Question: How To Reduce Radon Levels In Basement

Other radon reduction techniques that can be used in any type of home include: sealing, house or room pressurization, heat recovery ventilation and natural ventilation. Sealing cracks and other openings in the foundation is a basic part of most approaches to radon reduction.

How do you reduce radon in your home?

More Ways to Take Action Stop smoking and discourage smoking in your home. Increase air flow in your house by opening windows and using fans and vents to circulate air. Seal cracks in floors and walls with plaster, caulk, or other materials designed for this purpose.

Will running a fan reduce radon?

In some cases, radon levels can be lowered by ventilating the crawlspace passively, or actively, with the use of a fan. Crawlspace ventilation may lower indoor radon levels both by reducing the home’s suction on the soil and by diluting the radon beneath the home.

Does a dehumidifier reduce radon?

No, buying a dehumidifier will not make radon go away. Radon must be removed by a remediation method like active soil depressurization (ASD), which ironically has been shown to be even more effective at removing humidity from a home than a dehumidifier in the same EPA study.

How do you eliminate radon?

How do you vent radon in a basement?

Common techniques include: Sub-slab depressurization, where suction pipes are inserted through the floor or concrete slab into the concrete slab below the home. A radon vent fan then draws out the radon gas and releases it into the air outside. This is the most common type of system.

Does opening a window reduce radon?

Opening windows improves air circulation and ventilation, helping move radon out of the house and mixing radon-free outside air with indoor air. Opening basement windows helps reduce negative air pressure, diluting radon with clean outdoor air.

Is radon higher after rain?

Wind and rain storms create the largest variables of radon levels when testing for radon gas. Rainier days tend to result in noticeably higher radon levels. This is because rainy days are often coupled with lower barometric pressure.

Does fresh air lower radon levels?

An energy recovery ventilator reduces radon levels by adding fresh air and creating positive air pressure. Negative air pressure in lower levels of homes and building create a force that pulls soil gases including radon into the structure.

Does painting basement reduce radon?

Finished or Painted Basements Painted Walls – Sealing only the floor with RadonSeal can help. Much more radon tends to penetrate through the slab than through the walls, because radon gas is trapped underneath between the footings. Soil gas outside the basement walls can easily escape upwards to the atmosphere.

Do radon fans help with humidity?

The answer is, yes. Though, radon mitigation systems are designed to effectively reduce in home radon levels, there is a great byproduct of mitigation radon. One of the primary byproducts of a radon mitigation system is its ability to reduce moisture in your basement and/or overall humidity throughout your home.

Does humidity increase or decrease radon?

At a constant value of radon concentration, measured values have been found to increase linearly with increasing humidity, from 30% RH up to a value of ∼85% RH.

What are symptoms of radon poisoning?

A persistent cough could be a sign that you have radon poisoning. Persistent cough. Hoarseness. Wheezing. Shortness of breath. Coughing up blood. Chest pain. Frequent infections like bronchitis and pneumonia. Loss of appetite.

Can plants reduce radon?

Radon (²²²Rn) is a natural radioactive gas and the major radioactive contributor to human exposure. The present effective ways to control Rn contamination are ventilation and adsorption with activated carbon. Plants are believed to be negligible in reducing airborne Rn.

What causes radon levels to fluctuate?

Radon gas is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas found in the soil. Some weather events, like storms, typically cause radon levels in a home to rise. Other events, like heavy winds, can cause radon levels to either rise or fall. Essentially, weather events can cause your radon levels levels to either rise or fall.

Does running furnace fan reduce radon?

In many homes, blowing air in through an existing central furnace is quite practical. The use of an exhaust fan to pull air out of the house may decease the interior air pressure and draw more radon inside.

Can radon come up through drains?

Radon Enters Through Floor Drains Radon gas, insects, sewer gas, and fumes can enter homes and businesses through floor drains or through a sump. Structures can be exposed to what others put in the sewer. Radon gas is a deadly carcinogen.

Can radon pass through concrete?

Radon, soil gasses, and water vapor will easily pass through any openings, cracks, gaps, drains, or thin concrete (rat slabs) in the basement.

Are radon levels higher at night?

During the day, the sun beats down and heats up the house from the outside in, but at night, there is a rapid cooldown. This results in slightly higher radon levels during the day, rather than at night.

Does an HRV remove radon?

To me, this is by far the simplest solution when it comes to radon mitigation. It works in new builds and existing homes, and only requires you have a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV). This exhausts the old air containing radon, replacing it with fresh air from the outdoors.

How long does radon take to affect you?

Radon gas can damage cells in your lungs, which can lead to cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States, though it usually takes 5 to 25 years to develop. Early signs and symptoms of lung cancer may include: persistent cough.

Does furnace increase radon?

Note that combustion appliances like your furnace are also possible sources of radon in the home. And your HVAC system can push radon through your home’s ducts. In many cases, homes with basement furnaces have radon levels on the first floor as high as those found in the basement.

Does radon get worse in winter?

Since radon levels are likely to be higher during the winter you can expect the level to not rise much higher during the rest of the year. You are also most vulnerable to radon during the winter since you will be inside for much of it and breathing the same reheated, recirculated air.

Does air exchanger help with radon?

A heat recovery ventilator (HRV), also called an air-to-air heat exchanger, reduces radon levels by increasing ventilation. If properly balanced and maintained, they can ensure a constant degree of ventilation throughout the year. HRVs can also improve air quality in houses that have other indoor pollutants.