Bad Mitigations...

A bad mitigation is one that doesn't meet EPA protocol or local building codes. EPA protocol demands the fan and the exhaust pipe be in a non-livable space (garage, house attic, etc., not in the basement!) and the exhaust discharge through the roof or siding, ending at a point at least 10' off the ground, and at least 2' above windows. If there are second story windows, the exhaust must be at least 10' away from any window that can be opened.

Electrical codes also demand that an electrical shut-off be provided within 6'... or arm's length, from the fan. Building codes demand a fire-collar be installed on the piping when it runs from the house to the garage, to prevent fire from traveling down the PVC pipe from one area of the house to the next, if a fire should break out. All the following pictures are of systems put in by other mitigation companies that do not meet EPA protocol or local building codes.

If a fan, coupling, or seam leaks on a system's fan that's located in a house, it can load the house with 600-1000pCi/L in radon (per EPA), and the occupants of the home wouldn't know it. 600pCi/L is the equivalent lung damage as smoking 800 cigarettes a day! This leaking may not happen now, or next week, but how many tests are you going to run a year to see if it is leaking? We like to compare it to smoking while refueling your car or lawn mower. It may not be a problem now, or this week, or the week after... but at some point, it could kill you!

Also, although not a code, a wood sump crock top should never be used, as it's a great place for mold to start. The installer of these systems also used polyurethane caulk on the sump crock top and to close all joints with the piping. This also is not protocol... silicone caulk is. The top is impossible to remove after this type of caulk dries, making access to a failed pump impossible without a saw.