Air Exchanger Radon
Radon is a gas. You cannot see it, smell it, or taste it, but radon can cause health issues if it is in your home or office building. Radon exposure is considered to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States
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Levels of radon are measured in pCi/L. This fancy measurement tells you how much radon is in your home. There is no level of radon gas that is considered safe. However, acceptable levels of exposure according to the Environmental Protection Agency EPA) recommend taking action if your building has levels over 4 pCi/L. Many homes run levels of 6 – 8 pCi/L and some areas of the country have much higher concentrations. You can typically get a radon test done through your local County Building Department.
Radon that is already in a building will not be completely removed by use of an air exchanger. An air exchanger also does not prevent radon from entering the home. The purpose of an air exchanger for radon control is to dilute the inside air with external outside air to lessen the radon concentration in the building. This is typically done through the air exchange unit which has one fan that draws fresh outside air into the building, and one fan which blows indoor air out of the home. The exchange of air can change up to 80% of the air in the home depending on the size and power of the air exchanger unit.
For example, if your home registers at 8 pCi/L of radon, you would want to cut the radon level in half or lower. This would mean that an air exchanger unit would need to be large enough to handle air flow double the natural rate of the building. If your building naturally exchanged air every two hours, the air exchanger unit would need to change it hourly for you to meet the minimum level of action of 4 pCi/L radon in the building.
Ideally, the building would exchange the air even more frequently to get you below 4 pCi/L. This means that you will need to purchase an air exchanger unit that will handle the excess humidity generated by the air exchange. For this volume of air exchange a basement unit with a condensate pump would be the wisest course of action. Although it will be an initial investment, the cost to your health otherwise is well worth the unit expense and monthly costs of operation.