How much power does a radon fan use?

Sustainable choices

At PDS, sustainability is one of our core values.  If we’ve spoken by phone, I often push very hard for you to use a certified, licensed radon professional trained in pressure field diagnostics.  This is the right thing to do–not just for your health and safety–but for your wallet as well.  A well-educated professional can use the exact right fan size for your home, which may save you hundreds of dollars annually.

Radon fans run continuously.  The average life of a radon fan is about eight years.  That means that any small efficiencies efficiencies in power gain tremendous real-life value over the life of your home.  Not to mention, the “sound savings”.  Lower wattage fans are quiet fans, and if there’s anything nearly a decade of phone calls with the public has taught me, it’s that noise is a number one concern.

Methods

So, let’s get down to it.  I’m using the Appliance Energy Calculator at energy.gov and the average power listed on the site (12.68 cents per kWh at the time of publication).  There is no option for “radon fan” so I’ve chosen ceiling fan.  In my experience with these calculators, it doesn’t make a big difference what appliance you choose as long as it’s a small appliance as they all run off of standard 110V.   You can get into the nitty gritty using volts and amps as well, but if you knew how to do that you’d wouldn’t be reading here.  Just trust that these fans are all compared the same way.  Radon fans last an average of eight years (anecdotal observation by Fantech UL lab engineer, myself, and others in the industry) which is where I rank them “lifetime”.  However, if your home has a radon issue, odds are you’ll be running a radon fan forever, so simply work with the annual cost I’ve shown in my screenshots.

Fan #1 PDS 150

I chose the PDS-150* because it’s one of our most popular fan models.    We sell so many that Fantech let us private label it.  It’s also sold as the Rn2X.  The PDS 150 is an AC fan and runs at 68 watts.  Very efficient for an AC fan with that fan curve.  It has a similar wattage range as the Rn2 or RP145.  It’s a good fan to use as a baseline.  68 watts of energy draw over an entire year is $75.53.  That’s $604.24 over the average fan life.  Not too bad.

*We sell it as a low voltage KTA150 as well (same power consumption).

Fan #2 Rn2EC

The Rn2EC is an energy-efficient fan with a built-in speed control.  At full speed it’s about 20% more energy efficient than the AC model.  It can also be “tuned down” to meet the needs of each individual home.  Tuning an EC fan down means lowering the noise level, air flow suction, and power consumption.  For this exercise, I used it at full power.  Annually that cost is $59.98, which would be $479.84 over the average eight year radon fan life ($124.40 savings over the comparable PDS150).   That savings is almost exactly the difference in cost between the two upfront.  Anecdotally, I’ve heard the Rn2EC is the quietest fan we sell.  This means you’re paying upfront for the noise savings over the fan life.

Fan #3 Rn4EC

The Rn4EC** is a life-saver when you need it.  When Fantech debuted this fan in 2017, you would’ve thought they won the Superbowl.  No fan curve had ever been seen like it before.  It was one of the first fans to categorize as both high-volume and high-suction.  To this day it is one of the best selling radon fans out there.  Great bang for your buck (if you need its power).  View our testimonials page for more: I’m told time and time again that it’s very quiet for it’s size.

Now, you don’t often need 500+ cfm or 4 inches of suction.  However, many DIYers, and many untrained contractors, spec this fan like crazy.  I liken to to a car salesman that learns nothing about their client, just constantly pushing huge gas-guzzling lifted trucks on every customer that comes through the door.  Sure if you need towing and clearance and you have a ranch, an F-250 is a great option—it’s just not a one-size fits all.  Same with radon fans.

Now onto the energy cost.  Over an average eight year fan life you’re looking at $1,599.52 (or nearly $200 per year).  That’s to run this fan at full power.   That’s about 3X the consumption of the Rn2EC.

It is an EC fan which means it can be tuned down, but only so far.  If you cut the speed by 60% (as low as the manufacturer recommends and warranties it for) you’d be around 72 watts or closer to a PDS150.  At that point you could’ve saved almost $200 on the initial purchase by getting the right fan in the first place.

Now, the Rn4 is a big and powerful fan, but it’s not the biggest energy hog I’ve found… let’s take a look at the “other” guys’ big fan.

**-3 & -4 are the exact same fan just different LDVI coupler sizes.

Fan #4  Boss Hog

A radon fan that I routinely hear folks using, that we don’t sell at PDS, comes in at a whopping 320 watts.  There are probably even bigger ones out there, but let’s use this as an example.

This fan can be very loud, as it’s meant for high suction applications.  I often hear homeowners calling us to replace it because some random radon contractor put it in and now isn’t returning their calls.  Again, using the “biggest”, “most powerful” fan may seem like the right idea when it comes to a dangerous carcinogen like radon, but if it’s power is not necessary then it’s just a waste.   Now, what does this fan cost you over the average fan life of eight years?  Drumroll please……….  $2,843.60

That’s right, over $350 per year if you pay the US average in utilities.  What’s that?  You saved $300 bucks by using the cheap guy off google?  Great job! /s  If you had paid for PFE testing and used a certified pro, you may have broke even before the end of year one.  (Sorry for the snark.  If you’re reading this you’re not “that guy”.  I just get a call from “that guy” about once a week.  If you are “that guy” and I told you to read this, then kudos to you.)

Conclusion

It pays to size your fan properly: literally.  I hope you can see that now.  Pressure field testing and accurate radon fan sizing are still not available in all US markets.  However, if consumers keep asking for this service, then contractors will get the training and offer it.  Right now, all radon pros hear is that homeowners want their system done cheap and quick, so that’s what they’re offering.  You ever hear the saying: good, fast, or cheap, pick two?  Well right now consumers think they’re picking fast and cheap but really all they’re getting is fast.  How about you pick a good PFE-trained pro and get all three!

If you cannot find a reliable PFE tester near you, use our contact form and reach out.  I have connections with remote radon consultants and can help.

Thanks for reading!

Source: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/estimating-appliance-and-home-electronic-energy-use