My radon fan has been cutting on and off for a few days. While searching for a replacement I figured if I was going to spend the money I should consider an upgrade to the fan. I spent at least an hour reading the .pdf's and instructions as several websites trying to understand the cfm, static pressure, manometer readings, and this video made it all crystal clear for me. Thanks.
Personally I'd think a selected flow rate would depend on the slab size and substrate type., plus how long a fan outlet run might be. Dumping too much air is bad for heating costs and uses more fan electricity. So long as the farthest slab test points show reasonable or accepted negative pressure you should be good using the smallest accurately sized fan to do so. In that case the fan chart is handy for comparison selection. (different slabs of the same area may require different suction and you don't need a hammer to kill a fly) LOL Problem is mitigators like to use one size kills all fan cause they don't pay the utilities and it is simpler to stock one type.
@@Bc-dn8et Jesse Green of American Radon Mitigation says no less than negative 3 pascals in your furthest hole in the winter and negative 5 pascals in the summer. This will ensure the mitigation system keeps negative pressure under the entire slab through the seasons. There is greater stack effect in the winter, the building sucks more air from the ground. Negative 5 pascals in the summer gives a cushion for this seasonal difference.
Hi Dave, this is great info, thank you! I had a radon system installed yesterday. Besides noticing 8-10 spots where the crawl space was not sealed, I notice the humming noise, which I'm pretty sure is not the fan but the air moving through the 4" pipe. They installed an AMG Legend. The manometer is reading 0.75", so using your chart that's about 280 CFM. Is 280 CFM too much? It seems like a lot of air movement. I'm guessing if I could cut this in half, I wouldn't have the howling, air through a cave noise either? I'm waiting to see what my readings are, then going to to turn the fan off and do some more monitoring. I'm planning to have the company come back out and seal all the holes because I'm assuming, it's supposed to be fully sealed. Thank you!!
Really informative video! About to tackle this project myself but having a difficult time deciding on 3" vs 4" ducting. I have an 1100sq ft basement slab with corrugated tile underneath and on the edges all leading to sump pit that I will be sealing and extracting from. sub slab is a mix of limestone and just earth. Using a RadonAway RP145c and entire run will be only 15' mostly vertical. Seems like in Canada 4" is typical but I see many US installations with 3". My main concerns are 1)airflow and 2)noise. What are your thoughts?
Ive got a prowler pulling 1.5" and it just wore out.. i beleive i should just replace it in king. Small footprint t house under 2000 sq feet. The fan lasted 6.5 years. Is 1.5" enough should it be higher?
Dave...very clear and easy to grasp..thanks. I just discovered that my Radon system fan is apparently not working..it is 6 years old...5 year guarantee of course...Anyway i called a popular Radon company in my area which many of my neighbors used and they told me they use AMG fans and that replacing my fan will cost me $550 regardless of which fan they use. I havent gone into my attic yet to look at what kind of fan i now have but I dont understand why a company would charge the same amount for parts and labor if the cost of the fan itself is different depending on what the house involved needs. Am i missing something? Thanks.
Dave...forgot to mention i have a house with basement with 3600 sq ft and the fan is in the attic if any of that makes a difference in fan selection. It also has a sump pump as part of the system.
For help to any other wondering i have a house with a finished basement which has a quality radon mitigation system in it.That said it is 6 years old and i think the fan has gone bad. I have two email estimates today to replace the fan. Both include parts and labor. One is $550 and the other is $450. The lower estimate is from a highly rated certified Radon specialist which i found on the national website of certified specialists. The most interesting point of this, however, is that both companies quoted a price which included the fan without knowing which specific fan(cost ?) they will use! That REALLY BOTHERS ME because not all fans cost the same.
How can I deal with the escape of warm air or cold air during winter/summer (created due radon fan making a vacuum)? I have a fried which radon system was installed in his garage and his house is always warm/cold in winter/summer.
I'm installing a mitigation system in my home in Ohio. I there a fan size that I should look to start with? I don't have a system yet at all, but I don't want to buy too big or too small of a fan. Pipe size that I will be using is 3" and the distance of straight pipe will be 9" in the basement with 2 90's and then 1 90 on the outside with 10' of pipe and a 45 and another 2' of straight.
in effective mitigation. some substraights allow 0 to low airflow. in that case high suction. in a situation with excellent communication throughout the slab hi volume would be better suit. depending on communition of suction would determin the power needed to not suck out the hvac airflow and thusly making utilities cost more.
thanks so much. I want to replace my current radon fan. can you replace my radon fan and how much will it cost me? or can you refer me to trusted radon technician around PA 19050? I live in Yeadon, PA 19050
Hi there! Please fill out our "find a radon tech" form at our website www.davidsmithradon.com. If we know of any professionals in your area, we'll get you connected!
Hello Ngormohamed, www.nrsb.org is the National Radon Safety Board. That website will provide a list of certified radon mitigators in your area. Cheers!
In our home, 3" PVC was preinstalled in case there turned out to be a radon issue. Like the typical plumbing usage, 3" is easier to run, fits in 2x4 walls, etc.
You would think so, but keep in mind that our techs are able to build and install a system in (typically) less than a couple of hours. During that time, part of the team is outside, some are inside (and they swap back and forth), some in the attic, on the roof, etc. So, their exposure is only a portion of what most homeowners with high radon levels experience for 10-12 hours a day inside their own homes. Also, as you can imagine, our tech's homes have a radon level so low that it's undetectable.... so when they kick their boots off each day from being the superheroes they are (saving lives every day), they're safe in their own home.
My radon fan has been cutting on and off for a few days. While searching for a replacement I figured if I was going to spend the money I should consider an upgrade to the fan. I spent at least an hour reading the .pdf's and instructions as several websites trying to understand the cfm, static pressure, manometer readings, and this video made it all crystal clear for me. Thanks.
For the DIY, you won't know if you purchased the correct fan until you install it and check your cfs discharge against the chart?
Personally I'd think a selected flow rate would depend on the slab size and substrate type., plus how long a fan outlet run might be. Dumping too much air is bad for heating costs and uses more fan electricity. So long as the farthest slab test points show reasonable or accepted negative pressure you should be good using the smallest accurately sized fan to do so. In that case the fan chart is handy for comparison selection. (different slabs of the same area may require different suction and you don't need a hammer to kill a fly) LOL Problem is mitigators like to use one size kills all fan cause they don't pay the utilities and it is simpler to stock one type.
What is the desired negative pressure underneath the slab, so you will know it's reasonable or acceptable?
@@Bc-dn8et Jesse Green of American Radon Mitigation says no less than negative 3 pascals in your furthest hole in the winter and negative 5 pascals in the summer. This will ensure the mitigation system keeps negative pressure under the entire slab through the seasons. There is greater stack effect in the winter, the building sucks more air from the ground. Negative 5 pascals in the summer gives a cushion for this seasonal difference.
@@goldistocks609 quick google search shows 3 psscals = 0.0120438923598531 water column inch... 5 pascals = 0.0200731539330885 water column inch. Isn't that crazy low?
Very informative. Thank You Mr. Smith
Hi Dave, this is great info, thank you! I had a radon system installed yesterday. Besides noticing 8-10 spots where the crawl space was not sealed, I notice the humming noise, which I'm pretty sure is not the fan but the air moving through the 4" pipe. They installed an AMG Legend. The manometer is reading 0.75", so using your chart that's about 280 CFM. Is 280 CFM too much? It seems like a lot of air movement. I'm guessing if I could cut this in half, I wouldn't have the howling, air through a cave noise either? I'm waiting to see what my readings are, then going to to turn the fan off and do some more monitoring. I'm planning to have the company come back out and seal all the holes because I'm assuming, it's supposed to be fully sealed. Thank you!!
Really informative video! About to tackle this project myself but having a difficult time deciding on 3" vs 4" ducting. I have an 1100sq ft basement slab with corrugated tile underneath and on the edges all leading to sump pit that I will be sealing and extracting from. sub slab is a mix of limestone and just earth. Using a RadonAway RP145c and entire run will be only 15' mostly vertical. Seems like in Canada 4" is typical but I see many US installations with 3". My main concerns are 1)airflow and 2)noise. What are your thoughts?
Ive got a prowler pulling 1.5" and it just wore out.. i beleive i should just replace it in king. Small footprint t house under 2000 sq feet. The fan lasted 6.5 years. Is 1.5" enough should it be higher?
I'm a radon technician and I know exactly what this guy is talking about. Lots of other techs have no clue about this. Great video
Do you have a flow chart for a Xyfair PF 100w1 ? I can’t find it . I have a reading of 2.5 on manometer and it is sand under my slab
Dave...very clear and easy to grasp..thanks. I just discovered that my Radon system fan is apparently not working..it is 6 years old...5 year guarantee of course...Anyway i called a popular Radon company in my area which many of my neighbors used and they told me they use AMG fans and that replacing my fan will cost me $550 regardless of which fan they use. I havent gone into my attic yet to look at what kind of fan i now have but I dont understand why a company would charge the same amount for parts and labor if the cost of the fan itself is different depending on what the house involved needs. Am i missing something? Thanks.
Dave...forgot to mention i have a house with basement with 3600 sq ft and the fan is in the attic if any of that makes a difference in fan selection. It also has a sump pump as part of the system.
For help to any other wondering i have a house with a finished basement which has a quality radon mitigation system in it.That said it is 6 years old and i think the fan has gone bad. I have two email estimates today to replace the fan. Both include parts and labor. One is $550 and the other is $450. The lower estimate is from a highly rated certified Radon specialist which i found on the national website of certified specialists. The most interesting point of this, however, is that both companies quoted a price which included the fan without knowing which specific fan(cost ?) they will use! That REALLY BOTHERS ME because not all fans cost the same.
How can I deal with the escape of warm air or cold air during winter/summer (created due radon fan making a vacuum)? I have a fried which radon system was installed in his garage and his house is always warm/cold in winter/summer.
If I have an existing pipe 4" and if I want to install high suction egal fan which is 3" will my 4" pipe reduce it's power ?
Thanks for the video! What can you recommend for Florida?
Where can I purchase buy Radon fan.
I'm installing a mitigation system in my home in Ohio. I there a fan size that I should look to start with? I don't have a system yet at all, but I don't want to buy too big or too small of a fan. Pipe size that I will be using is 3" and the distance of straight pipe will be 9" in the basement with 2 90's and then 1 90 on the outside with 10' of pipe and a 45 and another 2' of straight.
Radon Away -RP 145 is a great starting fan.
Is there any mechanism to determine, other than just trying them, whether a high suction or a high volume fan would be better?
in effective mitigation. some substraights allow 0 to low airflow. in that case high suction. in a situation with excellent communication throughout the slab hi volume would be better suit. depending on communition of suction would determin the power needed to not suck out the hvac airflow and thusly making utilities cost more.
Thanks for the advice. I plan on installing my own system in my house. 😎
thanks so much. I want to replace my current radon fan. can you replace my radon fan and how much will it cost me?
or can you refer me to trusted radon technician around PA 19050?
I live in Yeadon, PA 19050
Hi there! Please fill out our "find a radon tech" form at our website www.davidsmithradon.com. If we know of any professionals in your area, we'll get you connected!
Hello Ngormohamed, www.nrsb.org is the National Radon Safety Board. That website will provide a list of certified radon mitigators in your area. Cheers!
dave why would anyone go with a 3" system when the fan accepts 4" pipe ??
Not all fans have 4” ports. Most high suction fans have 3” ports.
In our home, 3" PVC was preinstalled in case there turned out to be a radon issue. Like the typical plumbing usage, 3" is easier to run, fits in 2x4 walls, etc.
But you don't sell to the public because?
So a radon tecs life span must be awful short working in radon all day no??
You would think so, but keep in mind that our techs are able to build and install a system in (typically) less than a couple of hours. During that time, part of the team is outside, some are inside (and they swap back and forth), some in the attic, on the roof, etc. So, their exposure is only a portion of what most homeowners with high radon levels experience for 10-12 hours a day inside their own homes. Also, as you can imagine, our tech's homes have a radon level so low that it's undetectable.... so when they kick their boots off each day from being the superheroes they are (saving lives every day), they're safe in their own home.