From Name
Rich Whisler

Message
I appreciate
everyone's hard work to have gotten us to where we are today.  Many people
from many walks of life.  Everyone
trying to help reduce the epidemic of radon induced lung cancer. 
Thanks to everyone.  
 
I am not as smart as many of you, nor do I have
your responsibilities or credentials.  I am just a mitigator in
Chicago trying to do a good job, build a successful business, and reduce lung cancer deaths in my clients
homes to the best of my ability.  I install energy efficient, quality
radon mitigation systems that deliver indoor radon levels as close to
outside levels as possible. I am pretty good at
it.      
 
Normally I read the list postings and learn a lot from
other people.  The deluge of e-mails on the subject of RRNC and it's conversion into active
systems tells me that there is room for my 2 cents. Yes I am
going to rock the boat a bit, but I think
that before we add on to the compilation of decisions that have
gotten us to where we are today, I think it appropriate to evaluate what we are doing now, and whether it is successfully reaching the
congressional goal of indoor radon levels as close to outdoor radon levels as
possible.
 
 
Let's just start
with the fact that this whole issue is pretty close to the story about the
emperor who had no clothes.
 
I might be the
unknowing little boy who didn't believe the whole fantasy but here
goes.
 
 
Let's start at the beginning with
RRNC
 
Its not really radon
resistant
 
Its not readily
remediated
 
It is just a PVC
pipe from under the basement floor to above the roof installed by untrained
people, for unwilling builders, as cheap as possible, to sell a home to an
unwitting consumer, who is told by the builder and through
the endorsement of RRNC by the code officials, and state mandates, and
the EPA, that somehow their home is now safe for
their family.
 
THE UNWITTING
CONSUMER:
 
1) Doesn't know that the pipe under the floor
may be clogged up or stuck in the mud
 
2) Doesn't know that the passive system may be
attached to the sump pit and thus produce inaccurate and inefficient vacuum
pressured should the system be activated.
 
3) Doesn't know that the caulking not only is it probably the wrong
caulking product but that it was done in a dirty house under
construction and that it probably does not adhere
properly to the concrete wall or floor.
 
4) Doesn't know that since radon codes don't
require the protection of our systems from nails, screws, and mollies by
placing  them in a plumbing wall ,  that
there may be any number of leaks in their walls.
 
4) Doesn't know that the plumbers
apprentice that put the pipe in,  didn't use the proper glue or primer on the
system pipes since  they were never trained to install a radon system's piping, and
that at most he has been told it's just like a never pressurized vent
stack.
 
IF THE SYSTEM
IS CONVERTED INTO AN ACTIVE SYSTEM THROUGH THE ADDITION OF A FAN THEN
WE ADD THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS TO THE LIST
 
5) Doesn't know its probably not properly
engineered to create an efficient operating system
 
6) Doesn't know that there may not be room in
the attic for the fan upgrade.
 
7) Doesn't know the PVC pipe run in the walls
may be pitched improperly to handle simultaneous upward airflow and
downward water flow.
 
8) Doesn't know that moving air in a pipe in a
wall in the home can create a whooshing noise in the homes
walls.
 
9) Doesn't know that the rubber roof
flashing is designed to be pulled down over a
plumbing stack once
only, but that the radon fan installation and
future fan changes will all involve pushing the PVC pipe both up and down
through the rubber seal which may in fact cause
leaking.
 
10) Doesn't know that current passive radon
systems do not require a mold and mildew resistant insulation on all pipes that
pass through non conditioned air spaces such as garages, exterior walls, and
attics.  Or that by adding a fan in the attic and thus lowering the PVC
pipe temperatures, that in ten years or so of operation that the temperature
differentials between the pvc pipes at soil temperatures and the hot humid
non-conditioned attic/garage air may create condensation and mold in their
homes.  Please see the attached pictures if you are
interested.
 
11) Doesn't know (and neither do most
mitigators) that the fans also need to properly insulated if installed in
attics.
 
 
AND SINCE MUCH OF
THE MITIGATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING HOME
SELLERS, THAT WE AS AN INDUSTRY ACT MUCH LIKE THE BUILDERS MENTIONED ABOVE, IN
THAT MANY DO AS LITTLE WORK AS POSSIBLE AND LEAVE OFF AS MANY COMPONENTS AS
POSSIBLE, TO INSTALL THE CHEAP, GENERIC, OVERPOWERED SYSTEM DEMANDED BY A
HOME SELLER/BUILDER  TO ENABLE THEM TO SELL THE
HOUSE WITH A 3.9pCi/l/L SCORE OR BETTER . 
 
WE CONTINUE TO GROW
AN INDUSTRY DESIGNED TO SELL GENERIC-CHEAP TO THE UNWITTING
CONSUMER.
 
12) We accept scores
of 3.5pCi/l and ignore ALARA
 
13) We underbid each
other and deliver cheap instead of good.
 
14) We ignore our
clients operating costs.
 
15) We make less
money per hour/transaction than any other licensed, skilled trade in
America.
 
And this discussion
started on a thread about giving builders opportunities to gain more
control over radon problems, by allowing/regulating them to install fans on
systems that are probably flawed to begin with, but assuredly
already well beyond their capacities to get right ???????????????????????????????????
 
PROBLEMS
1-4: Can be addressed through more RN
testing and better education of the general public, homebuyers, and
local code officials.  RRNC standards could be
simplified by eliminating the PVC pipe requirements entirely,
 and concentrating on an air permeable layer under every
home.
 
Problems 5-11: Can be
addressed by agreeing as an industry not to install fans on passive systems or
in Attics without proper pipe and fan insulation techniques. 
Lets just keep active and passive systems completely
separate.
 
PROBLEMS
12-15: Will not go away until
our industry disassociates itself from the real estate transaction where it
is just about someone else getting your money,  and becomes focused on the
homebuyer/owner's family health and safety
instead.
 
Last of all there is the money.  A builder
is spending money on an air permeable substrate, caulking, and a 70 foot
long PVC run from a plumber.  Minimum costs have to be $500
plus.  Properly insulating the piping with an insulation contractor is a
minimum $500 more.  A builder needs to add at least 50% to his costs to
stay in business so the price of the home just went up from $750 to $2,000
depending on how much work is done or skipped.  Having a licensed
mitigator install a fan, recaulk, modify the sump cover, and potentially
re-core the concrete at $500-$750 all adds up to more money than a
professionally designed and installed radon system from a qualified
mitigator. 
 
The builders system will also be energy
inefficient due to it's innate design flaws, and thus require a larger fan to
generate the same radon scores as a professionally designed system can
generate. Consequently the homeowner will be saddled with the liability of
increased energy costs potential of $100+/year
FOREVER!
 
I know that I am definitely swimming upstream
but...
I think the emperor is naked!   
 
 
Rich
Whisler
 
Accurate
Radon
richw@accurateradon.com
630-876-0800
 
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