How to install a radon mitigation sump pump fan for less than $300
Edited by Doug Collins, Eng, Jay
Radon gas is a silent killer. I had a radon gas problem in my house that I solved and I want to tell you about how I did it. I installed a fan on my sump pump system to pull out the radon gas. I did it all for less than $300.
Steps
- 1I just reset it so there is no reading on it right now, but it was reading at 2.0 and now after 2 days of the sump pump radon fan running it is reading 1.0 ( UPDATE: IT NOW READS 0.5 WHICH IS THE SAME AS OUTSIDE AIR!! ). A radon level of 2 is the equivalent of smoking 2 or 3 cigarettes a day, and we don't smoke in our household so we really don't want this level of radon, so we decided to do something about it.The first thing I did was by this radon detector.
- 2It takes about 2 days to get a reading. The long term reading is a 7 day reading. After you get a readout you will know where your at and if you need to do something about it. If you are watching this video you may have already done that and you want to know how to fix this problem.The first thing you need to do is get a radon detector like this one and plug it in.
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- 19If I need to replace my pump I am going to have to cut these wires free from the silicone and that is going to be tricky. I recommend you do it slightly differently than me. If I had to do this again I would have put the notch here at the edge instead so I could more easily cut the wires free from the silicone. (see my finger pointing to lower left corner)The only thing I am going to have trouble with is the electrical cords I siliconed in.
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- 29I reduced my radon levels in the house from 2 to 1. I measured it right away after installing it and although it takes two days to get an initial reading, there is still residual radon left in the house so I expect my results will get even better. (UPDATE: MY RADON LEVELS ARE NOW 0.5 WHICH IS THE SAME AS OUTSIDE AIR LEVELS!!)So far I have got great results.
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- 31I elected not to put it in right away until I see what my Radon levels stabilize at. I will then drill a hole later and then retest my radon levels. That will let this fan motor run under less stress.This is so if you seal it really tightly the fan may work too hard and overheat and break prematurely.
- 32I wish you well on your radon mitigation project! Happy Radon Reduction :)So far its been working really good.
Video: How to install a radon mitigation sump pump fan for less than $300
Questions and Answers
Hi, can I purchase a fan without purchasing the sump pump? If so, where?
The sump is pumping very slow and when it gets to full, water comes up the drain that's in the middle of the floor
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No drain tile under slab. Where to install the pipe?
My house has a half basement with concrete slab and half crawl space with no covering of the sand soil. I'm going to dig a pit under the concrete slab through the 4 1/2" hole. Is it best to dig the pit close to the crawl space in the center of the house to gather the radon from all directions rather then farther away from the crawl space. How far can the fan be from the pit? ( how far can it pull air and radon. & What is better 3" or 4" pipe )
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If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
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Article Info
Categories : Home Safety | Green Environment
Recent edits by: Eng, Doug Collins