Vapor Pin® Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Vapor Pin® better than existing methods for sub-slab vapor sampling?

The Vapor Pin® is superior to other sub-slab vapor sampling methods because: 1) it's constructed
of a single piece of metal, eliminating potential leak points; 2) it's installed in minutes using
common hand tools; 3) it uses a silicone sleeve to form an air-tight seal between the Vapor Pin®
and the side of the borehole, eliminating the need for grout or other adhesives; and 4) unlike
other sampling devices, it's easily retrieved for reuse.

Can the Vapor Pin® be used for vapor intrusion sampling?

The Vapor Pin® was designed for use in vapor intrusion studies as well as source delineation. We
suggest that your applicable guidance be consulted to obtain appropriate leak detection
procedures, soil gas flow rates, appropriate sample containers, and appropriate length of the
sampling period. The Vapor Pin® should be left in place if multiple rounds of sampling are
required. Many states specifically allow the use of the Vapor Pin® for vapor intrusion
sampling, but we recommend you consult the guidance for your state or jurisdiction to be sure.

Can the Vapor Pin® be used to sample all VOCs?

The Vapor Pin® provides a means of transmitting soil gas through the slab so that it can be
sampled. The particular suite of VOCs that will be reported is dependent on the analytical
method employed by your laboratory.

Can the Vapor Pin® be installed as a flush mount?

Yes, the Vapor Pin® is designed to be installed in the stick-up or flush mount configuration. We
recommend the Vapor Pin® be installed in the stick-up configuration if it will be used for a
single sampling event and then removed, and in the flush-mount configuration if it will be left in
place for repeated sampling. Plastic flush-mount covers are supplied with the Vapor Pin® Kit,
but stainless steel Secure Covers are also available and provide more protection from damage or
tampering. The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Use of the Vapor Pin® Drilling Guide and
Secure Cover describes the flush-mount installation procedure. As described in the SOP, the
optional Drilling Guide simplifies flush-mount installation and increases the accuracy of hole
depth and location, but.

Exactly what's included in the Vapor Pin® Kit?

The Vapor Pin® Kit consists of the following items, all conveniently contained in the
Hard-Sided Carrying Case: 10 Vapor Pins™ (brass or stainless steel); 20 Silicone Sleeves, 20
Vapor Pin® Caps, 10 plastic Flush Mount Covers; 1 Installation/Extraction Tool; 1 Brush; 1
Water Dam for leak testing; 1 Vapor Pin® Standard Operating Procedure. We recommend that
you initially purchase a Vapor Pin® Kit to ensure all required components are obtained.
Afterward, individual components of the Kit can be purchased as needed. The stainless

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flush-mount Secure Covers, the spanner wrench to install and remove the covers, the Vapor
Pin®Drilling Guide, and sample tubing are also available separately. Also available separately is
the Elastrator tool, which simplifies the process of placing the silicone sleeve onto the Vapor
Pin®prior to installation.

Is there an easier way to install the silicone sleeve on the Vapor Pin®?

We recommend you screw the Vapor Pin® into the installation tool, and push the sleeve over the
lower end of the Vapor Pin™. The optional Elastrator tool eases this process, by placing the
Elastrator tips into the end of the silicone sleeve, and squeezing the tool’s handle to open the
sleeve as you push it onto the Vapor Pin™. We polish Vapor Pins™ prior to shipment to reduce
sharp edges, but you should still wear work gloves while installing the sleeve.

How long does it take to install a Vapor Pin®?

The Vapor Pin® can be installed in the stick-up configuration in less than five minutes.
Installation in the flush-mount configuration requires an additional two or three minutes.

What do I need to install a Vapor Pin®?

The Vapor Pin® is installed easily using common hand tools. We recommend purchase of the
Vapor Pin® Kit, which includes just about everything required for 10 Vapor Pin® installations.
The only tools needed (in addition to the Vapor Pin® Kit) are a hammer drill and appropriate
bits, and a dead blow hammer. See the Vapor Pin® Standard Operating Procedure for details.
Grout or other adhesives are NOT required.

What kind of drill and bits does Cox-Colvin use during Vapor Pin® installation?

We use a hammer drill manufactured by Hilti (TE 50 Deluxe Grounded Combihammer, item #
383916), with hammer drill bits TE-YX 5/8 inch x 22 inch (item # 206514) and TE-YX 1-1/2
inch x 23 inch (item # 293032). Available by calling 1-800-879-8000 or by clicking here.
Comparable drills and bits are available from other manufacturers as well.

How long after installation before I can sample a Vapor Pin®?

Because the Vapor Pin® does not require the use of grout, it can be sampled as soon as the
sub-slab soil gas has reached equilibration. The period of time may be prescribed by your
particular guidance, but can be as little as 20 minutes following installation, since Vapor Pin®
installations result in very short hole-open times.

What kind of tubing do I need for soil-gas sampling?

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Theoretically, stainless steel is best because it has the lowest reactivity (e.g., it’s less likely to
absorb or give off vapors), but flexible plastic tubing is the norm because it’s easier to handle,
more affordable, and entirely satisfactory if proper precautions are followed. In general, softer
tubing is the more reactive than harder tubing.

Semi-rigid Nylon and Teflon tubing are most widely recommended for soil-gas sampling, but
others might be acceptable, depending on the applicable guidance. Most or all Summa-type
canisters, and many other sample containers and fittings, are designed to accept 1/4-inch outer
diameter (OD) tubing. Cox-Colvin offers 1/4-inch OD, Nylaflow LM, which has superior
chemical resistance to generic nylon tubing and is less costly than Teflon. Poly tubing’s
chemical reactivity makes it inappropriate for vapor-intrusion sampling, but it might be suitable
for high-concentration vapors near source areas. All plastic tubing should be replaced between
samples, and stored and handled away from vapor sources.

Soft tubing, such as Tygon®, is recommended only for making connections between semi-rigid
tubing and other devices, as discussed below.

How do I connect sample tubing to the Vapor Pin® and other equipment?

Most Summa-type canisters and regulators are equipped with Swagelok™ compression fittings
which connect to 1/4-inch outer diameter (OD) tubing, including Nylaflow, with Swagelok™
ferrules and a hexagonal nut. The nut can be reused, but the ferrules are not, except on stainless
steel tubing. Many laboratories will provide Swagelok™ ferrules that fit their sample canisters at
a nominal cost.

Because the Vapor Pin was designed to be rugged and compatible with other sampling hardware,
it has a nominal 1/4-inch barbed fitting at the top. Like other barbed fittings, it is actually
somewhat larger than 1/4 inch in diameter, so the Vapor Pin® is joined to semi-rigid tubing, e.g.
Nylaflow, with a short piece of soft tubing. Cox-Colvin offers Tygon® R-3063 tubing to make
these connections. Tygon® offers better chemical resistance than other soft tubing, but is
pliable enough to make a tight seal. The Tygon® tubing is placed between the Vapor Pin® and
the semi-rigid tubing and fits over both of them. Pressure gauges, tee fittings, and other devices
with a 1/4-inch barb can be attached to the sample train with Tygon® tubing. The sample train
can also be assembled with compression fittings if desired, but the additional ferrules required at
each connection adds to sampling time and costs. Also, in our experience, barbed fittings are
less likely to leak than compression fittings, especially under negative pressure. In fact,
Missouri’s 2004 vapor-intrusion guidance discourages compression fittings at all points except at
the sample canister, due to their tendency to leak.

Tygon® has better chemical resistance than softer tubing, such as silicone, but silicone's high
flexibility allows connecting devices of different diameters. Silicone can also be penetrated with
a hypodermic syringe for some types of sampling, after which the tubing automatically seals the
hole. As with all environmental sampling, make sure your equipment complies with regulatory
requirements and Data Quality Objectives.

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Please notice that chemical interference from tubing is dependent upon many factors, but tubing
is more likely to contribute hydrocarbons than chlorinated compounds. To minimize the risk of
chemical interference from all tubing, reduce tubing lengths as far as possible, particularly soft
tubing, and keep tubing away from vapor sources during storage and transport.

Does the Vapor Pin®provide a tight seal against the slab?

Under normal circumstances with proper installation through a concrete slab, the Vapor Pin®
provides an air tight seal. Cox-Colvin has leak tested the Vapor Pin® with helium; with 99%
helium in the leak-test shroud, no helium (<50 ppm) was detected in soil gas. In some situations,
such as a thin concrete slab or cracked and degraded concrete, or a hole greater than 5/8-inch
diameter, may result in a poor seal. We recommend leak testing as part of the sampling
procedure.

How should I leak test the Vapor Pin®?

As with all vapor-intrusion sampling, you’re encouraged to follow applicable guidance

requirements. Cox-Colvin prefers to leak test the sub-slab sample point (Vapor Pin®) with
distilled water, and the remaining sample train (canister, tubing, and fittings) via vacuum, as
described in the Standard Operating Procedure Leak Testing the Vapor Pin® via Mechanical
Means. Of course, the Vapor Pin® can also be leak tested with helium or other tracer gases, the
same as with other sub-slab sample points.

How much soil gas should be evacuated from the Vapor Pin® prior to sampling?

The applicable guidance document might specify a particular number of purge volumes, but two
or three volumes are commonly recommended. For the Vapor Pin®, one purge volume is equal
to: 0.83 milliliters (ml) for the Vapor Pin®, plus 5.0 ml for each inch of hole beneath the Vapor
Pin®, plus 0.42 ml for each inch of tubing, if using 1/4-inch OD Nylaflow LM, plus the internal
volume of any other fittings or hardware in the sample train.

If you wish to calculate purge volume on the basis of equipment dimensions, the Vapor Pin® has
a total length of 3.25 inches, of which 2 inches are inside the 5/8-inch hole in the slab, and 1.25
inches are above the 5/8-inch hole. The inner diameter (ID) of the Vapor Pin® is 0.187 inches.
The Nylaflow LM tubing has an outer diameter (OD) of 0.25 inches and an ID of 0.187 inches.
The Tygon® tubing has an OD of 0.312 inches and an ID of 0.187 inches. Bear in mind that the
Tygon® tubing will expand in use, and because it should be used in short lengths to minimize
contact with soil gas, its ID will typically not be part of the purge-volume calculation.

Cox-Colvin prefers to purge soil gas with a combination photo-ionization detector (PID) and
oxygen (O2) meter, and collects the sample after the PID and O2 levels stabilize, which indicates
the presence of soil gas. VOCs and O2 typically stabilize after purging 50 ml to 100 ml of soil
gas, which, depending on slab thickness and tubing length, generally equals around three purge
volumes.

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Will the silicone tubing surrounding the Vapor Pin® affect my sample?

We use peroxide-cured silicone tubing with the Vapor Pin™. Our studies indicate that the tubing
does not affect the sample results. The tubing surrounds the bottom half of the pin forming the
seal between the 5/8-inch hole and the Vapor Pin™. Sub-slab vapors are exposed to very little
of the silicone tubing. Side-by-side comparisons with conventional sample points indicate that
no vapors are added to or subtracted from soil gas by the silicone sleeve. Additionally,
Cox-Colvin screens the silicone tubing upon arrival to ensure that sleeves with elevated levels of
VOCs are not sent to customers.

Can a Vapor Pin® be re-used after extraction?

Yes - the Vapor Pin® is designed to be re-used after removal from the slab. Cox-Colvin has used
some Vapor Pins™ at least a dozen times, with no obvious signs of wear. The sleeve and the
protective cap should be replaced between locations, and the Vapor Pin® should be properly
decontaminated in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure.

How do I decontaminate the Vapor Pin® between installations?

Vapor Pin® decontamination is described in the Standard Operating Procedure, and consists of
removing and discarding the silicone sleeve and protective cap, cleaning the Vapor Pin® in an
Alconox or equivalent solution, rinsing thoroughly, and heating it to a temperature of 130°C.

Can I leave a Vapor Pin® in place between sampling events?

Yes. The Vapor Pin® can stay in place as long as necessary. For repeated use, we recommend a
flush mount installation using a stainless steel Vapor Pin® to protect the pin from damage and
corrosion. Keep in mind that the flush mount cap is not water tight and should not remain in
place in areas subject to contaminant spills. If future sampling is not required, the Vapor Pin®
should be removed and the hole in the slab filled with hydraulic cement.

Will the Vapor Pin® leak vapors into the building if I leave it in place?

If properly installed with its protective cap, there will be no vapor leakage into the structure
through the Vapor Pin™. Our experience, and that of our customers, is that the Vapor Pin® is
less likely to leak than other devices.

Will the Vapor Pin® cause damage to the floor?

Installation of the Vapor Pin® will result in a 1.5-inch diameter hole (flush mount installation),
or a 5/8-inch hole (stick-up installation). After the Vapor Pin® is removed, the hole should be
patched with hydraulic cement. Beyond this, there should be no damage to the floor, and the
Vapor Pin® causes no more damage than other methods of sub-slab sampling.

Can the Vapor Pin® be used in slabs of any thickness?

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The Vapor Pin® was designed to be used in slabs that are at least three inches thick. If the Vapor
Pin®will be installed as a flush mount, we suggest that the slab be at least four inches thick.
Because the Vapor Pin® does not have to extend to the bottom of the slab, there is no maximum
slab thickness, provided your drill bit is long enough to drill into sub-slab. A 5/8-inch drill bit
with a length of 24 inches covers most situations.

Does anyone else make something like the Vapor Pin®?

We're not aware of another device quite like the patented Vapor Pin™. Other types of sub-slab
sampling devices installed with cement are available, and some practitioners construct their own
from plumbing parts. But the cost of locating parts, problems with leakage, and the fact that once
installed, they normally can’t be reused, makes them more costly in the long run. We believe the
Vapor Pin® will become the new standard for sub-slab vapor sampling because it's easy and
quick to install and use, it can be used over and over, and it provides quality samples with little
or no leakage.

Should I purchase brass or stainless steel Vapor Pin®?

Cox-Colvin typically uses brass Vapor Pin® for temporary installations (one-time sampling) and
stainless steel for long-term installations (repeated sampling), due to the superior corrosion
resistance of stainless steel. If there is any doubt, we recommend purchasing stainless-steel pins,
as the additional cost is a small part of overall costs, particularly after the Vapor Pin® has been
used multiple times.

Is there a way to attach a piece of tubing, a filter, or other accessories to the bottom of the
Vapor Pin®?

Vapor Pin® are manufactured with a female thread at the bottom specifically for attaching a barb
fitting, available at the Cox-Colvin website. Cox-Colvin is also developing a particulate filter
that can be screwed into the bottom of the Vapor Pin®, but no completion date is available as of
December 2013.

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