A Guide to Troubleshooting Your Radon Mitigation System

Your commercial radon mitigation system quietly protects the people who spend time inside your building. When it’s installed correctly, it creates suction beneath the slab and moves radon safely outdoors. Still, components can wear down, shift, lose power, or need professional attention. This guide to troubleshooting your radon mitigation system explains how to spot possible issues.

Read the System Gauge

The pressure indicator, called a manometer, gives a quick visual clue about whether the fan is pulling air through the system. A typical U-tube manometer shows unequal liquid levels when the system is under suction. Matching liquid levels may mean the fan has stopped, the system has lost power, or suction has dropped for another reason.

To check the manometer, you should:

• Compare today’s reading with the baseline reading recorded after installation.
• Check whether the fan or the dedicated circuit has power.
• Look for a tripped breaker, unplugged connection, or damaged switch.
• Note sudden changes after storms, service work, or building repairs.
• Take a photo of the gauge for your maintenance records.

If the reading looks flat, unstable, or very different from the baseline, don’t adjust the system on your own. Instead, contact a radon mitigation specialist who can use the right tools to check suction, fan performance, and system balance.

What Uneven Fluid Means

Uneven fluid levels show that the fan is creating pressure inside the pipe, which is what the system needs to move soil gas away from occupied areas. However, the exact reading depends on the system layout, fan type, pipe routing, and suction field below the slab. A reading that looks “high” or “low” doesn’t automatically mean good or bad without the original baseline. Therefore, facility teams should treat the post-installation reading as the reference point, not a random number found online.

Listen for Fan Changes

Radon fans should run continuously. A steady hum may be normal, but rattling, grinding, buzzing, or pulsing sounds can point to fan wear, vibration, loose mounting, or airflow restrictions. Additionally, a silent fan may mean the unit has lost power or stopped working altogether.

Troubleshooting a radon mitigation system should focus on observation rather than risky repair work. Fans involve electrical components and system-specific performance requirements, so facility staff shouldn’t open, rewire, or replace equipment without the right training. If the sound changes suddenly or the fan stops, schedule a professional inspection before assuming the building remains protected.

Retest Indoor Radon Levels

A gauge can tell you whether the fan appears to be pulling, but only testing tells you what’s happening in the air people breathe. Commercial properties should be retested after system installation, after major repairs, and after building changes that may affect airflow or foundation conditions. Additionally, periodic retesting confirms that the system continues to control radon.

Use testing methods that match the building type, occupancy, and applicable standards. Large buildings may need multiple test locations because radon levels can vary from room to room or zone to zone. If the results come back near or above the action level set by your jurisdiction, ask a qualified radon professional to interpret them and recommend adjustments.

Check Exhaust and Piping

Piping provides a path for moving radon from beneath the building to the outdoor exhaust point. Problems with the pipe run can reduce suction, limit airflow, or keep the system from directing radon outdoors.

Look for these piping issues during your walk-through:

• cracked or damaged pipe sections
• disconnected or loose pipe joints
• missing caps or loose supports
• damage from maintenance equipment or nearby construction
• wear on exterior piping from wind, sun exposure, or weather

The exhaust point also needs open space to release gas safely outside the building. Don’t let landscaping, stored materials, snow, roof work, or exterior upgrades crowd the discharge area. If the pipe has shifted, the exhaust location looks damaged, or air seems to discharge too close to an intake or occupied opening, bring in a radon mitigation specialist.

Review Recent Building Changes

Commercial buildings change constantly, and those changes may affect radon movement. A new tenant buildout, flooring replacement, wall relocation, HVAC adjustment, or slab penetration may alter pressure patterns or open new entry points. Even small work orders deserve a second look if radon levels change afterward.

Workplace radon mitigation fits the property’s layout, use, and occupancy patterns. Since those details can shift over time, the mitigation system may need to be reviewed when the building layout or daily operations change. Therefore, any major building update should trigger a review of the mitigation system and, when appropriate, follow-up testing.

HVAC Changes Shift Pressure

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems can change how air moves through a building. When pressure shifts in lower levels or slab-on-grade areas, soil gas may move differently around openings. If radon readings changed after mechanical work, share those details with the mitigation specialist.

When To Call a Mitigation Specialist

Facility teams can conduct basic observations, but they shouldn’t make changes to the system itself. Check the gauge, listen for new fan sounds, inspect visible piping, and review recent building updates. If the issue involves system performance, a trained radon mitigation specialist should repair or replace the components.

Contact a radon mitigation specialist when any of the following happens:

• The gauge reading looks flat or unusual.
• The fan becomes silent or starts making new sounds.
• A follow-up test shows higher radon levels.
• Visible piping looks loose, cracked, or damaged.
• Renovations or HVAC changes may have affected the system.

Check the System Regularly

Troubleshooting gets easier when your team already has a rhythm for checking the system. Add radon system observations to an existing facilities checklist. A quick monthly look at the gauge, fan sound, visible piping, and nearby conditions can catch many issues early.

Additionally, keep installation documents, baseline readings, warranty information, service notes, and test results in one shared folder. That folder becomes especially helpful when staff changes or a new property manager takes over. With a consistent maintenance habit, your building team won’t have to start from scratch every time a radon question comes up.

A commercial radon mitigation system works best when people treat it like part of the building’s safety infrastructure, not a forgotten pipe in the corner. Inspections, clear records, and timely retesting can help you catch problems while they’re still manageable. When readings change or components don’t look right, call Affordable Radon Southwest. We’ll address any issues to get the system working the way it should.