What To Look For In A Radon Contractor

(Available in PA & MD)

1. How long has the contractor been involved in radon reduction work?

E.I.C., Inc. has been involved in the radon business for over ten years. It was the first company in the Central Pennsylvania area to have radon testing equipment.

2. How many jobs has the contractor completed?

E.I.C. has completed over five hundred jobs in Central Pennsylvania. E.I.C. average radon reduction is over 98%. In 99% of all jobs installed, annual radon levels have been reduced to be low 4 picocuries per liter.

3. What were the highest radon levels the contractor has reduced?

E.I.C. has worked on many houses that had radon levels over 400pCi/L. The highest house was 1,350 pCi/L. In a two-stage reduction approach, the levels were reduced to an annual average of less than 4pCi/L.

4. What size jobs has the contractor completed?

E.I.C. has worked in schools, commercial buildings, industrial plants, and banks, to name a few. E.I.C. has installed radon control systems during the new construction of schools and commercial properties.

5. What insurance does the contractor carry?

E.I.C. carries the full complement of insurance with limits of coverage that are well above industry standards.

6. Has the contractor met all the qualifications established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection?

E.I.C. sent installers to the first training session offered by the U.S. E.P.A. Since then, E.I.C. management has been involved with and offered suggestions for the improvement of these programs. E.I.C. is fully certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

E.I.C. was the first company in Central Pennsylvania to have radon testing equipment.

E.I.C. belongs to the Better Business Bureau, National Association of Homebuilders, and American Pollution Control Association to mention a few. Our president has lectured numerous times on the behalf of the National Association of Homebuilders and Pennsylvania Builders Association on Radon and other building issues.

8. Did the contractor bid complete work in the Radon Demonstration Project operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources and funded by the U.S. E.P.A.?

E.I.C. completed 10% of the houses under this program. This program provided E.I.C. and E.P.A. an opportunity to evaluate approaches, materials, and quality control.

9. How can you tell an E.I.C., Inc. technician?

All of our technicians are uniformed, so identification is easy. All of our technicians are employees, not subcontractors employed by the day.

10. Does the contractor understand that pressure differentials, not cracks and holes, are the reason for elevated radon levels in houses?

E.I.C.'s background is heavily tied to this phenomenon. Our work in the emergency field, including pressure differential monitoring for increasing energy efficiency in buildings, provides a deep background in this area. When needed, we have sophisticated diagnostic equipment which helps us identify unusual causes for elevated levels.

11. Does the contractor balance the system for maximum performance?

Every system E.I.C. installs includes the hardware so that the system can be balanced to provide the proper amount of depressurization for every area being treated. This includes basement floor area, crawl spaces, and attached slabs. Without this flexibility, system performance is left to chance. Also, if remodeling or room additions are completed after the system is installed, it is possible to modify the system to handle these additions.

12. How is the system checked for leaks?

Every linear foot of every system that E.I.C. installs is checked with a tracer gas to ensure that all fittings, connections, and piping are tight and that no leakage exists.

13. How many penetrations should there be?

This question is sometimes difficult to answer because it is impossible to know the porosity of the stone or earth under every square foot of a basement, under a crawl space, or next to a perimeter wall. Therefore, while E.I.C. is installing a system, pressure differential readings are taken at strategic locations to insure that adequate depressurization exists under all slab areas, or in block walls when required. This is the only way to determine the number of penetrations required. This data is recorded and is an important part of the system operating performance data.

14. Does the contractor use the best materials available, or are inferior materials substituted just to get by?

E.I.C. uses only architectural grade materials. For example, we use only twenty five year urethane or silicone caulks, not painter's caulk. We use all PVC pipe and fittings, not styrene or other less expensive, noncompatible materials. The structural components of our radon reduction systems are twenty-year life products, as a minimum.

15. How do you know when the system is operating properly?

Many systems are installed by simply plugging them into an outlet or even into an extension cord. E.I.C. direct wires all systems and includes an on/off switch. A vacuum monitor servers as a visual flow verification unit which monitors air flow. If the flow in the system should stop for any reason, the liquid levels will go to zero, indicating that something is not functioning properly.

16. What is a guarantee?

We at E.I.C. have struggled with this for several years because it seems that there is a lot of misuse of this term. We believe that a guarantee of performance is, very simply, we will do whatever is required to reduce the radon levels to 4pCi/L or lower on an annual basis. And, we will do it promptly. Not a little now, and then a little more six months or a year after the system was installed. Will will guarantee to reduce levels to below 4pCi/L in most cases. However, experience has shown us that there are unique situations where this is not possible. We will not guarantee conditions where our experience and diagnostics make it a "wish," not an honest recommendation.

17. Does a guarantee cost more?

Not with E.I.C. We do the same quality work on every job, whether it is guaranteed or not. We also do not charge extra, and then hope for the best. Each job stands on its own.

18. Does the contractor provide a list of satisfied customers and demonstrated success?

Yes, E.I.C. maintains a running list of recent jobs for which we have beginning and ending test results. A potential customer is free to call as many people on this list as they care to. We are proud of our performance and enjoy sharing.

Every system E.I.C. installs includes the hardware so that the system can be balanced to provide the proper amount of depressurization for every area being treated.