Comments

  • on the passing of Dr Bill Field
    Rest in peace Bill.
  • Services for Bill Rounds
    RIP my friend, you will be greatly missed!
  • Favorite CRMs?
    I love the radon eye pro series great pricing and data delivery.
  • Are these changes needed?
    Owen, what percentage of post mitigation test, do you see failing?
    Reason I ask, is I’ve only done 4000 systems but never had a failure but I am a Canadian mitigation contractor who knows my PFE with a $1200 manometer.
    I couldn’t imagine leaving a home, not knowing if I had full containment.
  • Are these changes needed?
    Thanks for everyone’s input on this thread! I appreciate all of your experience! Being a newbie to radon mitigation, only 16 years in industry, however schooled by Arthur Scott and jack Bartholomew. I really don’t understand why you are afraid of validation, through simple math?? I literally know success and fan size in less than 10 minutes and validation of fan selection in less than 1 minute- yes I’m a indoor fan guy, with rim discharge, with only 4000 systems installed, but I guarantee less than 100 Bqm3 not our guidelines but WHO.
    Never had a failure!
    As Colin said, a little sealing goes a long way! Job today, RN 1 was way too strong! Got 46 pascals at furthest point, however didn’t change house pressure.0.0001 pascal- all things you need to know! So stop pushing back! Educate yourself! Do I write a book about every job- no, my test results are simply left on utube label, so anyone can duplicate my design!
    You need to know house negative pressure potential, fan required to draw 2.2 times that, to allow for variables of temperatures, wind etc, then a simple communication test- and fan selected!
    As Jack would say- know your PFE! Got the shirt!
    RIP my brother!
  • Plastic shortage: Alternative Pipe materials?
    Try being a mitigator in Canada $64.00 a stick for sch 40 4” pipe, if you can find it.
    Gas is almost $6.00 a gallon, hence why our systems are $2,500.00 plus
  • Mitigating with French Drain and Weep System
    Both Bob Wood and myself, have encountered a product called Leak Bye, basically core plast running the entire perimeter of slab most of them, we spray foam over, only one, have I managed to use a central suction point and an RN1 fan and managed to mitigate the radon, without any pressure change, within the structure and no smoke loss, through the leak bye.
  • Slate tile and antique radios as a radon source?
    Test the water, just to eliminate that from the equation, but for gods sake, get a manometer, you can’t quantify smoke!
  • Alarms are mandatory now on radon systems
    As a Carst founding father, trained by Arthur Scott, Jack Bartholowmew and over 30 years in the commercial HVAC industry, my dedication to creating a bullet proof industry standard, has taken up 25% of my time, serving my customers is the balance of my time.
    We definitely have doubled our business, during Covid times, but by taking a few minutes on the phone, to each customer, telling them, we will see you in a month, they get it!
  • Alarms are mandatory now on radon systems
    Bill, with respect to your question about CRM’s, Bob Wood and myself used to recommend safety siren Pro 3’s as they were the only thing available.
    However most have failed high, within 5-6 years, some as little as 3 years.
  • Alarms are mandatory now on radon systems
    With respect to re entry, I did have it occurr once, in a very low cfm system, a simple 4 to 2 1/2 bushing, increased the velocity enough, to solve the issue.
  • Alarms are mandatory now on radon systems
    Wow, seriously- if one of my systems isn’t maintaining levels below 2.7 and its -40, I’m there fixing issues- but guess indoor fans are a better choice- never got a call in 14 years.
    Yes we all support thousands of systems- but they are my salespeople, treat them right!
  • Alarms are mandatory now on radon systems
    Especially scary when builders are using thin wall pipe!
  • Alarms are mandatory now on radon systems
    Being Canadian, we protect our bmo49cri2017worn.jpeg
    systems to -40 and most of us mandate the use of 24/7 monitors, not just Utube visual indicators, that doesn’t tell you if system is actually mitigating radon levels-Air things monitors are very accurate for the price point and tell the true story of function.
    Just my 2 cents.
  • Smoke testing of membrane below a slab.
    We would routinely do smoke testing when commissioning fume hood and commercial kitchen hoods.
    A smoke generator with long duration smoke oil, is best, today, I would use an Fantech RN4 variable volume fan- with a membrane, you have to be very careful, not to over pressurize it and blow the seals! Ballast your membrane first.
    We typically, depressurize our membranes and use smoke on the seams and foundation connection- much less likely to blow a seals.
  • Wet / dry vacs
    Check out Nilfisk, we used them in duct cleaning industry,
    Easy 100” but crazy $$$
  • radon testing in an hour
    Yes I have scene them and they stack up well to my $3000 monitor, however they are a non listed homeowner device. Not meant to be used for a professional test.
    We mandate that our clients monitor their radon levels, post mitigation and these devices are great for that. They do have a professional version aswell, but I’m sure you are referring their homeowner use one.
    Yes they do show a value, in an hour, but we don’t mitigate with anything less than a long term test, by a listed device.
  • Sealed poly in Passive Crawlspace System
    I remember the first membrane my partner installed, called me in a panic as it was “blowing up” no actually it’s being sucked up, because you have a perfect seal.
    Yes membrane systems typically move more air, but simply measure the variations in house pressure, with fan on / off - no pressure change =no leaks!

Robert Mahoney

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