![]() Environmental Protection Agency publishes a map indicating likely radon levels across the United States (see Climate tab) and has established a maximum exposure limit of 4 picocuries per liter of indoor air. Radon can enter the home through cracks in concrete floors and foundation walls, joints between two or more construction materials, gaps in the materials comprising suspended floors, gaps around foundation penetrations, and cavities inside foundation walls. Radon and other soil gases (water vapor, herbicides, termiticides, methane, etc.) can create an unhealthy indoor environment if they accumulate inside the home. Roughly 1 out of 15 homes in the United States has elevated radon levels (4 pCi/L or greater). The average indoor radon level is estimated at 1.3 pCi/L. The average outdoor radon level is 0.4 pCi/L. The amount of radon in the air is measured in “picocuries per liter of air,” or pCi/L. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is estimated to cause approximately 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States. See the Compliance Tab for related codes and standards and criteria to meet the requirements of national programs such as DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home program, ENERGY STAR Single-Family New Homes, and Indoor airPLUS. Test the home after construction is completed and add an in-line fan if the indoor radon concentration is ≥ 4 picocuries/liter.Install an electrical outlet in the attic near the vent stack in case a fan needs to be added later.Install a passive radon ventilation system consisting of a vertical vent pipe extending up from a sub-slab collection pipe or mat through the conditioned space of the home and through the roof that uses the natural stack effect to pull soil gases up and out of the house.See the guide Vertical Radon Ventilation Pipe. Install a passive radon venting system if the home is located in Radon Zone 2 or 3. Run the pipe up through the interior of the house and through the roof.Ensure that the slab and/or vapor barrier do not cover the vertical opening of the T connector but are sealed around it. Install the concrete slab or polyethylene vapor barrier or both over the ground.Lay a perforated pipe or a collection mat around the interior of the foundation perimeter and insert a vertical “T” pipe connect to the pipe or mat.Install an active radon vent system consisting of an in-line fan installed in a vertical vent pipe extending up from a sub-slab collection pipe or mat through the conditioned space of the home and through the roof that uses the fan to pull soil gases up and out of the house. or, the home is tested for radon after construction and shows an indoor radon concentration level of ≥ 4 picocuries/liter, regardless of what radon zone the home is located in ( EPA Indoor airPLUS).Install an active radon vent system with fan if Install a radon fan or a passive radon vent system to prevent the accumulation of radon and soil gases in the home. ![]()
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