Question 1

Can radon come back after a system is installed?

Accepted Answer

Levels climb again when the fan fails, a sump cover or seal is disturbed, or the house changes through an addition, a basement finish, or waterproofing. A working, maintained system holds its result, which is why Ohio says to retest every two years. Watch the gauge. Ohio requires every active system to have a monitor, and a manometer has to be marked with its reading at start-up, so any change is easy to spot; liquid sitting level on both sides of a U-tube means the fan is not pulling. Fans wear out, and the EPA notes many last five years or more. Seals fail more quietly, most often after someone lifts the sump cover to service the pump and does not reseal it with silicone the way Ohio's standard expects. Renovations are the third cause: a new bathroom rough-in cut through the slab or a crawl-space addition can open a path the original design never covered. Retest after any of these. See is my system working.

Question 2

How do I know if my radon system is working?

Accepted Answer

Look at the gauge or monitor on the pipe. Ohio requires every active system to have one, and a manometer must be marked with its reading at start-up. If the liquid has leveled out or the alarm is on, the fan is not pulling. Retest every two years. A U-tube manometer shows suction as a difference in liquid height between its two sides. Compare today's reading with the start-up mark; a large drift either way deserves a call, and level liquid means no suction at all. Electronic monitors have to be wired to circuits that are not switched and must reset on their own after a power outage. Check the obvious as well: the fan in the attic or on the outside wall should be running, and the breaker labeled RADON REDUCTION SYSTEM should be on. A healthy gauge proves the fan is moving air; it does not prove the air you breathe is below 4 pCi/L. That is why Ohio installers must advise retesting at least every two years and after major changes. Our repair service covers fans, gauges, and seals.

Question 3

Why is my radon fan making noise?

Accepted Answer

A new hum or whine usually means worn bearings, a rattle usually means a loose mount or coupling, and a gurgle usually means condensation collecting in the pipe. None is dangerous, but a failing fan should be replaced before it stops. Condensation is routine in Central Ohio winters, when warm, damp soil gas meets a pipe running through a cold attic or up an outside wall. Ohio's standards require the piping to drain that water back down to the ground beneath the slab or membrane and require fans to sit in vertical runs so water cannot pool in the housing; a sag in a horizontal run defeats both. Vibration noise usually traces to the mounting, which the standards say should limit transfer to the framing, or to couplings that have worked loose. A fan mounted inside the living space, which the current Ohio standard does not allow, will always be louder than one in the attic or outdoors. See the fan replacement guide.

Question 4

Why is my radon still high after mitigation?

Accepted Answer

Usually the suction does not reach the whole slab, an opening was missed, the fan is wrong for the soil, or the test was not run correctly. Ohio proposals must state a guarantee and its conditions or explain why there is none, so start there. Check the test first. The post-mitigation test should run between 24 hours and 30 days after activation, under closed-house conditions, in the same spot as the original test, with the system running, and not during a windstorm. If the test holds up, look at the design. Ohio's standards call for a communication test wherever the material under the slab is unknown; slabs poured in sections, interior footings, and dense clay can block suction, and a second suction point often solves it. Openings that could not be sealed must have been disclosed in writing. A sump with a working pump should not be the primary suction point. Old stone foundations in Clintonville and German Village are the classic hard case. See the Clintonville stone basement scenario.

System Repair & Reactivation in Columbus

Veterans, Seniors, and First Responders Discount

What this service covers

Service area

Ready to get started?

System Repair & Reactivation in Columbus

Columbus Radon Experts trust signals

Veterans, Seniors, and First Responders Discount

What this service covers

Service area

Ready to get started?