Everyone in Nashville has heard the radio announcements about high radon levels in the Nashville area. I’ve heard them countless times, but never thought to test our studio. Well a few weeks ago we had a meeting with an inspector we use for real estate transactions. As soon as he walked in, he asked “Have you tested for radon?” Needless to say we did test and we did find radon levels higher than the EPA maximum of 4 pCi/L.
As both consumer and Architect, I of course must share how the mitigation system works. The system that we have installed is known as “sub-slab depressurization”. It’s a very simple installation: the contractor drilled two holes in our concrete slab, installed 4″ pvc pipe with an external fan that creates negative pressure, pulling the radon out to dissipate into the air. There are EPA guidelines on how the system must vent (ie. height above roof lines, distance from openings, etc.) There’s also a requirement for monitoring the system that shows it has constant negative pressure (see images above)
The fan draws about .7Amp/80 watts, so we’ll see how much energy it consumes.
To everyone who hasn’t tested, it’s very easy and inexpensive. Self test kits run around $30 including the lab fee. For more information.
