A Potentially Troublesome Install

This customer was an older gentleman who was concerned about his and his family's health. So we did a radon test which verified that the levels were high and then we moved forward with the install.

Initially this project seemed straightforward though the further we got into it, the more obstacles we found. Before we start drilling we always do an airflow test to make ensure that we get solid suction all the way throughout the slab. Our "airflow test" consists of drilling pilot holes in opposite sides of the basement, attaching a vacuum to one side, and putting a suction meter on the other. If our meter shows a negative reading when the vacuum is on then we know that our system is sure to have good airflow as well. When we were doing this test we hardly got any suction and we realized that there was a footer separating the basement. Because the footer is a thick section of concrete underneath the slab, it essentially cuts off the airflow that we need to lower the levels. So our next step was to look for plumbing stacks and to determine where they lead, because if there is plumbing that goes underneath the footer, then that can give us a good pathway for airflow to connect either side of the basement. Luckily this was the case! So we chose our suction point to go right next to a plumbing stack and as we were digging we found that the subsoil was thick, wet clay. Exactly the opposite we want to see, we prefer porous gravel that allows air to move through it very easily. So to combat this we dug out our suction pit out even more so that our system would have more surface area to draw from. We also chose a fan that has more suction and power. Our training enabled us to overcome these obstacles effectively and in the end the radon levels came down right where we wanted them! 

Our customers were extremely happy and grateful that we gave them an efficient, functioning system despite these challenges!