In 2020, ANSI AARST radon standards changed to include an audible or visual alarm notification for a radon system. Free to view here: Section 8.2.2 of SGM-SF-2023 goes over this in detail. This fan-indicator alarm should tell the homeowner, at a glance, whether their system is on or off. If the fan fails for any reason, the system should make noise and alert the homeowner.
Historical System Status Indicators
Many contractors and homeowners wonder why this requirement was put into place. One word: safety. Since the dawn of the US radon testing and mitigation industry in the 1980s, the only system indicator that was recommended was a manometer. Manometers are notoriously difficult to understand–as my most popular YouTube video confirms. I’ve spoken to many contractors that don’t even use them because they don’t know how.
In short, manometers measure pressure from which you can derive airflow. Unfortunately, most U tube manometers read in a scale from 0-4. When your system is not working properly, it reads zero. Many homeowners misinterpret this as zero picocuries of radiation which could not be further from the truth. Zero inches of water column pressure means your radon system is not operating and you are at high risk. Couple this with the fact that most homeowners skip their biannual EPA-recommended radon tests and you have disaster in the making.
How long has your fan been off?
“Yeah, I need a new radon fan. We’re selling our house and the radon level came up high. I think it’s BS because we had a system put in back in 2003.”
I get some version of this call on a weekly basis. This homeowner’s fan probably died sometime around 2010 and they’ve been living with high radon for 15+ years. Since you can’t see or smell radon, the only way to know your level is to test. They’re crestfallen when I tell them their likely exposure over the last decade.
Common issues that good radon fan alarms solve:
- End-of-life for fan. This is the most common (see above). Without maintenance and surveillance, most homeowners don’t realize their fan died. Read how long fans last here
- Breaker flips. Extremely common. If the fan is on a dedicated breaker, the homeowner often never knows to reset it.
- Illegally wired fan with an extension cord or appliance cord outside the home. These cords are not allowed outdoors because landscapers and homeowners often unplug them for a shop-vac, xmas lights, or weedwhacker, then forget to plug them back in. The radon fan rusts out and they never turn it back on.
- Blockage inside the radon pipe from construction debris or animals. If you can read your manometer, you’ll notice a spike in suction. If you don’t check your manometer, how would you know??
What meets the alarm requirements?
Back to the radon fan alarm requirement. This requirement insists that an audible or visual system performance indicator be present and readily viewable by the homeowner. The most common alarms are pressure-based (think: a manometer with a buzzer or light). At PDS, we took our KTA 1.0 system and added an amperage based gauge that is more accurate in our testing. View the KTA 2.0 alarm here. We believe it to be the best on the market.
You can read the full requirement here for free Section 8.2.2.
Industry Opinions and Cost Burden
To this day, many radon contractors are against the radon alarm requirement. I am not, but I understand their reasoning. These contractors feel the requirement is burdensome and adds too much cost to the system ($50-100 or 2-5% of the total). When your competitors are not playing fair, that’s a lot of margin to lose.
Many of these contractors have also tried first generation alarms–with high incidents of false positive alarm states–and been left looking foolish with their customer base. False alarms lead to unbillable callbacks that suck their time and profit margins. False alarms also lead homeowners to disable their alarms. All this frustration is understandable. At the end of the day, I believe these contractors are jaded and tired. They battle for a fair market price for their services against uneducated, bottom-tier contractors often. Consumers often can’t tell the difference, so they go with the cheap quote. Hopefully this article can help level the playing field between ethical, certified radon contractors and uneducated, amoral contractors out to make a quick buck.
I urge you to go with a certified radon pro. I urge you to insist on a radon alarm. If you’d like advice on the best performing alarms in our testing, please reach out to our sales team.
Stay safe and thanks for reading!
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