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Radon levels #2737610
01/29/20 07:56 AM
01/29/20 07:56 AM
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South Lyon, MI.48178
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kwhmopar1 Offline OP
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Recently was at a birthday party and was talking with a distant cousin. She told me she had lung cancer (never smoked) and it was attributed to radon gas in their previous house. That got me thinking to check my house. I bought a meter from Amazon, and it's been down in the basement a couple weeks now. Long term average is 8.73 with short term at over 9. They say 4 is considered the high end of the safe levels. Was wondering who has had the mitigation system installed and also has anyone installed one on their own. I was looking at a website that shows areas of the country that have high levels. Of course I am in a high area. Thanks in advance for any input or advice.


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Re: Radon levels [Re: kwhmopar1] #2737626
01/29/20 09:41 AM
01/29/20 09:41 AM
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My previous home's radon level was similar to your home. The radon test was performed by an environmental testing service. Once we realized the level was to high, we had a contractor install the radon removal system. The first company came back and tested the home to verify the system was performing correctly. According to the second test, the radon level had dropped to nearly zero. I couldn't sense any difference. Radon is something that humans can not detect. If one's exposure is high enough for a long enough period of time, the stuff can be a significant health risk.

The guy who did the initial testing recommended having a contractor install the system. After talking with the contractor, I decided to let them install it. (I did not have all the tools needed to install the system.) The installation in that home was fairly easy, due to the home's design, so the labor to install it was not to bad.

The contractor who installed the system did NOT come to my home. He sent two of his employees. (A tech and a helper) The tech wanted to run the vent pipe on the outside of the home. That was the easiest way for him to install it. The company owner had agreed to run the vent pipe into the attached garage and out through the roof. (That looked considerably better!) It required a little discussion before the tech finally saw things my way! smile

Re: Radon levels [Re: kwhmopar1] #2737632
01/29/20 10:10 AM
01/29/20 10:10 AM
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I had one installed when buying a home, and the radon test was part of the inspection. Had the owner install it before settlement, so I paid nothing. Pretty straightforward install. The only cost after that is roughly $5/mo in extra electric cost to run the exhaust fan. I'd recommend a professional do the install.

Re: Radon levels [Re: NicBuc] #2737670
01/29/20 12:12 PM
01/29/20 12:12 PM
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St. Charles, MO
wingman Offline
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The base housing where we lived in Grand Forks ND had one installed. Fairly straightforward install--not much to the system really.

PVC pipe penetrated the basement floor, and a special fan exhausted it out the side of the house.


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Re: Radon levels [Re: NicBuc] #2737673
01/29/20 12:16 PM
01/29/20 12:16 PM
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East Aurora (Buffalo) NY
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A radon mitigation system is on the short term house project plan. When we moved in the basement was full of air leaks through the original 1800 windows and field stone foundation. At the home inspection phase were were around 4 to 5 picoCuries per liter. Now that I've sealed up a lot of the gaps and replace all but two windows, the last readings I had done were 15 pCi/l shocked


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Re: Radon levels [Re: wingman] #2737679
01/29/20 12:23 PM
01/29/20 12:23 PM
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I have a system in my house that was installed by the previous owners. After 21 years the fan died. I checked the level with the system off and it was just over 24! I replaced the fan and waited 36 hours before rechecking and it went down to about 2.6 so it's definitely working.

I sold my Dad's house last year and the new owners home inspection included a radon test. The reading came back at 51! I had a system installed at a cost of $1000 which brought it down to 2.4. Money well spent.

Both homes are in Massachusetts and from what I understand New England typically has high levels of radon.


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Re: Radon levels [Re: steve70] #2737686
01/29/20 12:37 PM
01/29/20 12:37 PM
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Went through this last year when selling my house. The buyer's wanted it checked "just to know", and their engineer told me the level allowed was 2 and under. He instructed me to NOT open any windows or doors prior and during the test. Reading came back at 5.4 and everyone went crazy including my wife. Now because I had a realtor I had to remedy the situation before it could be sold.

Mistake #1 was not airing out the basement before the test.
Mistake #2 was 4 was the acceptable level or below not 2.

So at a cost of appro. $1800 I had to install a system (I opted for a larger fan than recommended) before the sale and re-test.

Now system test came back at almost nil. and installers told me if I wasn't misinformed by the buyer's engineer and aired my basement out prior to first test I would have passed fine.

***note also basements with french drains will alter the results also.

Ron

Last edited by RJS; 01/29/20 12:38 PM.
Re: Radon levels [Re: RJS] #2737690
01/29/20 12:43 PM
01/29/20 12:43 PM
Joined: Jun 2004
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St. Charles, MO
wingman Offline
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Originally Posted by RJS
Went through this last year when selling my house. The buyer's wanted it checked "just to know", and their engineer told me the level allowed was 2 and under. He instructed me to NOT open any windows or doors prior and during the test. Reading came back at 5.4 and everyone went crazy including my wife. Now because I had a realtor I had to remedy the situation before it could be sold.

Mistake #1 was not airing out the basement before the test.
Mistake #2 was 4 was the acceptable level or below not 2.

So at a cost of appro. $1800 I had to install a system (I opted for a larger fan than recommended) before the sale and re-test.

Now system test came back at almost nil. and installers told me if I wasn't misinformed by the buyer's engineer and aired my basement out prior to first test I would have passed fine.

***note also basements with french drains will alter the results also.

Ron


Well, of course "airing out the basement" will give you a low reading. You are basically doing what the exhaust fan will do--letting any Radon outside.

But unless you plan on leaving your basement windows open year round, that number means nothing.


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Re: Radon levels [Re: wingman] #2737693
01/29/20 12:48 PM
01/29/20 12:48 PM
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In New Jersey all new construction is tested for radon before house is built.
In known areas radon systems are planned in the house and are vented to the atmosphere.
As a plumber this is part of the job.

Re: Radon levels [Re: Dartforforty] #2737697
01/29/20 12:56 PM
01/29/20 12:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Dartforforty

In New Jersey all new construction is tested for radon before house is built.
In known areas radon systems are planned in the house and are vented to the atmosphere.
As a plumber this is part of the job.


When I moved to NJ in high school in the 1980s, there needed to be a vent for radon gas. Didn't help with the NJ jokes, but it's serious stuff.

Re: Radon levels [Re: Diego (not Ted)] #2737783
01/29/20 03:50 PM
01/29/20 03:50 PM
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Clinton, NJ
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njmopar Offline
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Originally Posted by Diego (not Ted)
Originally Posted by Dartforforty

In New Jersey all new construction is tested for radon before house is built.
In known areas radon systems are planned in the house and are vented to the atmosphere.
As a plumber this is part of the job.


When I moved to NJ in high school in the 1980s, there needed to be a vent for radon gas. Didn't help with the NJ jokes, but it's serious stuff.


In the 80s there was an article in Readers Digest on Radon and listed a NJ house on "Whispering Hills Dr" in the story that had an absurd value of like 200+ picocurie. That was the house across the street from us. We had 14.7. Took a lot to get theirs down, ours was pretty easy. French drain was the main problem.

Re: Radon levels [Re: wingman] #2737816
01/29/20 05:37 PM
01/29/20 05:37 PM
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JERSEY
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Originally Posted by wingman
Originally Posted by RJS
Went through this last year when selling my house. The buyer's wanted it checked "just to know", and their engineer told me the level allowed was 2 and under. He instructed me to NOT open any windows or doors prior and during the test. Reading came back at 5.4 and everyone went crazy including my wife. Now because I had a realtor I had to remedy the situation before it could be sold.

Mistake #1 was not airing out the basement before the test.
Mistake #2 was 4 was the acceptable level or below not 2.

So at a cost of appro. $1800 I had to install a system (I opted for a larger fan than recommended) before the sale and re-test.

Now system test came back at almost nil. and installers told me if I wasn't misinformed by the buyer's engineer and aired my basement out prior to first test I would have passed fine.

***note also basements with french drains will alter the results also.

Ron


Well, of course "airing out the basement" will give you a low reading. You are basically doing what the exhaust fan will do--letting any Radon outside.

But unless you plan on leaving your basement windows open year round, that number means nothing.





If you fully read my post you would understand what I was saying.


I was misinformed by the buyer's engineer on what the threshold # is also how to properly test.
The windows weren't opened in my basement for the 10 years I owned the house. If the basement was aired out first and we weren't basing the conclusion reading on what he told us (2) my reading was only over the limit by 1.4 which is nothing in the scheme of radon.
If we weren't lead into the wrong direction I wouldn't of had to foot the bill for Radon equipment.
Ron

Re: Radon levels [Re: kwhmopar1] #2737820
01/29/20 06:10 PM
01/29/20 06:10 PM
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Ignore it. Seriously this is a hugely overblown issue and should not be considered.

Radon exposure was claimed to cause lung cancer in uranium miners in Russia. It might even be true, but there really was no way to do another test and see if it was true.

But the USA began with the assumption that it was true. They also then assumed that there was no safe level of exposure.

But... when it was looked into and the cost of reducing radon below 4 picocuries was considered the cost was considered too high. 4 picocuries was set as the standard and that is where we are now.

There is no reason to believe radon causes lung cancer, there is no reason to believe 4 picocuries is safer than 6 or any other number.

It is not something to even consider or think about. I bought my house and I was expected to pay for an inspection that would include testing for radon and I refused that test.

https://www.wired.com/story/to-radon-or-radont-that-is-the-question/

Re: Radon levels [Re: Pkeel] #2737846
01/29/20 08:04 PM
01/29/20 08:04 PM
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West Plains, MO
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Originally Posted by Pkeel
There is no reason to believe radon causes lung cancer, there is no reason to believe 4 picocuries is safer than 6 or any other number.

Are you just trolling, or do you seriously believe that? You probably also think tobacco smoking doesn't cause cancer either rolleyes
Do some reading on the effects of constant alpha-particle bombardment of the alveolar cells. Eventually there WILL be a mutation that self-repair mechanisms can't fix. That's cancer.

Quote
It is not something to even consider or think about. I bought my house and I was expected to pay for an inspection that would include testing for radon and I refused that test.
https://www.wired.com/story/to-radon-or-radont-that-is-the-question/


Oh, right, Wired.com is a great peer-reviewed scientific journal realcrazy In fact, even THAT "source" says: The issue here isn't whether radon causes cancer. It does, certainly.
It is true that we die from many other things, heart disease and lung cancer (both highly influenced by smoking) at the top.
So what's a few more thousand annual deaths from radon? Not much... unless it's YOU or your loved ones.

Re: Radon levels [Re: kwhmopar1] #2737971
01/30/20 06:54 AM
01/30/20 06:54 AM
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South Lyon, MI.48178
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kwhmopar1 Offline OP
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Thank you for all the replies. A coworker had the system installed about a year ago. He was pleased with the company and their customer service. I am going to be contacting that company shortly. I am not taking the risk since I know the levels are high. Interesting the different thoughts on the subject. I am not judging anyone for what they think. I just know it is a silent killer like carbon monoxide. May take longer, but it is still bad for you.


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Re: Radon levels [Re: DrCharles] #2738106
01/30/20 02:32 PM
01/30/20 02:32 PM
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It is virtually impossible to know if low doses of radiation cause cancer.

Can you please show me where I said smoking doesn't cause cancer?

Re: Radon levels [Re: DrCharles] #2738193
01/30/20 07:20 PM
01/30/20 07:20 PM
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Unfortunately back in New York
https://www.thoughtco.com/map-of-natural-radioactivity-in-the-us-3961098

You're in an area of the country that has higher uranium concentrations than elsewhere.
Pkeel, however, is correct. There is no higher occurrence of cancer from radon or radiation exposure among nuclear plant workers than the general public.

Re: Radon levels [Re: Nukechargerboy] #2738351
01/31/20 10:49 AM
01/31/20 10:49 AM
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Wheatfield, NY
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Originally Posted by Nukechargerboy
https://www.thoughtco.com/map-of-natural-radioactivity-in-the-us-3961098

You're in an area of the country that has higher uranium concentrations than elsewhere.
Pkeel, however, is correct. There is no higher occurrence of cancer from radon or radiation exposure among nuclear plant workers than the general public.


Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US. That is fact. Sure, low dose exposures are hard to determine cause because of everyone's different genealogy/physiology. But there is a dose/response relationship. The higher the dose the more likely you are to develop cancer or other complications. These cancer numbers are lower because of awareness, testing and mitigation. Whether the number is 4 or 6 picocuries probably makes no difference but as the exposure goes up so do your chances of developing cancer. So I would err on the side of caution, and not give people a sense of "its safe". Radon is still an alpha emitter and when inside the human body destroys soft tissue, whether that tissue mutates to become cancerous depends mostly on "You".

Re: Radon levels [Re: Cuda340] #2738599
02/01/20 03:29 AM
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Where is the scientific (not junk science) evidence that radon causes lung cancer? It seems that every case of lung cancer in non-smokers automatically gets pinned on radon with no supporting evidence. . Hence the statistics.


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Re: Radon levels [Re: Hemi_Joel] #2739898
02/05/20 11:14 AM
02/05/20 11:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Hemi_Joel
Where is the scientific (not junk science) evidence that radon causes lung cancer? It seems that every case of lung cancer in non-smokers automatically gets pinned on radon with no supporting evidence. . Hence the statistics.


This should sum it up: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/radon/radon-fact-sheet

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