Radon can be extremely dangerous if present in your home since it cannot be detected without performing tests. It is important to take necessary precautions to keep you and your family safe from the health effects caused by radon gas. Using ceiling fans is one of the most inexpensive ways to expel radon gas from the air we breathe at home. However, this does not mean that it will help you get rid of radon completely. You can still use other mitigation processes together with ceiling fans to make your home a lot safer. This article explains how ceiling fans can reduce radon and why you need a proper radon remediation system.
Source of Radon Gas Emissions in a Home
Radon gas is often released from the ground together with other naturally occurring gases. Its dense nature makes it present in areas of a home that are closer to the ground such as the basement. The harmful particles that are released during the decaying process of radon are known as alpha particles. They can break down further into unattached radon particles also known as radon daughters. The radon daughters are the particles responsible for causing mutations in cells. There is a high risk involved when it reaches inside your lungs because it can mutate and become cancerous. Most radon mitigation system extracts this harmful gas from the basement and expels it outside the home.
How Ceiling Fans Help Reduce Radon Levels
A ceiling fan is an air-moving device that encourages the plate-out of short-lived radon particulates. Radon contractors lack the incentive to disclose this technique to the public because the homeowner can install it as a rather attractive addition to their dining or living room. When a ceiling fan is turned on, it displaces radon particles in a way that they are attached to walls or expelled outside the house through open windows or doors. Installing a Casablanca-type of ceiling fan in a room has shown remarkable results in the reduction of short-lived radon.
A ceiling fan can correct most of the problems when the desired reduction levels are about 50 percent. However, if you want to achieve a reduction of at least 80 percent or more, then a ceiling fan needs to be run in conjunction with a positive-ion generator to solve the radon problem. The combination of a positive ion generator and a ceiling fan in minimizing radon has been successfully tested and showed excellent results in the US, Canada, Finland, and Denmark. Although the speed of your ceiling fan is not critical, it needs to be installed in the center of the room and be large enough to move the air effectively in the room.
Why Do You Need A Proper Radon Remediation System?
A proper radon mitigation system extracts gas below the concrete slab in your foundation and exhausts it outside your home. This process is usually done in the basement because radon is heavily detected in areas closer to the ground. The goal of a radon mitigation system is to reduce the level of indoor radon gas as low as reasonably achievable. A ceiling fan can only help to get rid of a certain amount but you cannot rely on it fully to get rid of radon from your house. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emphasizes all remediation systems to reduce radon gas below the level of 4 pCi/L. However, quality mitigation systems should reduce year-round radon levels to below 2 pCi/L.
If you live in an area that is prone to high levels of radon, you need to install an effective radon system that keeps your home safer by minimizing its presence to achievable levels. Since radon is a toxic gas, it is important to know the best mitigation systems to install in your home to keep your family safe. Besides using ceiling fans, you can also reduce radon using ventilation systems, filtration devices, and sealing cracks on the walls, floors, and foundation. Sub-slab depressurization is another intensive-labor remediation system that addresses the driving force of radon entry inside a home building.
Taking necessary mitigation steps in your home will keep your family safe from the poisonous effects of radon gas. Although ceiling fans can help reduce radon levels, it only acts as a temporary solution to the problem. Since radon cannot be seen until it is tested, it is important to hire a professional radon remediation company to perform a proper extraction of radon gas from your home.
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