Radon Mitigation System Components
GP301 Vacuum Fan
Here, the fan is mounted to a brick exterior wall. Protech uses Radonaway fans exclusively, having tried and given up on most of the others. This fan draws about 50 watts. Note the white rubber couplings top and bottom that dampen vibrations and make for easy maintenance. By the way, black couplings, used by many contractors, would save about $5 per system, but would be ugly.
Light Duty Vacuum Fan
Model XP201 (45 watts), used primarily when the draintile is the radon collector. Lower wattage, lower max vacuum, but higher airflow capacity. This fan is normally installed free floating instead of being mounted to wood siding; this minimizes transmission of vibrations to the building structure.
Fire Collar
Installed in the garage where pipe runs through the drywall fire barrier. Required by building code. The collar contains material that would expand in case of fire, restoring the integrity of the life-saving barrier.
Gas Trap
Designed for installation in a floor drain. Allows water to drain, but blocks gas infiltration and exfiltration. Pictured is a higher capacity gas trap. This is used where drain or sump regularly is called on to handle significant water flow.
Manometer
A manometer is a pressure gauge mounted on pipe shows how hard the fan is pulling. Standard on all Protech systems. Unfortunately, it says nothing about the radon level; for that you need a safety siren.
Radon Safety Siren
Displays the radon level digitally, beeps if it exceeds the EPA long term guideline of 4 picoCuries per liter. Retains its memory in case of power failure. Toggle between two different averages — short term (most recent 7 days) and long term (since last reset). For more details, see the manufacturer’s website.
For your protection we perform incoming quality assurance on the monitors, with samples checked for one week in our low radon (1.5 pCi/l) laboratory environment, and also in our radon chamber (30-300 pCi/l).
Submersible Sump Pump
A Zoeller model is pictured. Everything sits down in the sump pit. The white float valve on the left actuates the pump when the water level rises. This is the preferred form of pump, because it allows us to put an airtight seal on the sump. Compare this to the pedastal pump below.
Pedestal Sump Pump
A pedestal style pump is shown here outside of the sump pit. Here the motor is at the top, generally about 6-12 inches above the basement floor, with an actuator rod down to the float. The actuator must be free to move, so it is not possible to apply an airtight seal to the sump. This style of pump generally must be replaced before a radon system can be installed.
Have A Question About Radon Treatment?
Super quick and efficient service of installing a radon mitigation system in the house we were selling. The installers were very knowledgeable and explained the system and the information to pass on to the buyer's. Definitely would recommend.
(a) at least ten feet off the ground,
(b) above the eave (not necessarily the edge) of the roof, and
(c) either ten feet away from, or two feet above, windows.