Is low vacuum pressure OK in radon reduction system?

Question

The reading is .3 for the vacuum pressure. Is that too low? Or will it work? Would a higher vacuum pressure make the radon reduction system more effective?

Answer 1

Our radon reduction system runs at about 0.8 inches of water pressure difference. My impression is that you don't need anything more than 1 inch of water pressure differential. 0.3 sounds too low - although any difference is better than none.



Is this the same pressure that it has been running at for a long time, or has it been higher before and has now dropped?



If you have a fan pulling this vacuum to extract the gas, then the fan may not be turning at its usual speed.



On our system, the pressure gauge is mounted on the outside of the 4 inch pipe that runs up to the fan. There is a little flexible tube running from a small hole in the pipe to a plug on the top of one side of the tube, which pulls a vacuum on one side of the gauge. Every now and then, take the plug out of the tube, let the indicator fluid settle, then slide the tube so that the two sides line up at the 0 mark. Put the plug back in and see where the two sides adjust to; one side will be above the 0 mark, and the other will be below. You can then count the marks between one and the other for the total pressure difference.

Answer 2

Radon Vacuum Gauge