Passive Radon System Activation
Have a radon pipe but no fan, and a high test result? Send your town, test result, and a pipe photo if available. We’ll check whether the piping can be activated. Activation starts at $900. Call for details.
What passive activation usually means
Passive radon piping is common in some newer homes. That piping gives radon a path out of your home, but without a fan it may not create enough draw to lower an elevated test result.
Bill looks at the pipe route, where it starts, where it exits, and whether the discharge location makes sense. If the setup is usable, activation usually means adding the right fan, confirming the airflow, and checking that the finished system is easy to understand.
Illinois homes built since mid-2013
If your home was built in Illinois after June 1, 2013, it almost certainly has the pipe already. The Radon Resistant Construction Act (420 ILCS 52) requires passive radon resistant construction in all new residential construction in the state. That is a pipe run from below the foundation up through the home and out above the roof, with no fan on it.
That is why so many newer subdivisions around New Lenox, Manhattan, Frankfort, Shorewood and Homer Glen test high and have a radon pipe sitting right there in the utility room or the garage. The builder did what the law asked. A passive pipe moves some soil gas on its own, but on plenty of homes it is not enough, and nothing tells you that until the home is tested.
When the pipe is there and sound, activation is the clean fix, and it is the smallest job we do. No drilling a new suction point, and no new pipe run through finished space. The fan goes on the existing pipe, we confirm the draw on the manometer, and you retest.
Telling whether you already have one
- A capped white PVC pipe in the utility room, garage, or a closet, often labeled "radon" or "radon vent."
- A pipe running up through the house and out the roof with no fan anywhere on it.
- A roof vent pipe that does not serve a bathroom or the water heater.
- Nothing humming. An active system has a fan you can usually hear in the attic or outside.
Not sure? Text a photo of the pipe and the label to (815) 370-9682 and Bill will tell you what you are looking at. No charge for that.
What Bill checks before recommending anything
- Where the passive pipe starts and whether it appears connected to the sub-slab area.
- Whether the pipe route and discharge point are suitable for an active fan system.
- Your home may have a basement, crawl space, slab foundation, or a combination that needs a different approach.
- Whether activating the passive route is cleaner than building a separate mitigation system.
Related radon guides
Where the new-construction rule comes from
Last reviewed by American Radon Systems: October 2026
- Radon Resistant Construction Act (420 ILCS 52), Illinois General Assembly
Requires passive radon resistant construction in all new residential construction in Illinois. Effective June 1, 2013.
- Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Radon Program
State radon program, licensing, and public guidance.
Have passive piping and a high test?
Send the basics or call Bill directly. No trip charge.
Passive System Questions
Why a newer home has a pipe but no fan, what changes once the fan goes in, and what the warranty covers.
Can a newer home still have high radon?
Yes. Radon comes from the soil, not the age of the house. Newer Illinois homes often have passive radon piping by law, but that pipe does not always keep the level down until a fan is added when testing shows it is needed.
Does the radon fan run all the time?
Yes. A healthy mitigation fan runs continuously, and it should not be switched off in winter or while you are away. Whenever it is off, soil gas has its normal path back into the house, and the system gives no protection until it is running again. In our experience, running it year-round adds roughly $60 to $125 a year to the electric bill, depending on the fan and your rate. A light steady hum can be normal. If it gets loud, rattles, or goes silent, call Bill; that is a service call, not a switch.
What is your warranty?
If a fan we installed fails during its first five years, the visit, labor, and replacement fan are covered.
Read the customer-care warranty details.Why does my newer home have a radon pipe but no fan?
That is usually a passive radon system: rough-in piping that Illinois has required in new residential construction since June 1, 2013, under the Radon Resistant Construction Act. It is not the same as a completed active system. If a test is elevated, activation adds the right fan and finishes the system so it pulls correctly. Bill checks whether the existing pipe is usable first.