Radon System Repair & Fan Replacement

Signs Your Radon System Isn't Working

A radon mitigation system is not "install it and forget it" — it's a mechanical fan that runs 24 hours a day, and like anything mechanical, it can wear out or fall out of tune. The problem is that radon is invisible and odorless, so a failed system gives you no warning on its own. That's why every properly built system has a way to check it at a glance, and why a periodic re-test matters. Here's how to tell yours may need service:

• The manometer columns are level. That clear U-shaped tube on your pipe is a pressure gauge. When the fan is pulling, the two liquid columns sit at different heights. If they've settled to the same level, the fan has lost suction or stopped — the single most reliable sign of failure.
• New noise. A healthy system is quiet. Humming, rattling, grinding, or gurgling that wasn't there before points to worn fan bearings, a mounting problem, or water sitting in the pipe.
• An elevated re-test. If you retest and the number is back at or above 4.0 pCi/L even though the fan seems to run, the system is under-performing and needs to be diagnosed.
• The fan is silent and still. Put a hand near the fan or listen closely; no motor hum at all usually means a failed fan.
• Age. A fan that has run continuously for many years is on borrowed time even if it hasn't failed yet.

If you're seeing any of these, the fix is usually straightforward and doesn't mean replacing the whole system. Confirming the actual radon level with a fresh radon test is often the first step so we know exactly what we're chasing.

Radon Fan Replacement

The fan is the heart of the system and the part most likely to need replacing over time. Because it runs continuously and often handles moist soil air, it's a wear item — a good one lasts for years, but none last forever. When a fan fails, radon starts climbing back into the home within a day or two, so a dead fan is worth addressing promptly rather than waiting.

A fan replacement with Grand Junction Radon means:

• Right-sizing. We match the replacement fan's suction to your foundation and pipe, so you don't end up with one that's too weak to do the job or so strong it's loud and wasteful.
• Quality units. We install proven inline radon fans built for continuous duty — not a generic exhaust fan.
• Clean mounting. Correct vibration isolation and sealing so the new fan runs quietly and doesn't leak.
• Re-verification. A post-repair radon test confirms your level is back below 4.0 pCi/L.

A straight fan swap is one of the quicker jobs we do, and it restores a system that was otherwise designed and installed correctly. If the fan keeps failing, that can be a clue the system was under-designed to begin with — which we'll flag rather than just selling you another fan.

Upgrading a Passive or Builder System to Active

Many newer homes in the Grand Valley were built with a passive radon system — a rough-in pipe run from under the slab up through the roof during construction, with no fan. The idea is that natural airflow (the stack effect) draws some soil gas up the pipe. In practice, passive systems often don't lower radon enough on their own, especially in a Zone 1 county like Mesa where starting levels can be high. Homeowners frequently discover this the first time they actually test.

The fix is a passive-to-active conversion: we add a correctly sized inline fan to the existing pipe, install a manometer so the system can be monitored, seal any slab penetrations or the sump that are leaking house air, and then verify the result with a post-mitigation test. Because the pipe route already exists, converting a passive system is usually faster and less expensive than building a new system from scratch. We handle the same way any older active system that's simply under-performing — adding a suction point, upgrading the fan, or improving the sealing until the number comes down and stays down.

We Service Other Companies' Systems — Any Brand

You don't have to track down whoever installed your system to get it fixed — and plenty of Grand Valley homeowners can't, because the original installer moved on or went out of business. We repair, upgrade, and re-verify radon systems regardless of who built them. Buying a house with an existing system and want to know it actually works? Inherited a fan that's making noise? Got a home inspector's note that the system is "non-functional"? Those are everyday calls for us.

When we look at an existing system, we inspect the pipe routing and discharge point, the fan, the sealing at the slab and sump, and the manometer, then give you an honest read: repairable as-is, worth upgrading, or better reworked — with a firm price either way. As licensed Colorado radon professionals building to national ANSI/AARST standards, we bring any system we touch up to a standard we're willing to verify with a test. Because a repair or fan swap usually involves an electrical connection and sometimes a new penetration, it can require a permit through Mesa County or the City of Grand Junction, which we handle for you. Curious what a repair or a full system runs? Our cost guide breaks it down.