Tracking Down Hard to Find Radon Entry Points

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Have a question? Connect with Jesse via Minnect: app.minnect.com/expert/JesseGreen

[@MattBrouse]

I like the candor that the usual work didn't quite suffice, but a few simple follow-ups got the job done. Great information!

[@nonasmith2405]

This sealing of the basement maybe a partial fix temporarily but it's import to put your type of radon mitigation system in as well radon is dangerous

[@ryandevoll-y2q]

Thanks Jessie for all your effort in keeping this channel going! I really enjoy all of your uploads! Super clear and to the point, also very interesting to watch! Best of luck to you Sir!

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Thank you for the encouragement, Ryan! It takes so much time and energy to shoot and edit these videos. I'm glad you enjoy watching.

[@asaintinwaiting]

You are amazing, Jesse! Wishing you worked in Wisconsin!! Thanks for your expertise and work ethic.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Thank you very much! When I lived closer, we used to work in western Wisconsin. Now, it's just such a long commute.

[@Ch00chCharlie]

I am all about this! Today we found that the present system installed by others was pulling radon into the home through the slab supply ducts, through the furnace, and located with an Ecotracker pouring out of the return duct in the ceiling...

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

I need some help understanding what you are describing, Charlie.

[@nonasmith2405]

We were getting a radon reading super high in our house and we were doing our own sort of mitigation till we could figure out about sealing our basement and Chyna died here we're getting an over 200 reading for the radon we we had to have our basement sealed outside filled cracks and the weeping tiles replaced on three side of the basement on the outside now our radon levels are under 10 Bq/m3

[@marcusbiller867]

no radon fan, just sealing?

[@Tenpennycustoms4958]

Great video as always. When do you stitch underneath or go overhead with another suction point?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Thanks, Logan. It's almost always easier to add multiple suction points rather than employ the stitching method. We primarily only stitch when a finished basement prohibits multiple suction points. Check out this video for an example of that. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqqmhqGbgqiWgsU

[@geraldgigon5488]

Great Channel, We are finishing the basement for a movie room and the radon level was around a 3.5 to 4.5 before sealing the cracks in the floor and the bottom of all the walls with radon sealer. I have a poured concrete walls that have spray foam from top to bottom for insulation. Now the radon level is above 8/9. what am I doing wrong, I thought sealing it would reduce the readings. I will be putting in a Radon fan system next. thanks

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Hey Gerald. I have heard the EPA has done studies and found that sealing alone is not an effective way to reduce radon significantly. I would say you are well on your way to having an incredibly effective and energy-efficient radon mitigation system. Feel free to contact us for advice via virtual consulting or to rent a mitigation tool kit. Good luck with the project! americanradonmitigation.com/shop/

[@IconStature]

We just noticed my radon system wasn’t running and after investigating it I realized that the GFCI outlet that it’s always been plugged into now trips every time I plug the radon system into it. Could this be a fan issue or something in the electrical wiring of the radon system causing this issue? The outlet seems to do fine with anything else plugged in. I even tried the radon system on another GFCI outlet and it tripped it as well. Any help would be greatly appreciated thank you

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

I'm no electrician, but it sounds like it might be time for a new radon fan, especially if the fan was working before the tripping issue.

[@DM-qe1dr]

Great video sir! How often do you recommend testing for a home that already has a system in place? (We had a system installed 12 years ago, then never retested and now 12 years later tested and found 4.4 - not good!)

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Thank you! The EPA recommends testing every two years if you have a radon mitigation system. A radon monitor is also a great product to consider.

[@ChristopherBarbeau]

I've watched your videos and greatly appreciate all your input. However, I do have a question unrelated to this video related to an excavation process I use for subslab depressurization.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Thank you. What’s your question?

[@ChristopherBarbeau]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation the region I work in New Mexico has very thick caliche and I use a pressure washer to loosen and remove material. However, it seems like my acclimation time increases in some cases. I was wondering if this medical of removing material has been used out your way and it's effectiveness

[@ChristopherBarbeau]

I'd like to add that this install is an outside install where a 5" core is done through the stem wall below the slab. The material under the structure is clay so I chase plumbing to try to keep to one system. I have found what I think to be a safe way to remove material like hard clay using a pressure washer and shop vac. I believe this process increases the acclimation time. Thoughts?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

@@ChristopherBarbeau what do you mean by acclimation time?

[@ChristopherBarbeau]

@AmericanRadonMitigationAnoka a downward trend in radon over time as the pit of suction dries out. I'm trying to find a way to provide an 'ultimate mitigation' in which the client can test every 2 years with successful results.

[@wegeo]

Hi Jessie, When having multiple suction points it is better to put the gate valve at the suction point or near the T that is closer to the fan? It would seem adding near the T might lower the suction pressure along the other suction point pipe run, but I am not sure which is better. Thanks for any insight you might have.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

I don't think it matters where you add the valve. However, I would add it below the U-tube manometer and alarm. Otherwise, the manometer may look even on both sides, and the alarm may not have enough static pressure to work.

[@wegeo]

Thanks for your input I appreciate it@@AmericanRadonMitigation

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

You bet!

[@superbenis09]

Your videos are super awesome to watch as a mitigator myself, licensed and certified out of Colorado. Where are you based? Also, is that 2 inch schedule 40 pvc you're using??\

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Thanks, Gage! We are in Minnesooota don't ya know. 😉 What part of Colorado are you located in? It sure is 2-inch piping. It comes in handy as there are many places that a 3-inch pipe will not fit. Chad Robinson even talks of using smaller piping. As long as you understand your piping resistance, you can use small pipe in many low-flow applications. Check out Kansas Stare Universities OMAD course to learn more. Here’s a video about it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKq7Zq2jicxjh6c

[@rhodeislandfirearmsownersl9916]

Hi Jessie, I've been watching all your videos so I have an idea of what to ask my installer. Question for you. We have a basement bathroom with a sewage discharge basin and was wondering if that could be a point of entry for Radon. It should be airtight but I was thinking the PCV waste pipe coming into the tank from the toilet might not be sealed? I have high levels in my basement.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

You can always pop the cover off and check it out. Sometimes, they have a rubber grommet around the sub-slab piping as it comes into the basin, and sometimes, it's a rough upending that can be sealed to make it more airtight.

[@rhodeislandfirearmsownersl9916]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation Sounds like a cr$#py job! I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

[@doubleslit9513]

Hey, great video! I’m not sure where you’re located but you seem like someone who’s genuinely interested in mitigating radon and making homes safe for their inhabitants as opposed to someone looking to make a quick dollar. How is the radon mitigation business these days? I mean, it seems like 25 years ago there was a huge mockery-muck about radon and now one rarely hears about it. Cheers 🥂

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Thank you! We are in Minnesota. Yes, we do things a bit differently in that I want to mitigate every home the way I would for my own family. To me, that means getting the radon as low as possible and installing energy-efficient quiet systems that aren't on the side of the house. Business is good. It seems radon awareness is on the rise. We are exploring other avenues KZbin has opened up for us. Thanks for your kind comment!

[@goldistocks609]

If the concrete block wall foundation is hollow doesn’t that let radon weep in and would it help to add a suction point in the block wall?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

For whatever reason, it doesn’t seem to be an issue. I’ve never had to depressurize a block wall.

[@ranger178]

does radon get in through concrete block walls of basement much or mainly under the slab?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

It seems like concrete slabs or crawlspaces are the main culprit. I don’t think I’ve ever applied suction to a block wall.

[@IthacaDon]

Any experience with ERV systems and radon mitigation?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

No, we have never used one to fix a home.

[@menacexp]

How would you put in a mitigation system in a finished home?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Check out our other videos to see how we mitigate finished homes. kzbin.info/aero/PLuNbsvWsW0-BAlE7A5ufGroZRZUS3_T2d&si=16Uq9uRYsaRET2y-

[@chucksauder1564]

You mention in other videos that you don't use rain caps, but don't mention this version. RadonAway Fan Pipe Cap with Screen for 4" PVC. This is what I had on my old house Radon system. How do these do?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Hey Chuck, check out what the standards say about rain caps. Also, check the next page for more on rain caps and icing. standards.aarst.org/SGM-SF-2017-1220/26/index.html Clearances and icing are the two primary considerations before adding a rain cap. We have never used one.

[@chucksauder1564]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation Thank you. Was just curious as I am installing a system in my "new to me" home. Your videos are a wealth of knowledge. Keep up the great work.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

@@chucksauder1564 thank you, Chuck!

[@donluchitti]

Been binging your content. Brooklyn Center MN resident here and a basement dweller. Just found out I’ve been breathing radon for the last 22 years at 3 pci/L . Basement bedroom too. We’re gonna call you up . Do you have any resources or anecdotal opinions based on your experience about someone’s overall risk with my amount of exposure?

[@marcusbiller867]

3 is considered within spec in a lot of countries...I wouldn't worry that much.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

You can check out this information on the MN MDH site: www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/air/radon/index.html

[@ncooty]

The space under the front step shouldn't be enclosed; it needs to be ventilated. Could you or the homeowner not just have added direct (passive) vents between that space and outside versus drawing it into the system?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

@@ncooty Perhaps. Have you tried it with successful results?

[@ncooty]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation Yes, but for us, it was a matter of mitigating moisture versus radon. Those "cold rooms" are common in the northern U.S., and people often forget about ventilating them or figuring out whether to treat them as conditioned or not.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Are we both talking about the foundation for under the front step?

[@ncooty]

@AmericanRadonMitigation Yes. In many areas, that's blocked in as a cold room--i.e., unconditioned. They often have vented blocks on the outside walls and an exterior door between that area and the basement. The floor level is sometimes higher than in the basement. The problems usually come when people either enclose it without ventilation or screw up converting it to a conditioned space. Of course, some builders will just build them as unventilated boxes, so they start off wrong.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

@ncooty, most of them in Minnesota are not open to the home. They are filled with soil, and the front step is poured on the foundation. That’s the case with the home in this video. Radon can build up under the step, and the house can draw it in through the rim joist area. This can lead to frustration with the mitigator as it’s hard to track down the radon entry point. Check out this video for a similar story: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJzYhotmltmCqa8si=eWBmgdQz-R-j_y-U

[@doubleslit9513]

I’ve seen other radon mitigation videos where a shop vac is used to create test suction. That seems a bit disingenuous as you’re not going to have an 8amp shop vac motor connected to your radon mitigation system when you’re finished.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

We use a shop vac to do communication tests to choose the best suction point locations and a pitot tube to measure pressure and airflow. The valve in the 2-inch pitot tube allows us to mimic a radon fan with a shop vac.

[@doubleslit9513]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation Makes sense.

[@alexbudd8770]

How would you go about pricing a job like this? Seems to be so many unknowns

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Our estimates have a starting base price. Think of this as a price for the best case scenario where we just need one suction point and the system has no fancy bells and whistles. Next, we add optional line items like additional suction points, sealing, alarms, etc. We like to plan for the worst and hope for the best. We then make data-driven decisions based on our pressure field extension numbers and radon levels to make recommendations to the homeowner. Using Jobber to create estimates allows us to mark line items as required, optional, or recommended. Check out Jobber here: share.getjobber.com/mzkvPGD

[@alexbudd8770]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation thanks so much for the reply! Love how much detail you put in each video, keep it up!

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

You bet, Alex! Thank you for commenting!

[@johnwhite2576]

Why are you using 3 vs 4 inch pipe ??

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

We calculate the CFM needed to achieve the desired pressure field extension to determine pipe size.

[@dwaynejohnson6277]

The front step must not have been vented. If there was a vent on each side providing good cross-flow I imagine you would not have had this problem

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Is it common to have vented front steps in your area?

[@dwaynejohnson6277]

Wow. That was a quick response. Most front steps here in Ontario Canada have full-height foundation walls and a doorway into them from the basement so they can be used as a fruit cellar or wine cellar. And yes, must be cross-vented by code. The learning in this case would be that if there is hollow unvented space under porch, warn the owner that it msy need to be treated also, and measure the levels there before the system is designed.. live and learn. Thanks for the videos. Learning lots.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

That's interesting. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to measure the radon under the front step here in Minnesota since it's inaccessible. You'd have to drill a hole to measure the radon with a radon sniffer. I'm glad you find our videos helpful!

[@AnthonyCelata]

You must get a lot of exposure doing all these jobs.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Sometimes, I try to vent the home when I'm not doing PFE measurements. The radon is typically lower on the second or third day of an installation since we usually have part of the system running by the end of the first day.

[@AnthonyCelata]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation Man you should try and get on The Build Show! You're just the kind of expert installer they look to promote! Your work is impeccable! Keep making videos!

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Thanks, Anthony! How would one go about that?@@AnthonyCelata

[@AnthonyCelata]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation I'm not sure if you're familiar with Matt Risinger but he has a big KZbin following and I would say he's among the top dogs in the KZbin construction genre of content. I've never tried to get noticed by a large channel like his before, but I am as of this year a Congressional candidate here in Massachusetts and lately I find myself trying to get everyone's attention! So I would suggest becoming active in his community as well as looking through his site for contact information. He only has (from what I've been able to find) two videos covering radon. Being in the trades my whole life as an electrician I certainly know how to spot a guy who takes his work seriously and that my friend is you. I think with some persistence you might be able to get a foot in the door. I'm sure the attention it could bring to our company would be worth the bother. As a side note, I feel like your skills would transition very well to sealing a building envelope of leaks, yeah know, getting rid of the draft, keeping the cold out or the heat in, bringing in ventilated air on your terms. Watch a few Build Show episodes and I think you'll get the picture. Its what Matt constantly preaches and I happen to be in agreement with him on the topic. When you have a house that's leaky and gets an average Air Change per Hour (ACH) rating of 1.5! Meaning 1.5 times an hour the volume of air in the house is changed, you're just throwing money out the window. Maybe you can spin that in your favor some how. If you ever end up getting a contact with the guy let us know, best of luck to you!