Maine Radon Venting

Ok, so you have Radon in your water and you’re trying to figure out what to do to fix it. If you’re looking at various Radon Bubble Mitigation Systems, there are a lot of details you’ll want to be informed about.

In this article we’ll take a look specifically at venting options and focus on 5 key areas you may want to pay close attention to before having your system installed.

Maine Radon and Your Water

I’m guessing that if you just found out your home or the home you’re
purchasing has Water Radon, you might not be in what most people would think of as a chipper mood (at least that’s what I’ve found so far in my years in the water treatment business).  I can’t ever recall someone being happy about receiving that news.

Why? It usually comes down to cost for most people.

Professionally installed water Radon systems are not inexpensive systems, especially when compared to other types of water treatment.

This is a project you’ll most like want to have to go through only once. Wise to do your homework first. The good news…Water Radon is a very common problem for Maine homes and it is very fixable.

Radon Venting

Let’s take a look at 5 basic considerations for one of the most important aspects of Maine Radon and how mitigation systems are installed; Venting.

Without further adieu, let’s get right down to business.

1.       Internal VS. External Venting

external radon vent

Externally Run Radon Vent

 One of the very first things you and your treatment professional will want to discuss when planning out your system installation is how the Radon vent will be run. By this I mean will it be run externally along the side of your home, or will it be run internally up throughout the interior of your home using closets, and dead wall & attic spaces.

If done properly, this choice should have little to no bearing on system function or efficiency. Primarily what will be affected will be visual aesthetics and installation costs. Much will depend on your personal preferences and your future goals.

2.       Size Matters!

I know, bad joke (at least I’ve got your attention). But when it comes to Maine Radon venting, size actually is an extremely import thing to consider.

Depending on the system you choose, vent diameter sizes range between 2”, 3” and 4”.

Keep in mind; if your system will have an external vent run, it will be visible from the outside of your home, potentially for a very long time. Most people if given the choice would prefer a smaller, more discrete vent pipe for their radon system, like those used by systems such as R.E. Prescott’s Bubble-Up Mitigation System.

Smaller vent lines just simply look nicer…think; visual aesthetics and resale!

For more specifics on vent sizes you may also want to check out Maine Water Radon Bubble Systems | Vent Sizes Affect Your Home

maine radon fan3.       I’m Such a BIG fan

Some radon systems manufactured require a large secondary fan unit to help boost system efficiency numbers and stay competitive in the marketplace.

**The better a system is built and the more efficient the core system runs, the smaller the vent line required and the less likelihood it will need a secondary fan to safely perform as it was  intended to do.**

If you’re looking at various Radon systems you’ll want to know if the system you’re considering  requires a secondary fan unit (like the one shown here).

For external vent runs, secondary fans are much more visible. Once again, this is your home and it’s important to make sure you are ok with how this is going to look (again, think resale).

4.       Let’s be Discrete About This

External vent runs are NOT all created equal. Believe me when I say we have
radon vent seen some absolutely horrible installations done by competitors in years past; large 4” white vent pipes running straight up the middle of a home’s façade like a giant eyesore…mazes of vent lines curving all about the side of a home like a bad version of a “mouse trap” game.

Like anything else, there’s an art to Radon venting. Any decent installation
professional knows this. They should be treating your home as if it was their own.

Anytime we install a Radon system for a customer, we’re always asking ourselves if we would be happy if this were a home we were living in ourselves.

5.       The 3’/10’ Rule

For Maine Radon venting, this last part has a lot to do with safety and State Radon code. The basic idea of this rule is to help insure that no exhausted Radon gas can make its way back into finished living areas of a room. Thus the 3’/10’ rule was born.

maine radon vent

Big “No-No”

In its simplest explanation, if you were to look at the top of a Radon vent, where it rises above a home’s roof line, the exit point of the Radon gas needs to be at least 3’ higher than any entry points to the home (windows, doors, vents etc) or alternatively it needs to be at least 10’ away (right to left) from those same home entry points.

These 5 Maine Radon venting considerations should help you in choosing a Water Radon mitigation system, and give you a few tools for interviewing the best water treatment professional for your family.

In upcoming articles, we’ll offer more in-depth information about each of the 5 Radon venting ctopics covered. In the meantime feel free to utilize the resource links below for more information about Maine Radon mitigation from water sources and health considerations that might affect your family.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Maine Water Radon | Choosing the Right System

Radon 101 | Is my Water Safe if it has Radon? 

The Maine Radon Home Page

EPA: Basic Info on Radon in Drinking Water