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.
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.
- Whether your home has 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.
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 install fails during the first five years, we replace it at no cost to the homeowner. The service visit, labor, and replacement fan are all included. A replacement fan installed under warranty receives its own five-year term. Ordinary fan replacement outside warranty is $575, including the fan, the visit, the labor, and a new five-year term. No trip charge. Details, including transferability, are in your customer packet after install.
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.