If your radon fan is making a loud humming or whirring noise, there’s a chance that it needs replaced. Most fans last 5-10 years, with some making it up to 20. However, it’s not uncommon for them to get very loud before they finally quit. If your fan is abnormally loud, check your manometer. Compare the current reading to the info on your sticker attached to the pipe (usually in the basement, near the u-tube manometer). If the reading is currently lower, the fan is moving less air than before and it’s only a matter of time before it quits working.
Another common noise is that of water/slush/ice sloshing around in the fan. This happens during extended cold spells and is absolutely normal! The condensation that forms above the fan, inside the pipe, eventually runs back down toward and into the fan when it freezes. This might sound like a bad situation but is normal and not a concern.
For further clarification or an over-the-phone estimate for fan replacement, snap a few pictures of the fan and surrounding pipes with your cell phone and call us at 330-915-4999.
I have TWO radon mitigation systems and to exterior mountings on my 1899 farmhouse. The fan in one unit started making a humming noise yesterday. The company that installed the unit 10 years ago quoted $425 for fab replacement. My question is – money is tight – can I just turn that one unit off? I’ll be selling my house within 2 years. Any help would be appreciated.
You can, but we wouldn’t recommend it.