Warranty and Expected Fan Life
Reputable radon fan manufacturers** have five year warranties or more on their inline radon fans. That’s because good radon fans will last at least that long when installed properly*. I was told by a leading radon fan engineer—and head of a UL laboratory—that the average fan life in their testing was eight years of continuous use.
At PDS, we get radon fan shipments quite often, sometimes once per week. We move a lot of inventory. What’s that mean for you as a consumer? You get a fuller warranty. Warranties are based on the fan’s date of manufacture (DOM), not the date of purchase. So when you buy from a sketchy site or a non-radon supply house, you may be buying a fan that’s been sitting on the shelf for months or years (possibly drying out the bearings–see below). At PDS, we sell pro-series fans. When buying a Fantech fan, DIYers get the full warranty. RadonAway fans, while ProSeries, only carry a warranty to the certified professional they were sold to. Read our full terms here.
Factors that shorten fan life
*A proper radon fan installation means it’s installed “plumb” or upright; and it’s left to run continuously for its entire life. Plumb is important because radon air or soil air has a very high moisture content—so high in fact—that fans that are installed sideways can trap vapor and turn into a literal water pump. This standing water will short-out even the best radon fan in days or weeks—and void its warranty.
Moisture is also the reason you want to start your radon fan and let it run until it dies. Many energy conscious homeowners think they’re doing themselves a favor by turning their radon fans off at certain times of the day or during inoccupancy, but all they’re doing is putting the bearing lubrication at risk. If you care about efficiency, read more here.
Fan noise: is it time to replace?
Radon fans have self-lubricating bearings. When left off for long periods of time moisture can find its way in. Bearings can also dry-rot, which is why you want to use a fan that’s freshly manufactured. Many fans that you see for sale online are for sale because they have old DOMs (date of manufacture). At PDS, the majority of our radon fans are sold within six months of manufacture, oftentimes within 90 days. This means you get more of yo
ur warranty from PDS.
Bearing noise is the number one reason for fan replacement. Fans that have reached the end of their useful life often have a high-pitched, very loud whirring that begins suddenly and is relentless. This is the sound of unlubricated bearings, and a sure sign you need to replace your radon fan. Other fan replacement signs: fan will not power or turn back on after a failure; fan is moving significantly less air (pressure drop on u tube) even at full power. Check your manometer and radon alarm often. A u-tube needs to have some sort of vacuum. Even lines or “zero” means that your fan is off or your system is disconnected. Read more about annual maintenance steps and diagnostic readings here.
What is a proper radon fan?
There are three main inline radon fan manufacturers in the USA: Fantech, RadonAway, and AMG Festa. These are the brands that most certified radon pros trust. Why? Because these manufacturers stay on top of the latest electrical code requirements and radon code requirements. They make products that are built to last and offer industry-leading warranties. At PDS, we’ve tested most major fans and even some random fans labeled as “radon” online. If you’re buying from PDS, know that you’re buying a reputable fan with a long life ahead of it. If they’re calling it a radon pump, they probably don’t know the industry.
**Buyer beware: Amazon, eBay, and other sites that list radon fans that look “off”. A radon fan should be cylindrical. It should look like the photo above. It should be made of some type of plastic housing for longevity. It should have an IP rating of 44 or more. If you can’t find a reputable manufacturer’s website, then leave it alone. In fact, just play it safe and buy from me! I’m trying to help you here 😉
Thanks for reading!
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