Radon Reduction Techniques
There are several methods that can be used to lower radon levels in your home. Some techniques prevent radon from entering your home while others reduce radon levels after it has entered.
EPA generally recommends methods which prevent the entry of radon. Soil suction also known as Active Reduction prevents radon from entering your home by drawing the radon from below the house and venting it through a pipe, or pipes, to the air above the house where it is quickly diluted.
Any information that you may have about the construction of your house could help us choose the best system. We will perform a visual inspection of your house before installation begins and design a system that considers specific features of your house.
If this inspection fails to provide enough information, we may need to perform diagnostic tests to help develop the best radon reduction system for your home.
Passive Reduction
Passive reduction or sealing cracks and other openings in the foundation is a basic part of most approaches to radon reduction. EPA does not recommend the use of sealing alone to reduce radon because, by itself, sealing has not been shown to lower radon levels significantly or consistently. The Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety does not recognize sealing alone as a form of mitigation.
Heat Recovery Ventilation
Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) also called Air to Air heat exchangers are a form of active radon reduction. HRV are generally not designed to remove radon. They dilute radon by bringing in fresh air from outside, at the same time exhausting indoor air to the outside. The incoming and outgoing air does not mix but they do exchange heat by passing close by one another. One type of HRV works very much the same as the radiator on your car. The reason for the exchange of heat is to reduce the cost of heating and cooling outdoor air, HRVs are designed to conserve energy in your home, they are not designed as radon reduction units. VSI Radon Reduction Corp. has installed several HRV systems to reduce radon in older (over 100 years old) or unusual homes, although all of the systems worked we found them to be very unreliable and high maintenance and discourage the further use of these systems except as a last resort. It should also be noted that HRV systems will only work if your radon level is only slightly elevated, usually less than 6 pCi/l and almost never above 10 pCi/l.
