Reza Hosseini, PhD – Managing Director at RadonMarket, R&D Manager & NRPP MFM Certified Radon Professional at Niton srl
Until now, we have always talked about continuous Radon monitors or so-called CRM (Continuous Radon Monitor). In this number of RadonMarket Mag we would like to start a new series of reviews on the Radon Mitigation tools. Of course, we will continue to know more about CRM and other measuring instruments in the future, so continue to follow us on the main page of RadonMarket Mag.
We start with the heart of any classical Radon mitigation system, which is the Radon Fan.
RADONAWAY
First, we need some technical background on Radon mitigation approaches to know why we need a Radon Fan.
The Sub Slab Depressurization (SSD) is the most common method to perform a Radon mitigation project. In this approach, the air pressure in the ground beneath the building is kept lower than the indoor air pressure. As a result, higher indoor pressure pushes the Radon laden air down and does not let it come up from the ground inside the building.
Even though a very small pressure difference is enough to achieve this goal, a passive system is not sufficient in many cases. Plus, the passive SSD system is usually installed in new buildings, and many old buildings are not equipped with that.
In an active SSD system, a fan continuously sucks the air from the ground to decrease the ground pressure. Therefore the central part of any active SSD system would be the Radon fan. In short, the Radon fan is responsible for continuously sucking the ground air in order to keep the ground pressure under the building always lower than the indoor pressure.
This section does not aim to discuss Radon mitigation methods. Therefore, we stop here our discussion on the SSD system and go forward to know more about Radon Fans. However, if you would like to learn more about SSD or other mitigation systems, follow the RadonMarket Mag here or visit the RadonMarketAcademy.com, in which new materials be available frequently.
Knowing the importance of a Radon fan, we should also know which fan is suitable for an active SSD system. Here are the questions:
1- Could we consider any type of fan as a Radon fan?
2- Which Radon fan is proper for your Radon mitigation project?
Answering the first question is easy. The Radon fans should be specifically designed for Radon mitigation. There are many factors to be considered when using a fan for a Mitigation project.
The fan should provide high airflow, energy efficiency, quiet operation, and effective Radon reduction. It also needs enough vacuum when dirt under the slab is packed with likely low system airflow.
The air from the ground brings humidity inside the fan motor. If you put the Radon fans outside, its housing could stay directly under the sun for a long time. If you put the fan inside the building, the housing should be appropriately sealed. The last thing you want is a leak in the housing of your Radon fan.
Regardless of the climate or soil conditions, Radon fans usually work constantly without turning off, which could be some years. A Radon fan should be ready for all these situations to guarantee a good quality mitigation system.
Fortunately, there are Radon fan producers who have a long history dealing with all these issues. They have identified possible problems that a Radon fan encounter during its lifetime and upgraded their Radon fans’ to overcome them. One of these producers is RadonAway.
For over 30 years ago, RadonAway introduced to the Radon industry the first radon-specific fan. Their first radon mitigation fan was installed in 1990. Since then, their fans have become the most popular, reliable, and effective Radon fans in the world. Niton srl is the exclusive distributor of RadonAway fans in Italy.
Now lets, see which Radon fan is suitable for your Radon mitigation project. This time the answer is not easy. Practically there is no best fan, but there can be the best fan for your situation. Generally, fans can be broken into four categories:
- Low Wattage Fans – good sub-slab gravel and slab sealing.
- Mid Range Fans – less than optimal sub-slab aggregate and/or slab leakage
- High Flow Fans – Lots of slab leaks or very porous soil or multiple foundations to treat
- High Vacuum Fans – Packed dirt under the slab with likely low system airflow.
If you are interested to see a full comparison between the Radon fans, you may read more here.
However, to have a more straightforward approach to find a proper Radon fan and not have tens of options to choose from. Here we can recommend two Radon fans from the RadonAway, which are ideal for most sub-slab Radon mitigation systems, the RP145i and RP 265i.
RP145i and RP 265i Radon fans:
Both RP145i and RP 265i are from the RadonAway Pro series. The Pro Series Radon fans are the culmination of years of research and field testing by RadonAway engineers, working with advanced plastics experts. The challenge was to produce a durable, fire-retardant engineered plastic housing to meet the demands of the Radon application and the RadonAway stringent quality requirements. The result is a specially formulated plastic, making the Pro Series Stay-White fans™, unlike any other Radon fans. Pro Series fans will stand up to exposure to the outdoor elements over time and do not contain potentially harmful materials such as fiberglass.
Caratteristiche:
+ Alloggiamento Stay-White™ (il bianco rimane vivo anche se esposto al sole)
+ Efficienza energetica elevata
+ Funzionamento super silenzioso
+ Piena conformità alle normative elettriche
+ Girante motorizzato temprato in acqua
+ Giunture sigillate per impedire anche piccole le perdite di radon (tenuta double snap RP145i)
+ Certificazione ETL: per uso interno o esterno
+ Motore termicamente protetto
+ Per uso commerciale e residenziale
+ 230VAC, 50-60Hz, 2500RPM, 80W Max
Accessories:
In addition to Radon fans, RadonAway offers a wide array of products ranging from sump pumps & accessories to pipe accessories.
All the accessories are made and compatible with RadoAways RP145i and RP265i fans. You can find all the accessories for performing a Radon mitigation project on the RadonMarket website.
