Bubble Up Radon System Beeping? All Answers

We have dedicated this page to frequently asked questions.

We hope we can give homeowners the opportunity to solve common problems with the quick and helpful tips below.

Set the time of day

In the event of a power failure, you will need to reset the clock on your system. This is important at the current time of day to ensure proper timing for backwashing.

How can I manually backwash my system?

In cases where you want to manually backwash your system.

This may be because you are using more water than normal.

If you see more discoloration than normal.

When the brine tank was empty and was filled with salt.

How do I bypass My Bubble Up?

Simply rotate two red arrows towards each other on the back of the unit, then unplug the cables from the wall.

My bubble up beeps

Do you have a beep and a red light on your Bubble Up Gauge? This simply indicates that your system has used 80,000 gallons. We encourage you to contact us at this time as system service may be required. In the meantime, you can turn off the alarm.

Press all three buttons for 1-2 seconds until the meter reads “NO”.

Press the button to the right until the meter displays “YES”.

Push the button to the left, then the counter will be reset

Do I need a water softener?

Almost all water found in the US is hard water. Hard water is water that is contaminated with dissolved minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sulphur, iron, manganese, lead and limestone that can negatively impact you, your home and your wallet. Hard water creates limescale. If your sink, bathtub, or washing machine has stains or buildup, if you have to use large amounts of soap to clean dishes or wash your hair, or if your water tastes or smells strange, you probably have hard water.

If left untreated, the minerals in hard water will cause yellow/orange stains on plumbing fixtures and deposit as scale, eventually clogging plumbing and shortening the life of appliances like washing machines, water heaters and dishwashers. Scale build-up not only reduces the efficiency of these devices, it also costs you money by increasing both energy and maintenance bills.

Water softeners eliminate the effects of hard water. They “soften” the water by removing the dissolved minerals it contains, extending the life of your equipment by up to 30%.

A water softener consists of four main components: construction tank, spot valve, brine tank and the media in the tank.

water softener

Do I need a neutralizer?

Acidic water means your water can corrode your plumbing, eat away at your plumbing, and cause bruises and green stains. Neutralizing filters are used where low pH is a problem. Our neutralization filter systems are equipped with high-quality calcite/corosex and are built into the main water line. Installed according to manufacturer recommendations, the neutralization system reduces corrosion normally caused by acidic water.

neutralization system

What is radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil and rock below the earth’s surface. It is odorless and colorless, and is present in small amounts even in the outside air we breathe.

As radon gas moves to the surface, it can seep in through the cracks and openings in the foundations of homes and other buildings and become trapped. Radon can also be found in well water and released into the air through daily use such as showering, washing, etc., especially when the source is a private well. Think of a well as a simple underground path for the gas to follow.

Radon info

Should I be concerned about radon?

As a radioactive gas, radon has been classified as a health hazard by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Breathing radon gas leads to an increased risk of lung cancer, and indeed the Surgeon General has warned that radon is now the second leading cause of cancer in the United States. Only smoking causes more deaths from lung cancer.

How do I know if I have a radon problem?

As previously mentioned, radon occurs naturally in the air both inside and outside your home. It is the level of concentration present in your home that will determine whether action should be taken to reduce the level to EPA guidelines. Testing is the only way to accurately measure radon levels in water and air. Radon testing is relatively inexpensive and can be performed quickly. Contact us to set up your test.

What can I do against radon?

Radon is a solvable problem. Even very high values ​​in the water and in the air can be reduced to an acceptable level by mitigation.

Radon in the air system

Bubble Up Radon in the water system

GAC Radon in the water system

Why does my water smell like eggs?

This can be caused by naturally occurring hydrogen sulfide (sulphur) or the presence of bacteria in the well. We recommend performing a bacteria test and chlorination if bacteria are present in the well. Well chlorination info

Otherwise, activated carbon filtration will help remove the sulfur smell. Another reason for this smell could be the anode rod in an electric heater that needs to be replaced.

activated carbon unit

How often should I service my system?

We recommend that you have your water treatment systems serviced ANNUALLY for preventative maintenance.

Radon systems recommended every two years.

How often should I test my water?

As a well owner, you must ensure that your water is safe to drink. It is recommended that you have your well water tested annually. You should also have your fountain tested if:

There are known problems with well water in your area

You have experienced problems near your well (e.g. flooding, land disturbances and nearby landfills).

They replace or repair parts of your fountain system

You notice a change in water quality (i.e. taste, color, smell)

Examples of water quality indicators:

So you thought all radon systems were silent? Check out what a homeowner had to do to fix the excessive noise coming from one of our competitor’s systems.

This system was so loud it could be heard in the house causing the homeowner to pack the fan as shown in the photo. We were called after the system installer was unable to fix the problem.

The following points are wrong with this system:

A metal downpipe is used as the exhaust. PVC pipe as an external exhaust is always the quietest system. The exhaust is attached to the house using minimum standards. The fastener that supports the pipe to the house should be insulated with rubber. The suction point is too close to the groundwater sump. This creates a potential scenario where too much air is introduced into the system via external drain tiles. Additional, unnecessary air creates more noise.

There are two sounds produced by the radon system: airflow and vibration. To minimize noise, the following must be considered:

The amount of CFM (cubic feet of air per minute)

The size of the tube determines how much airflow can be pushed through the system. The best standard would be that the air speed should not be greater than 700 FPM (feet per minute).

Excessive noise and back pressure result from moving too much air through the tube. By the best standard, a 3 inch pipe should not move more than 34 CFM before the system becomes too noisy and loses efficiency. A 4 inch pipe shouldn’t move more than 61 CFM before it gets too noisy too. Proper sizing of the pipe is important to avoid excessive noise and reduced radon reduction.

Two ways to reduce vibration transmission back to the building is to install a total of four anti-vibration rubber mounts instead of just two. Also, wrap rubber around each fastener that supports the muffler to reduce the amount of vibration transmitted back to the building.

Cleaning the fan blades also helps keep the fan balanced so there is no increased vibration. This should be done by a licensed radon professional.

Bottom Line: Larger diameter pipes and a carefully installed system are best for a restful night’s sleep!

The most common type of radon remediation is “underbody extraction”, also known as “active underbody decontamination” (ASD). It’s the one from the U.S. EPA recommended system and routinely installed by contractors or builders for radon abatement.

One or more suction pipes are laid through boreholes in the floor slab and direct the radon-containing soil gas to the outside via a fan. Contractors typically guarantee that indoor radon levels do not exceed the EPA’s “action level” of 4 pCi/L. Note that this is not a “safe” radon level.

According to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA), “It costs a contractor about $1,200 to repair a home, although this can range from about $800 to about $2,500 depending on the characteristics of the home and the method used .”

The radon fans are guaranteed by the manufacturers for 3-5 years. Their replacement cost, including installation, is typically $300-$600.

Homeowners are aware that the fan has to run 24 hours a day, year after year. The typical estimate of electricity costs is $150 per year.

However, homeowners are not informed of all other operating costs, which can be much higher – convection energy losses in heated and conditioned air. (Convection means the transfer of heat by the movement of heated gas.)

The floor slab suction sucks not only the soil gas under the slab, but also air from the basement through any cracks and openings. To prevent furnace and water heater withdrawal, building codes dictate a fresh air vent or two in the basement. This allows outside air to be drawn in to replace the air extracted by the radon fan.

The lost room air is heated in winter and air-conditioned in summer. The energy expended in heating or air conditioning this lost air has been wasted.

The convective energy losses are climate-dependent. Colder replacement air requires more energy to warm up. Typically, heat loss is the largest part of the total running costs, followed by fan power consumption and convection loss in the conditioned air.

According to L. Moorman, Ph.D. (“Energy Losses and Operating Costs of Radon Abatement Systems”) found that the total operating costs of radon abatement vary from $225 per year in the warmest regions to $500 per year in the coldest regions when heated with gas.

The home radon detector is portable, so you can measure in multiple rooms/locations.

To measure in a new location, we recommend pressing the reset button on the back of the detector.

Pressing “RESET” on the back of the device will erase your previous measurement and start a new one. This ensures that the measurement at the new location is not influenced by the measurements at the old location.

If you want to remember the radon level at the old location before measuring at a new location, you must write it down somewhere, as pressing the reset button will erase all previous data. You can also download a radon report before resetting to get your long-term average. Follow the instructions here and you will have your radon report delivered to your email inbox – https://dashboard.airthings.com/home-report

Please note that it takes between 6 and 24 hours for the first reading to appear and 7 days before the device displays the 7 day averages after pressing the reset button.

A notice! There is no limit to how many times you can reset the device, but try to measure each location for at least 30 days to get a reliable long-term average.

This is an easy way to determine if your radon system is drawing in the correct amount of air for your system type, and it also helps you know if your system needs service by one of our technicians. The reading on the pressure gauge should be between 0.5 inch and 1.75 inch. In most cases, these are acceptable values ​​that indicate your system is functioning properly. If your radon system is shut down the fluid should stay at zero, if it isn’t then your gauge is low on fluid. It is important to understand that these indicators show if your system needs and should be serviced.

summary

Radon (Rn), chemical element, a heavily radioactive gas from group 18 (noble gases) of the periodic table, produced by the radioactive decay of radium. (Radon was originally called radium emanation.) Radon is a colorless gas 7.5 times heavier than air and more than 100 times heavier than hydrogen. The gas liquefies at −61.8 °C (−79.2 °F) and freezes at −71 °C (−96 °F). Upon further cooling, solid radon glows with a soft yellow light that turns orange-red at liquid air temperature (−195 °C [−319 °F]).

Radon is rare in nature because its isotopes are all short-lived and because its source, radium, is a scarce element. The atmosphere contains traces of radon near the ground through seepage from soils and rocks, both of which contain tiny amounts of radium. (Radium occurs as a natural decay product of uranium in various types of rock.)

Britannica Quiz 118 Periodic Table Names and Symbols Quiz The periodic table consists of 118 elements. How well do you know their symbols? In this quiz you will be shown all 118 chemical symbols and have to choose the name of the chemical element that each one represents.

In the late 1980’s, naturally occurring radon gas was recognized as a potentially serious health hazard. The radioactive decay of uranium in minerals, particularly granite, produces radon gas, which can diffuse through soil and rock and enter buildings through basements (radon has a higher density than air) and through well water supplies (radon has significant solubility in water). . . The gas can accumulate in the air in poorly ventilated homes. As radon decays, it produces radioactive “daughters” (polonium, bismuth, and lead isotopes) that can be picked up from well water or absorbed by dust particles and then breathed into the lungs. Exposure to high levels of this radon and its progenies over many years can greatly increase the risk of developing lung cancer. In fact, radon is now the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the United States. Radon levels are highest in homes built over geological formations that contain uranium mineral deposits.

Concentrated radon samples are synthetically prepared for medical and research purposes. Typically, a supply of radium is kept in a glass jar in an aqueous solution or in the form of a porous solid from which the radon can flow easily. Every few days the accumulated radon is pumped out, cleaned and compressed into a tube which is then capped and removed. The gas tube is a source of penetrating gamma rays, mainly from one of radon’s decay products, bismuth-214. Such radon tubes were used for radiation therapy and radiography.

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Natural radon consists of three isotopes, one from each of the three natural radioactive decay series (the uranium, thorium, and actinium series). Discovered in 1900 by the German chemist Friedrich E. Dorn, radon-222 (3.823 days half-life), the longest-lived isotope, is produced in the uranium series. The name radon is sometimes reserved for this isotope to distinguish it from the other two natural isotopes called thoron and actinone because they come from the thorium and actinium series, respectively.

Radon-220 (thoron; 51.5 second half-life) was first observed in 1899 by American scientist Robert B. Owens and British scientist Ernest Rutherford, who determined that some of the radioactivity of thorium compounds could be blown away by laboratory winds. Radon-219 (actinone; 3.92 seconds half-life), associated with actinium, was found independently in 1904 by German chemist Friedrich O. Giesel and French physicist André-Louis Debierne. Radioactive isotopes with masses ranging from 204 to 224 have been identified, the longest-lived of which is radon-222, which has a half-life of 3.82 days. All isotopes decay into stable end products of helium and isotopes of heavy metals, usually lead.

Radon atoms have a particularly stable electronic configuration of eight electrons in the outer shell, which explains the element’s characteristic chemical inactivity. However, radon is not chemically inert. In 1962, for example, the existence of the compound radon difluoride was proven, which is apparently chemically more stable than compounds of the other reactive noble gases krypton and xenon. Radon’s short lifetime and its high-energy radioactivity create difficulties in the experimental study of radon compounds.

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When a mixture of trace amounts of radon-222 and fluorine gas is heated to about 400°C (752°F), a non-volatile radon fluoride is produced. The intense α-radiation from millicurie and curie quantities of radon provides sufficient energy for radon in such quantities to react spontaneously with gaseous fluorine at room temperature and with liquid fluorine at −196 °C (−321 °F). Radon is also oxidized by halogen fluorides such as ClF 3 , BrF 3 , BrF 5 , IF 7 and [NiF 6 ]2- in HF solutions to give stable solutions of radon fluoride. The products of these fluorination reactions have not been analyzed in detail because of their low mass and intense radioactivity. Nevertheless, by comparing the reactions of radon with those of krypton and xenon, it was possible to deduce that radon forms a difluoride, RnF 2 , and derivatives of the difluoride. Studies show that ionic radon, thought to be Rn2+, RnF+ and RnF 3 – , is present in many of these solutions. The chemical behavior of radon is similar to that of a metal fluoride, consistent with its position in the periodic table as a semimetallic element.