Radon Mitigation Reading PA

For most systems, no regular maintenance is required. We do recommend retesting every 2 years or after any additional weatherproofing, finishing, or remodeling. Aside from testing, just keep an eye on the liquid in your system’s pressure indicator. One side should be higher than the other.

If you find that the levels are exactly even at zero on both sides, we suggest you try the following:

• Make sure the fan is running: if you place your hand on the pipe in the basement or on the fan itself, you should feel a slight vibration. You may also be able to hear the fan humming if you are near it.
• If the fan does not appear to be running, make sure to check all breakers and GFCI receptacles (outlets with a test and reset button) as something may have tripped.
• Make sure the fan switch (if applicable) has not been accidentally turned off. This is usually located near the fan or near the pipes in the basement.

If you check all of the above and your fan still appears inoperable, please call our office.

This typically happens in cold weather. You may hear a gurgling noise in the piping. Excessive water under the slab will affect how well the radon system functions. Turn off the fan for a couple of hours. Turn the fan back on. If you still hear water in the pipe, contact our office.

Our systems are designed to be open at the top and are equipped to handle any water that may enter through the vent. Leaves do not get in because the fan is always on. We do not place or recommend caps or bends at the top of the vent because it will restrict airflow and may compromise the function of the system.

Our proposal says to move personal items away from walls in the unfinished sections of the basement. Many houses have gaps at the wall-floor joint which need to be sealed at the time of installation. If you are sure that there is no gap at this joint, things do not have to be moved.

We cannot predict the performance of the radon system 100%. The post-test is an indicator of system performance. We record detailed information during the install, and if more work is required we review and decide the best course of action. If your system is guaranteed, we will keep working on the system until you get an acceptable post-test (below 4pCi/L) at no additional charge (that is why we have been in business 26 years!).

Radon comes from soil gas. We install 6 mil heavy duty black plastic in crawl spaces, and secure the plastic to the walls with polyurethane-based sealant. It is not always possible to do this (due to accessibility) but where we can, we do. The charge for this is $1 per square foot. We separate this out in the estimate. This is just the proper way to mitigate and it is part of our SOP (Standard Operating Procedure).

When we activate a builder’s pipe, we are relying on the unknown realities of how the builder installed the piping. We check over the system as we are installing the pipes, but we still don’t know how the pipes were run inside walls, under the slab etc. Sometimes problems don’t arise until years later. We will usually offer a guarantee on builder’s pipe for an added fee. The cost to activate a builder’s pipe and guarantee the level is usually the same cost as if there was no builder pipe installed. This covers our cost/risk for the several times a year when we have a builder’s system not working and we have to install a new system from scratch.