Any recommendations for radon mitigation.

High levels in my well water; doing air testing soon, so possibly crawlspace vent install as well

11/15/2018 12:42:42 PM

how did you discover that? one of those tests from HD etc?

11/15/2018 1:39:30 PM

Well water testing from WACO; I'm in the radiological zone.

Going to do a simple average air test (^) next, then follow up with continuous monitoring test if needed.

11/15/2018 3:27:43 PM

Radon is becoming such a hot topic in real estate and it's definitely more prevalent than people realize. I've had several buyers in random places get positive radon results. one of the more shocking ones was in a neighborhood right off timber drive in the middle of Garner. I always tell my buyers the scary part isn't buying a house that's tested positive for radon it's that the Sellers lived there for 15 years breathing in radon gas.

For those that don't know it's the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States after smoking. colorless odorless and there's no rhyme or reason as to where it appears. It exists in the soil in pockets and when someone builds a house over one of those pockets, the house encapsulates the gas.



[Edited on November 16, 2018 at 11:15 PM. Reason : ....]

11/16/2018 11:11:30 PM

But they might not have been breathing it all that time if your single point test was in winter during heavy rain. I'd bet most of N and NW wake county fails a radon test on cold rainy days but are well below action levels in normal conditions with HVAC running

11/17/2018 7:50:48 AM

What does a cold rain have to do with radon groundwater?
If you have radon in water, then your house is almost guaranteed to have high levels of radon in the air, regardless of the weather. So yes, they could have been breathing it in for years.

11/19/2018 8:41:30 AM

i was replying to the post above mine, not the original thread topic

11/19/2018 8:55:53 AM

Quote :

"But they might not have been breathing it all that time if your single point test was in winter during heavy rain. I'd bet most of N and NW wake county fails a radon test on cold rainy days but are well below action levels in normal conditions with HVAC running"

It's still scary not finding out until after the fact that the gas has been present in your home.. Even if it has only been when it is cold and raining. I would still recommend my client pursue having a seller install a mitigation system to ensure that gas is never present, cold and rainy or not....

11/21/2018 4:58:02 PM

https://raleighradon.com/radon-map/

Raleigh Radon had compiled data from their testing. You can check and see where Radon levels have come in above the EPA action level. But remember, just as Dtownral said, levels can fluctuate based on conditions.

11/21/2018 5:09:38 PM

I've just seen some shady inspectors do things like consider a basement the lowest occupied floor because of some drywall and paint and setup right beside an unsealed sump pump so they can ask for $15k price reduction (which they wont use for any actual mitigation and also they love the granite countertops even though those can also contribute to indoor radon level). And it seems like every rock quarry in the area is beside a dense residential area, that's a red flag right there before you even test.

[Edited on November 21, 2018 at 11:01 PM. Reason : .]

11/21/2018 10:53:01 PM

Quote :

"For those that don't know it's the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States after smoking. colorless odorless and there's no rhyme or reason as to where it appears. It exists in the soil in pockets and when someone builds a house over one of those pockets, the house encapsulates the gas."

That numbers come from pretty well disproven studies that used a linear correlation from miner exposure years ago. Large studies have actually shown a negative correlation to lung cancer and radon exposure (reasonable levels). Do your own research, however.

At our lake house, we did have what was definitely extremely high levels that are beyond the pale. I got digital meter, and it recorded levels over 20. I installed my own system, and my average is around 1 now.

[Edited on November 22, 2018 at 12:51 PM. Reason : .]

11/22/2018 12:50:00 PM

I did a test in my house and got almost zero but got wind a neighbor was off the chart.

11/29/2018 12:49:11 PM

Got 3 quotes for aeration systems; all roughly the same price. My crawlspace has moisture issues and there is radon in that air; but I don't know if it's soil-based or coming from the air in the rest of the house. House is at 3 pCi/L; crawl is at 2 pCi/L (well water is at 37,000 pCi/L). I'm guessing the soil is fine and the radon in water offgassing in the house is causing elevated readings in the crawl space. I really want to put this aerator in the crawlspace so I don't use up space in the garage... but it's wet / damp, a mess, and 2 contractors though it would be pretty / too tight.

11/30/2018 8:11:04 AM

doesn't it have to get serviced every few months? is your crawl space big enough where that won't be a pain?

11/30/2018 9:39:09 AM

No, you are thinking GAC (granulated activated charcoal) filtration, which is another option for low level radon in water contamination, though it's a shitty and potentially dangerous system. Aeration systems don't really need maintenance, but it's recommended to inspect and disinfect annually.

And the crawlspace is high enough, but it could be a pain to service, if / when needed. But considering the frequency of servicing, I'd rather not lose garage space...

[Edited on November 30, 2018 at 11:32 AM. Reason : .]

11/30/2018 11:31:54 AM

the one at my grandparents has a filter with it too, that's what i was thinking of, but i know the actual unit itself also has to be cleaned to remove mineral buildup. they had very hard water though in their well, you might not have that issue or maybe they are better now

[Edited on November 30, 2018 at 11:52 AM. Reason : .]

11/30/2018 11:52:30 AM

If there are other quality / aesthetic issues, then a separate filter / treatment / etc system is installed before the radon system. My water is damn good for well water... other than radon and it being slightly acidic.

[Edited on December 3, 2018 at 10:05 AM. Reason : .]

12/3/2018 10:05:10 AM

Map by zip code, though its a little shocking how few tests have been done.

http://www.ncradon.org/ncradon/#

12/3/2018 8:09:30 PM