Long story short, yes!
Though radon mitigation systems are designed to effectively reduce in-home radon levels, there is a great byproduct of mitigation radon. One of the primary byproducts of a radon mitigation system is its ability to reduce moisture in your basement and/or overall humidity throughout your home.
Radon systems help to reduce the humidity levels in basements in addition to reducing the radon levels in homes. A typical radon system can cause a 4 to 10% reduction in the relative humidity in the basement of a house.
How Does A Radon System Reduce Moisture?
A radon system reduces humidity inside a house by creating a negative pressure zone between the basement and the soil underneath it. This causes the humid air inside the basement to move into the radon system and out of the house.
The secret to humidity reduction lies in the effect a radon system has on the pressure inside the basement of a house. As you know, due to the stack effect, the hot air in the basement moves upward, creating a negative pressure zone there. It is this negative pressure that draws in radon gas from the soil underneath it.
This negative pressure in the basement also draws in moisture from the soil and outside. This is the reason why the basements of homes are generally more humid than their other living areas.
You can reduce these moisture and radon levels by installing a fan-based active sub-slab depressurization radon system. This system uses a fan to suck out the air beneath the foundation of the basement. This creates a negative pressure zone between the basement and the soil below it.
How Fast Can A Radon System Mitigate Moisture?
There are all sorts of variables as to how fast a radon system can dry out your home’s basement and noticeably reduce the relative humidity. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) performed a study on three different homes over the course of 12-18 months to determine just how effective a radon system can be at reducing moisture.
The primary finding of the EPA’s project has been that radon systems caused statistically significant and beneficial reductions in moisture levels and dampness in the basements of three homes in non-summer months. During the warm and humid summer months, when dehumidifiers are typically needed, overall changes in the building moisture with the radon system operating were slightly smaller due to elevated levels of humidity.
From the time a radon mitigation system is installed to when most of our customers state they’ve noticed lower levels of humidity tends to be a few months. The biggest indicator is typical that the dehumidifier is running consistently less than normal. Additionally, the musty basement smell starts to recede.
Do Radon Systems Help With Mold?
Radon systems help reduce mold growth since they reduce the humidity levels inside the house’s basement. You will notice a significant reduction in mold growth and that musty smell in the basement a few weeks after installing a new radon mitigation system.
The reduction in indoor humidity levels can lower asthma cases, especially in children. As 21% of Asthma cases in the USA are attributed to dampness and mold exposure, I would say that a radon mitigation system is doing a good job. It will also improve the moisture-resistant properties of the concrete foundation and basement floor. These benefits are enough reason to install a fan-based ASD (Active Soil Depressurization) radon system at your house.
How Does a Radon Mitigation System Affect Humidity in Summer?
A radon system can increase humidity during humid, summer months. This is because it replaces the air inside the house with the more moist air from the outside.
This is the reason why you shouldn’t get rid of your dehumidifier for a radon system. The primary function of radon systems is to reduce radon levels, not humidity. One has to use a dehumidifier to reduce moisture levels during the hot summer months.
Radon Mitigation & Radon Testing Services in Colorado
Don’t wait to make your home a healthier, safer environment! Call (719) 332-3747 or contact us today to receive a free radon consultation today! Or if you would like to test your home and want to schedule an appointment, click Schedule Testing. We serve Colorado Springs and all of the Southern Colorado Region.
Our level of expertise allows us to offer an unusual guarantee: in virtually all cases we promise that for the (competitive) price we quote for every installation you will receive a system that is guaranteed to work. Even if that means that we have to return to modify the system, or even add a second system. Every few hundred installations, specific soil conditions surprise even us and we have to change an installation. If this were to happen to your property, you will not face additional charges – this is where the guarantee comes in.
Follow Us!