Radon Gas In Your Home - Part 6
Living in a House with a Radon Reduction System > Maintaining Your Radon Reduction System
Similar to a furnace or chimney, radon reduction systems need some occasional maintenance. You should look at your warning device on a regular basis to make sure the system is working correctly. Fans may last for five years or more (manufacturer warranties tend not to exceed five years) and may then need to be repaired or replaced. Replacing a fan will cost around $200 - $350 including parts and labor. It is a good idea to retest your home at least every two years to be sure radon levels remain low.
Remember, the fan should NEVER be turned off; it must run continuously for the system to work correctly. The filter in an HRV requires periodic cleaning and should be changed twice a year. Replacement filters for an HRV are easily changed and are priced between $10 and $25. Ask your contractor where filters can be purchased. Also, the vent that brings fresh air in from the outside needs to be inspected for leaves and debris. The ventilator should be checked annually by a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning professional to make sure the air flow remains properly balanced. HRVs used for radon control should run all the time.
> Remodeling Your Home After Radon Levels Have Been Lowered
If you decide to make major structural changes to your home after you have had a radon reduction system installed (such as converting an unfinished basement area into living space), ask your radon contractor whether these changes could void any warranties. If you are planning to add a new foundation for an addition to your house, ask your radon contractor about what measures should be taken to ensure reduced radon levels throughout the home. After you remodel, retest in the lowest lived-in area to make sure the construction did not reduce the effectiveness of the radon reduction system.
> Buying or Selling a Home?
If you are selling a home that has a radon reduction system, inform potential buyers and supply them with information about your system's operation and maintenance. If you are building a new house, consider that it is almost always less expensive to build radon-resistant features into new construction than it is to fix an existing house that has high radon levels. Ask your builder if he or she uses radon-resistant construction features. Your builder can refer to EPA's document Building Radon Out: A Step-by-Step Guide On How to Build Radon-Resistant Homes, or your builder can work with a qualified contractor to design and install the proper radon reduction system. To obtain EPA's technical documents or to find a qualified contractor contact your State radon office or see the radon proficiency page at www.epa.gov/radon/proficiency.html.
All homes should be tested for radon and elevated radon levels should be reduced. Even new homes built with radon-resistant features should be tested after occupancy to ensure that radon levels are below 4 pCi/L. If you have a test result of 4 pCi/L or more, you can have a qualified mitigator easily add a vent to an existing passive system for about $300 and further reduce the radon level in your home. 
| Figure 48: If you are selling a home that has a radon reduction system, inform potential buyers and supply them with information about your system's operation and maintenance. |
> Radon in Water
Most often, the radon in your home's indoor air can come from two sources, the soil or your water supply. Compared to radon entering your home through water, radon entering your home through soil is usually a much larger risk. If you are concerned about radon and you have a private well, consider testing for radon in both air and water. By testing for radon in both air and water, the results could enable you to more completely assess the radon mitigation option(s) best suited to your situation. The devices and procedures for testing your home's water supply are different from those used for measuring radon in air.
The radon in your water supply poses an inhalation risk and a small ingestion risk. Most of your risk from radon in water comes from radon released into the air when water is used for showering and other household purposes. Research has shown that your risk of lung cancer from breathing radon in air is much larger than your risk of stomach cancer from swallowing water with radon on it.
Radon in your home's water is not usually a problem when its source is surface water. A radon in water problem is more likely when its source is ground water, e.g., a private well or a public water supply system that uses ground water. Some public water systems treat their water to reduce radon levels before it is delivered to your home. If you are concerned that radon may be entering your home through the water and your water comes from a public water supply, contact your water supplier.
If you've tested your private well and have a radon in water problem, it can be easily fixed. Your home's water supply can be treated in one of two ways. Point-of-entry treatment for the whole house can effectively remove radon from the water before it enters your home's water distribution system. Point-of-entry treatment usually employs either granular activated carbon (GAC) filters or aeration systems. While GAC filters usually cost less than aeration systems, filters can collect radioactivity and may require a special method of disposal. Both GAC filters and aeration systems have advantages and disadvantages that should be discussed with your State radon office or a water treatment professional. Point-of-use treatment devices remove radon from your water at the tap, but only treat a small portion of the water you use, e.g., the water you drink. Point-of-use devices are not effective in reducing the risk from breathing radon released into the air from all water used in the home.
For information on radon in water, testing and treatment, and radon in drinking water standards, or for general help, call your State radon office or EPA's Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or visit www.epa.gov/safewater/radon.html. Your State radon office can assist you in obtaining radon-in-water test kits and interpreting test results. Figure 49: Radon System Installation and Operating Cost Table | | Technique | Typical Radon Reduction | Typical Range of Installation Costs (Contractor) | Typical Operating Cost Range for Fan Electricity & Heated/ Cooled Air Loss (Annual) | Comments | Subslab Suction
(Subslab Depressurization) | 50 - 99% | $800 - $2,500 | $50 - $200 | Works best if air can move easily in material under slab. | | Passive Subslab Suction | 30 - 70% | $550 - $2,250 | There may be some energy penalties | May be more effective in cold climates; not as effective as active subslab suction. | | Drain tile Suction | 50 - 99% | $800 - $1,700 | $50 - $200 | Can work with either partial or complete drain tile loops. | | Block wall Suction | 50 - 99% | $1,500 - $3,000 | $100 - $400 | Only in houses with hollow block walls; requires sealing of major openings. | | Sump Hole Suction | 50 - 99% | $800 - $2,500 | $50 - $250 | Works best if air moves easily to the sump under the slab. | | Sub membrane Depressurization in a Crawlspace | 50 - 99% | $1,000 - $2,500 | $50 - $250 | Less heat loss than natural ventilation in cold winter climates. | | Natural Ventilation in a Crawlspace | 0 - 50% | None
$200 - $500 if additional vents installed | There may be some energy penalties. | Costs variable | | Sealing of Radon Entry Routes | See Comments | $100 - $2,000 | None | Normally only used with other techniques; proper materials & installation required. | | House (Basement) Pressurization | 50 - 99% | $500 - $1,500 | $150 - $500 | Works best with tight basement isolated from outdoors & upper floors. | | Natural Ventilation | Variable/
Temporary | None
$200 - $500 if additional vents installed | $100 - $700 | Significant heated/cooled air loss; operating costs depend on utility rates & amount of ventilation. | | Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) | Variable/
See Comments | $1,200 - $2,500 | $75 - $500 for continuous operation | Limited use; effectiveness limited by radon concentration and the amount of ventilation air available for dilution by the HRV. Best applied to limited-space areas like basements. | | Private Well Water Systems: Aeration | 95 - 99% | $3,000 - $4,500 | $50 - $150 | Generally more efficient than GAC; requires annual cleaning to maintain effectiveness and to prevent contamination; requires venting radon to outdoors. | | Private Well Water Systems: Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) | 85 - 99% | $1,000 - $3,000 | None | Less efficient for higher levels than aeration; use for moderate levels (around 5,000 pCi/L or less in water); radioactive radon by-products can build on carbon; may need radiation shield around tank & care in disposal. | NOTES: 1. The fan electricity and house heating/cooling loss cost range is based on certain assumptions regarding climate, your house size, and the cost of electricity and fuel. Your costs may vary.
2. Costs for cosmetic treatments to the house may increase the typical installation costs shown above. |
Figure 50: Passive and Active Radon Mitigation Systems |  click to enlarge
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click to enlarge | | | | Figure 51: Passive Sub-Slab Depressurization Radon Control System |  click to enlarge
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| Figure 52: Additional Components For Passive Sub-Slab Depressurization Radon Control System | | | | Figure 53: Passive Radon Control System In Crawl Space |  click to enlarge
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