Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a picture of a manometer found in a home with an active radon reduction system. The manometer measures system vacuum pressure, the purpose of which is to let you know when the blower is not working properly which means the system is not actively drawing radon from the home efficiently.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Mold
The article I read was about mold. Many health affects stem from mold, these include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaints. The best way to control mold is moisture control. Drying water damage within 24-48 hours is a necessary anytime there has been a leak or other moisture intrusion.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Attached is a picture of an electric 38 gal water heater. The water supply is public sourced and plumbed with plastic water lines. The electric wire is protected inside a metal casing running from inside the wall and securely mounted to the water heater. The TPR valve is present along with the discharge line that runs down to a containment pan. The bottom of the discharge line is a inch beneath the top of the containment pan. Even though the containment pan has a drain fitting on the side that discharges directly into a floor drain, there is a potential for back flow of contaminated water (although multiple items would have to fail simultaneously).
Research & Writing Assignment:
I just read the article: “Forms of Inspection Business Ownership and Structure”. It identified the three main types of ownership as being Sole Proprietorship, Partnership and Corporations. The article discussed the advantages, disadvantages and tax forms for each type of ownership. This is a helpful article for trying to decide which type of business structure to establish.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a picture of biological growth. It has been determined that moisture has penetrated the basement and was not addressed. The house was not ventilated properly and biological growth has formed as a result. We have recommended that a qualified contractor be contacted to evaluate and estimate repairs.
Research & Writing Assignment:
My essay was on the effects of marijuana grow houses. I learned that many modifications can made made to damage the electrical and plumbing systems. Also there can be water and humidity damage done because of the heat and gasses put off by the plants.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a picture of a radon mitigation system attached to the exterior of a home. This system consists of a fan to create a negative pressure and piping to get the radon above the roofline and away from the home.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The article I read was title Radon Gas and is targeted towards consumers. The article details what radon gas is and its health hazards. It also details options for mitigation and prevention of entry of radon gas and provides homeowners resources for further information.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Research by public and private agencies, years of extensive hands-on mitigation experience, and long-term follow-up studies on the durability of radon mitigation systems have formed a strong knowledge base of proven mitigation techniques for homes, schools, and commercial buildings. The techniques are straightforward and, for a typical single family residence, can be done in one day by a qualified contractor.
Research & Writing Assignment:
When Choosing a Short-Term Testing Option…
There are trade-offs among the short-term testing options. Two tests taken at the same time (simultaneous) would improve the precision of this radon test. One test followed by another test (sequential) would most likely give a better representation of the seasonal average. Both active and passive devices may have features which help to prevent test interference. Your state radon office can help you decide which option is best.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
If you are routing the pipe through the same chase as the furnace flue, the vent pipe needs to exit the roof at least 10 feet away from the furnace flue. Plan to elbow the pipe away from the flue in the attic to maintain this separation above the roof. However, the additional elbows and horizontal pipe length will restrict air flow through the pipe if the system is activated. Use 45-degree joints to reduce friction.
Research & Writing Assignment:
If you are routing the pipe through the same chase as the furnace flue, the vent pipe needs to exit the roof at least 10 feet away from the furnace flue. Plan to elbow the pipe away from the flue in the attic to maintain this separation above the roof. However, the additional elbows and horizontal pipe length will restrict air flow through the pipe if the system is activated. Use 45-degree joints to reduce friction.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This picture captures a service entrance that was coming in from overhead. As we can see here, the service entrance is missing a droop loop and is physically laying on the roof! We called this out in our report and recommended the utility company be called to review and re-mediate this situation.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I chose the https://www.tfrrs.org/leagues/1517.html window infrared camera. This image shows a leaky window observed by the blueish coloring. Indicating this window is leaking and should be remedied. Without seeing the windows from the outside or additional pictures its hard to tell why this is occurring. some possible thoughts are missing flashing on top, gaps between window and frame, cracked or rotted caulk. etc. . .
Research & Writing Assignment:
Radon is a radioactive gas that emanates from rocks and soils and tends to concentrate in enclosed spaces, such as underground mines or houses. Soil gas infiltration is recognized as the most important source of residential radon. Other sources, including building materials and water extracted from wells, are less important in most circumstances. Radon is a major contributor to the ionizing radiation dose received by the general population.
Studies on indoor radon and lung cancer in Europe, North America, and Asia provide strong evidence that radon causes a substantial number of lung cancer cases in the general population. Estimates of the proportion of lung cancers attributable to radon range from 3% to 14%, depending on the average radon concentration in the country concerned and the calculation methods. The analyses indicate that the lung cancer risk increases proportionally with increased radon exposure. As many people are exposed to low and moderate radon concentrations, the majority of lung cancers related to radon are caused by these exposure levels rather than by higher concentrations. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Most of the radon-induced lung cancer cases occur among smokers due to a strong combined effect of smoking and radon.
Radon measurements are relatively simple to perform and essential to assess radon concentration in homes. They need to be based on standardized protocols to ensure accurate and consistent measurements. Indoor radon concentration varies with the construction of buildings and ventilation habits. These concentrations vary substantially not only with the season, but also from day to day and even from hour to hour. Because of these fluctuations, estimating the annual average concentration of radon in indoor air requires reliable measurements of mean radon concentrations for at least three months and preferably longer. Short-term measurements provide only a crude indication of the actual radon concentration. Quality assurance for radon measurement devices is highly recommended in order to ensure the quality of measurements.
Addressing radon is important both in the construction of new buildings (prevention) and in existing buildings (mitigation or remediation). The primary radon prevention and mitigation strategies focus on sealing radon entry routes and on reversing the air pressure differences between the indoor occupied space and the outdoor soil through different soil depressurization techniques. In many cases, a combination of strategies provides the highest reduction of radon concentrations. The choice of radon prevention and mitigation interventions can be based on an analysis of cost effectiveness. In this approach, net healthcare costs are set in relation to net health benefits for a variety of actions or policies, providing an index with which these actions can be prioritized.
Selected analyses indicate that preventive measures in all new buildings are cost effective. Prevention in new homes tends to be more cost effective than mitigation of existing homes. In some low-risk areas, the measurement costs may be higher than the mitigation costs (for existing dwellings) due to the high number of homes that will have to be tested compared to the proportion of homes mitigated.
Even if analyses indicate that remediation programs are not cost effective on a nationwide basis, indoor radon at high concentrations poses a considerable risk of lung cancer for individuals and requires mitigation. Since the general public is often unaware of the risks associated with indoor radon, special risk communication is recommended. Radon risk communication needs to be focused on informing different audiences and recommending appropriate action on reducing indoor radon. A cooperative effort is required, involving technical and communication experts, to develop a set of core messages. Radon risk messages should be kept as simple as possible and quantitative risk information must be expressed to the public in clearly understandable terms. It is useful, for example, to place the risk of lung cancer due to radon in comparison with other cancer risks, or with common risks in everyday life. Public health programs to reduce the radon risk should ideally be developed on a national level. Such national radon programs would be designed to reduce the overall populations risk from the national average radon concentration as well as the individual risk for people living with high radon concentrations. A national radon policy should focus on identifying geographical areas where populations are most at risk from radon exposures and raising public awareness about the associated health risk. Key elements for a successful national program include collaboration with other health promotion programs (e.g., indoor air quality, tobacco control) and training of building professionals and other stakeholders involved in the implementation of radon prevention and mitigation. Appropriate building codes that require the installation of radon prevention measures in homes under construction should be enacted, and the measurement of radon during the purchase and sale of homes is useful to identify those with high radon concentrations.
A national reference level for radon represents the maximum accepted radon concentration in a residential dwelling and is an important component of a national program. For homes with radon concentrations above these levels, remedial actions may be recommended or required. When setting a reference level, various national factors such as the distribution of radon, the number of existing homes with high radon concentrations, the arithmetic mean indoor radon level, and the prevalence of smoking should be taken into consideration.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The health effects of radon, most notably lung cancer, have been investigated for several decades. Initially, investigations focused on underground miners exposed to high concentrations of radon in their occupational environment. However, in the early 1980s, several surveys of radon concentrations in homes and other buildings were carried out, and the results of these surveys, together with risk estimates based on the studies of mine workers, provided indirect evidence that radon may be an important cause of lung cancer in the general population. Recently, efforts to directly investigate the association between indoor radon and lung cancer have provided convincing evidence of increased lung cancer risk causally associated with radon, even at levels commonly found in buildings. Risk assessments for radon in both mines and residential settings have provided clear insights into the health risks due to radon. Radon is now recognized as the second-leading cause of lung cancer after smoking in the general population. The understanding of radon sources and radon transport mechanisms has evolved over several decades. In the 1950s, high concentrations of radon were observed in domestic and drinking water from drilled wells. Initially, concern about radon in water focused on health effects from ingesting the water. Later, it was determined that the primary health risk of radon in water was from the inhalation of radon released indoors. By the mid-1970s, emanation of radon from building materials was found to be a problem in some areas due to the use of alum shale with enhanced levels of radium.
Just starting the Radon testing course. Any suggestions?
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Attached is a photo of a radon fan in an active sub-slab depressurization system. This fan is correctly vertically mounted in the attic area with 4 inch PVC. The electric is hardwired to a junction box with a switch controlling the power to the fan.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I observed the photos in the gallery titled Radon in Water. It depicts how water is brought up from the ground by a pump and into the house. Radon particles are trapped in the water and then are released when the water is exposed to the air such as in a shower. This effect can contribute to the overall radon in the air within the home.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Crawlspace cover in good condition. No evidence of moisture, leaking noted at time of inspection. Wast lines are ABS type material. Adequate ventilation noted, some debris noted in crawlspace. No vapor barrier or insulation observed in crawlspace during inspection. Water supply lines are copper.
