

@ but it would prevent condensation from getting into the manometer.

The key is to get the angle of the hole in the pvc pipe to be going down. That way the condensation running down the inside of the pipe can’t enter into the tube. If you do that you won’t have a problem with getting condensation into the manometer.

Hello! So glad the video was helpful. To answer your question, yes we always caulk the perimeter when we can if there is a crack. If it is a bigger crack we will use backer rod first and then caulk it.

Thank you your kind comment! We are happy we could help ☺️

In some basements extensive sealing is not possible because of it being finished but caulking what you can, perhaps in a utility room, can still help. In basements where the carpet easily rolls back we may do this to get at more of the cracks. Some basements have a perimeter crack along the edge of the slab that we will pull the carpet back to caulk. This it’s important especially when drain tile is run along the perimeter of the slab. Without sealing you can lose some suction from such a crack.

That’s wonderful to hear! We are happy to help.

Great question! The screws are airtight and they will not leak air.

When I installed mine, I put silicone on the pipe, then drilled the screws through it

That works as well!

Yes, that should work just fine.

@@healthyairsolutions5950 thanks

Thanks 😊

Very true! 😂 If you look at the foundation walls in the video it shows the age of the home we were working in. It was from the early 1900’s. They don’t make concrete like they used to…….And that’s a good thing. 😁

The joy of TH-cam 😂 If you want you can visit our website to learn more about radon testing and if needed radon mitigation. www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com

@@healthyairsolutions5950I googled it earlier, gladly its not a risk in Australia. Other things are (mmm spiders and snakes), but not Radon.

There are times when people will start to hear gurgling coming from their radon pipe in the basement and the reason being there suction pit has gathered water. But in most cases, especially with rain or snow melt the water will dissipate back into the ground. Only in a few cases have we had water that stayed and we then had to move the suction point. In these situations, if your water table rises then you will want to look into getting a sump and tile system installed.

Okay, thanks for taking the time to answer my question. Cheers. @@healthyairsolutions5950

Good question! With our manometer in the test hole we are seeing the amount of suction we are getting from different distances from our suction pit. This tells if we are getting enough suction to all corners of the slab or basement, which is a good indicator that the radon levels will be lowered sufficiently. This is also why we dig the suction pit out so we can increase the distance our suction can reach under the slab. When we have that suction throughout the majority of the basement it creates a negative pressure that keeps radon from pushing into your home. You can go to our website www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com We offer free consultations for help with a DIY radon mitigation.

@@healthyairsolutions5950 thank you so much, I’m probably going to do this myself as I have a radon level of 3.9 from the first test (testing again before I make any decisions) I appreciate the feedback.

@@dannygoround1 I am happy to help!

That’s really wonderful to hear! Thank you for sharing your success story.

A shop vac has more power than a radon fan. From the reading we get with our test we can know that the communication is there or not and depending on how far down into the negative the readings reach with the shop vac, we can get a good idea of how the radon fan will do. We will test again once the fan is installed and even if we get a fraction of what the shop vac was reading we feel good that the radon levels will come down sufficiently.

In this mitigation we actually had to have two suction pits on each side of the basement that tie into the same fan. This is actually rare, we can usually accomplish a successful mitigation with one suction pit. You can think of the soil under your slab, even if it’s dirt or clay, as being porous. When it is tight soil conditions we use a high suction fan that focuses more on stronger suction rather than moving lots of air. So even though there is little air to move we can often get suction that reaches clear across a basement slab. We can see this using a digital manometer. To increase the amount of reach we get we always dig a suction pit out as much as possible, at times we have our whole arm in the pit to dig. We demonstrate this in another video and what affect it has on the suction we get: th-cam.com/video/Hkp9EeXQzZw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0zuEzzW2ymCOVGi7 When a house has drain tile or gravel this is far easier to accomplish. We will tie directly into the tile or if it’s gravel we can very easily pull a lot of air through the gravel and thus use a high flow fan.

Let me know how it goes 😊

Hi @dougmaverick3287, here is a link to two different sealants we use and along with backer rod that is often helpful in sealing bigger cracks. shopradon.com/products/Sealants-and-PVC-Cement-c36410015

@@healthyairsolutions5950 thanks and Happy New Year.

I have expansive clay soil, no draw at all anywhere. 2 pits and removed 25 gallons of clay. No gravel or sand.

That can be a difficult situation. If you want a free consultation, please fill out a contact form on my website. With the info I’ll be able to better advise on how you can best proceed. Here’s the link: www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com/do-it-yourself-radon-mitigation.html

@comment5884 Yea a metal roof can prevent its own set of challenges especially in the winter 😅 Probably needs its own video The process is similar but after drilling up with a metal bit from the attic we then use a pair of snips to cut out the circle in the metal. Then using a saw we cut out the wood. In a link I’ll provide the roof flashing we use. www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com/healthy-air-solutions.html#!/Universal-Master-Flash-No-3/p/268019072/category=36410008 Feel free to reach out to me on my website and I’ll be happy to help you with any questions.

It would be better to go with a GP or GX fan if the suction is holding the styrofoam down. You don’t want to max out your fan if you went with a high flow fan.

Thank you for your comment! Using a Heat Recovery Ventilator is an option in lowering radon. I tend to say regarding them, “Only used when the solution to pollution has to be dilution.” It’s good to know they are an option. I talk about them on my website on the following page: www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com/radon-mitigation.html

Thanks, Just read your article. Could HRV be set, imbalance, to keep higher pressure in home giving lower radon? I still suspect a much lower value than 50-70% is going to be made with some good airflow in/out of home., 50% should be attainable with air circulation from upper to lower level alone. Radon less of a problem 60 years ago, if parents didn't smoke, for cooling our home had a swamp cooler or open window, in the summer and winter we spent most of our days outside playing or working. @@healthyairsolutions5950

Hi @woodstream6137 If you are hearing suction at your sump it’s probably not sealed properly and the drain may not have a trap. If you are in need of more advice you can always fill out a contact form on my website and I’ll be happy to help. www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com/do-it-yourself-radon-mitigation.html

Thanks for replying. Previous owner had the sump cover siliconed down and it was a mess, didn't look like a pro job. I had to replace the rusted pump so put a new fancy cover with multiple access points over it. Didn't seal with silicone because I'm a noob and wanted to see if it worked first plus it makes yearly maintenance easier. Going to put 1sqft thin rubber mats around the perimeter. After watching your vids, checked my stuff. labeled RP145, pressure is 1.4 I noticed the label only had sub slab depressurization checked. The crawl space sub membrane and sump pit boxes weren't checked. Battery powered monitor is always below 0.5

Sounds like the system is doing good. The RP145 is at a decent pressure and it’s not maxed out. Radon levels are good as well. We often find that when you fix the lower section of the basement with a sub slab system, it fixes the crawlspace. It’s not always necessary to seal and suck from it. If using the rubber mats doesn’t work to seal it, don’t be afraid to seal the cover with silicone. It’s a good option because when you need to get in for maintenance you can score it with a utility knife and it will come up pretty easy.

We are so glad our video could help! Where we install systems we have seen it all from new homes to homes built in the late 1800’s. They can be challenging for sure! If you need any help during your mititgation you can fill out the contact form on our website and we would be happy to help.

Yes that’s always a concern. With a pedestal sump cover it’s held down by silicone and a few screws. In case of a flood you would take the screws out and pop the lid up from the silicone, which is easy to do.

I have floor drains in my basement. Two have p-traps and drain to the septic, so I think those are okay. Two drain to the sump, so I suppose I have to seal those. Maybe I can use a check valve or a sealant that dissolves if it gets wet!

Yes the drains to the septic are fine. You only have to seal them if they aren’t trapped. If not you can purchase a drain valve so water can go down but not air. I’ll provide a link to our Store with different varieties that are available. www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com/healthy-air-solutions.html#!/Drain-Valves/c/36410020

Hi Larry, makeup air is not needed with a radon mitigation. You wouldn’t want to do anything to lessen focused suction under the slab.

My concern is that drawing from underground only draws up more radon.

A house naturally draws air up into it due to the stack or chimney effect. Often when we put a test hole in a slab and use our digital manometer we will see positive readings, meaning air is pushing up into the home. But after installation of the fan and sealing the basement those numbers are brought into the negative. This means that the radon that would have naturally been drawn into the home is now being drawn up by the fan and evacuated and safely dispersed above your roof line. The proof is after the installation of your system you do your retest and see what your current radon levels are. No need to worry, this is the most effective way of lowering your radon.

You can began with sealing and see if that brings the level down. It sounds like you have a passive system, so hopefully it was installed over drain tile or in gravel. If that’s the case a RP145 should work. This page on our website discusses to troubleshoot a passive radon system: www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com/passive-radon-system.html Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks for your question. If the joints run all the way through then they should be sealed. If not you will be sucking out air from the home and lose the negative pressure the fan creates.

@@healthyairsolutions5950 Thanks for the response, so if we are running 4.7 pCi/L and the basement is approx 1800 SqFt then which fan would you go with?

@@3dparagon To make a fan recommendation for you I would need to know: Do you have a sump basin with drain tile? What do you have beneath your basement? (ie sand, clay or gravel) If you prefer you can go to our website and fill out our questionnaire and we will email a recommendation. Here is the link: www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com/do-it-yourself-radon-mitigation.html

To avoid weakening the wall, avoid going below the footing. Focus more on going along the footing and making your hole wide.

How do you dig out a wide hole just working through a 4 inch hole in the concrete

We use a variety of tools that give us extra reach, like screwdrivers and my favorite, an old saw blade with a duct tape handle. Once you widen the pit enough you get to a point where you can actually get your arm (depending on the size of your arm) into the pit and reach an arms length in all directions. We also use a shop vac that works well with sand, loose dirt and gravel. We will push the hose into the hole and get good reach that way. Be prepared to clean out clogs in the hose 😅

Hello @EINAR VOLSUNG, we sell the 4” and 3” version on our website. Here is a link to the store page: shopradon.com/products/Gate-Valve-Damper-3-or-4-p145309104

​@@healthyairsolutions5950 why do I need this damper for? Can't I just install the meter and measure the pressure at open and if not enough just drill a hole, fix the hole or buy new fan? What exactly is this demper helping me with, what am I getting from closing it?

@marcusbiller867 The damper is being used in the video for demonstrating how the manometer works and what different amounts of airflow look like on the manometer. Dampers are used in a radon mitigation that has multiple suction points for focusing more or less suction in either of the suction points. It’s only rarely needed.

@@marcusbiller867 The damper is just being used to demonstrate different resistances that are seen when a radon pipe is installed in the floor. It's just being used to mimic high and low flow situations. Dampers are used when multiple suction points are installed to balance the flow.

Yes that sounds like you are hitting the footing or a place where excess concrete was dumped. You can start drilling holes away from the spot in 4 or 5 inch increments until your drill bit hits dirt. Then make that the edge of your suction pit.

Monolithic slab or in footing. Probably monolithic

I agree that is a possible. So either way you have to continue moving your holes away from the wall till you find a thinner section of concrete. It is very hard to dig your hole out if the concrete is too thick.

Yes that sounds like you are hitting the footing or a place where excess concrete was dumped. You can start drilling holes away from the spot in 4 or 5 inch increments until your drill bit hits dirt. Then make that the edge of your suction pit.

Hi Nathan! With tight soil conditions (clay, dirt, sand) we usually will take out 20 to 30 gallons of dirt, maybe more depending on the situation. When digging we may start out going straight down into the dirt at first but we always focus on getting the hole as wide as possible. We try to dig out in each direction to increase the reach of suction across the basement. If we are by an exterior wall, we always try to get our suction pit to reach the footer because often you can get some settling by the footers that help with airflow. We will get to the point where we have our entire arm in the hole to create a path and remove dirt in some situations. With sandy conditions using a shop vac can really help with this. We will use the hose of the shop vac to increase the radius of the hole. Here is a link to a page on our website talking about this process: www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com/radon-suction-pit.html

@@healthyairsolutions5950 thanks!

Yes that’s no problem at all. Just as long as it fits securely in the manometer and the hole in your pipe.

We are so glad the video helped! When we have gravel we will typically dig out at least a bucket so the suction hole has room to pull air. To dig more can always possibly increase air flow and helps when you have a large square footage basement with no drain tile.

@@healthyairsolutions5950 appreciate it, thank you!

Happy to help!