Radon Mitigation System Warranties: What to Look For

Posted on 2026-02-21 21:21:18

Radon doesn’t knock. It seeps. If you’ve tested your home and found elevated levels, installing a radon mitigation system is the right move. The next smart move is to scrutinize the warranty. Not the glossy brochure version, but the real terms that determine who pays and who shows up if something fails.

I’ve spent years around basements, crawlspaces, and sump pits in and around St. Louis, and I’ve seen both the smooth projects and the head-scratchers. The best outcomes have two things in common: solid installation practices and a clear, comprehensive warranty that sets expectations on both sides. This guide explains what a strong warranty looks like, why certain clauses matter, and how to compare offers from any radon mitigation contractor whether you searched “Radon mitigation near me” or already have a short list.

The two parts of a radon mitigation warranty

Warranties for a radon system usually split into two buckets, each with its own terms.

The first bucket is the equipment, mostly the radon fan. Fans do the heavy lifting. They run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in heat, cold, and sometimes in corrosive attic air. Manufacturers typically offer a fan warranty, and contractors layer their own labor coverage on top.

The second bucket covers workmanship and system performance. That means how well the components were installed, whether the system meets code, and whether it actually reduces radon to the promised level. These promises vary much more than fan warranties and are often where the real value is found.

Understanding which coverage applies when something goes wrong saves time and stress. If a fan motor dies in year three, you want to know whether the manufacturer ships a new fan and whether your contractor covers the replacement labor. If your post-mitigation reading drifts upward after six months, you want to know who returns to troubleshoot at no cost.

Fan warranties: what is typical and what to question

Most quality radon fans carry a manufacturer’s warranty ranging from 3 to 10 years. The most common I see in the field are 5-year warranties on standard residential inline fans. Longer warranties exist, but they often come with qualifiers such as restricted installations or proof of proper electrical protection.

Here’s where homeowners get tripped up. A manufacturer’s warranty usually covers parts only, not labor. If your fan fails, you may receive a replacement fan at no charge, but you still pay a contractor to swap it out unless your installation warranty says otherwise. Labor isn’t trivial, especially if the fan sits on a steep roof line or in a cramped attic. In the St. Louis area, a basic fan replacement service call can range from about 200 to 450 dollars depending on access, height, and electrical work.

Check for exclusions that undermine the coverage. Some manufacturers exclude failures related to condensation, improper mounting, or lack of a condensate bypass. Those details matter in Missouri’s climate, where winter-to-spring swings create condensation inside outdoor stacks. If your radon mitigation contractor installs an exterior fan without a proper water management detail and the fan corrodes early, the manufacturer can deny the claim. A good contractor anticipates these risks and installs accordingly.

Ask for the manufacturer’s warranty document, not just a brochure. Look for requirements about GFCI protection, disconnects, or installation orientation. Confirm that your setup follows those requirements so the warranty remains valid.

Workmanship and performance warranties: the promises that actually affect your radon levels

Now to the heart of it. A strong warranty does more than say the system was installed properly. It states a performance target, explains what happens if the system stops meeting that target, and sets a realistic service timeline.

Contractors in our region often guarantee that post-mitigation radon levels will be reduced below 4.0 pCi/L, which lines up with the EPA action level. The better ones commit to a specific result based on your pre-mitigation baseline. For example, if your home tested at 12 pCi/L, they might guarantee reduction to under 2.7 pCi/L or to within a documented range. I’ve seen contractors in St. Louis put writing behind that promise for 1 to 5 years. The length usually tracks with how well they size the system and seal the slab or crawlspace liner.

Here’s the nuance. A performance guarantee without free follow-up testing and service doesn’t help you much. The strong versions cover:

Post-mitigation testing, either a lab-grade short-term test or a 30-day digital monitor period, at no extra cost within the first 30 to 60 days. Adjustments at no labor charge if the initial test doesn’t meet the target. That can include opening or closing suction points, resealing slab cracks, or swapping to a higher static pressure fan if the home’s soil draw is tougher than expected.

I once worked on a brick bungalow in south St. Louis with a tight clay subgrade that acted like concrete. The first fan could not pull enough vacuum. The contractor had written a performance-backed warranty, so they swapped to a higher-capacity fan and added a second suction point in a utility closet, both at no additional labor cost. Materials were negotiated fairly since the home had unusual conditions, but the labor and retesting were fully covered. That’s the difference between a promise and a paragraph.

Another detail that signals seriousness is how the workmanship warranty handles sealing and penetrations. A sub-slab system is only as good as the sealing around the suction point, sump cover, and any visible cracks. If those seals fail after a season of expansion and contraction, a reliable contractor returns and re-seals without a fee during the workmanship coverage window, commonly 1 to 3 years.

What actually voids a radon system warranty

There are legitimate reasons a warranty can be voided. Most of them fall under misuse or third-party modification. A few common pitfalls:

Altering the system. Adding a tee, drilling a new suction hole, or tying another appliance vent into the stack voids coverage instantly. A radon system is a negative pressure setup specifically designed and measured for your home. Any modification changes the pressure field and, in some cases, creates a safety hazard. Disabling the fan. Some homeowners switch off the fan during vacations to save electricity. Radon levels rebound quickly, and moisture can condense in the stack when the fan restarts. If the fan fails after frequent cycling, a contractor may not cover it. Neglecting repairs to other parts of your home. If a sump pit cover was sealed by the radon contractor, then later a plumber cuts it for access and leaves it loose, your warranty likely excludes the resulting performance drop. The same goes for foundation repairs that open new pathways under the slab. Not following required maintenance. While a radon system is largely hands-off, sump pump replacements, crawlspace liner damage, or disconnected U-tube manometers do need attention. If a warranty requires you to keep the manometer visible and you relocate it, coverage might be disputed if the system runs unnoticed for months with zero pressure.

Reasonable contractors don’t hunt for excuses. They document the system on day one, label it clearly, and give you a short maintenance sheet. The best labels include the original static pressure reading on the manometer, fan model, and installation date. That way if something drifts, there’s a baseline for comparison.

Transferability: does the warranty move with the house

Homes change hands. A transferable warranty helps preserve value and avoids avoidable friction during a sale. Look for two separate transfer clauses.

The equipment warranty depends on the fan manufacturer. Fortunately, most fan warranties attach to the unit itself, not the owner, as long as you have the serial number and a dated invoice. Keep those documents in a safe spot. I advise taping a copy of the invoice inside the sump closet or near the electrical disconnect. It spares everyone a chase later.

The workmanship and performance warranty depends entirely on the contractor. Some offer full transfer at no cost within the warranty period. Others require a nominal transfer fee, usually under 100 dollars, or a quick inspection to confirm nothing has been altered. If you’re listing your home in St. Louis and your system is less than a few years old, an easily transferrable warranty is a selling point, especially after a buyer orders their own radon test.

What “lifetime warranty” usually means in this context

The phrase lifetime gets tossed around in home services. With radon systems, lifetime rarely means the lifetime of the homeowner. It typically means lifetime of a component under normal use, often with exclusions. I have seen “lifetime against workmanship defects” from a few firms, which sounds generous but comes with practical limits. If frost heave opens a hairline crack near your suction point five winters from now, is that a workmanship defect or a structure change? Expect gray zones.

For fans, a lifetime warranty from a manufacturer is extremely rare. If you see it in a proposal, read the fine print. It may actually be a pro-rated warranty where the coverage drops with each year. Or it may cover only a specific failure mode. I would rather have a clear 5-year full parts coverage with a contractor-provided 2-year labor guarantee than a vague lifetime claim that requires a debate every time you file.

Service response times and who pays for diagnosis

You feel the pain of a failed system on the first day. A well-written warranty sets an explicit service window for fan failures and performance issues. Forty-eight business hours is reasonable in peak season; 24 hours is ideal when radon levels are high. If a contractor won’t commit to a time frame, you’re at the mercy of their schedule.

Ask about diagnostic fees. Some policies say labor is covered only for verified defects. That means you could pay a trip charge if the system is fine and the issue is unrelated, such as a disconnected crawlspace liner after a pest service. That’s fair, but the threshold for “verified defect” should be clear. The most customer-friendly warranties waive the diagnostic fee if any covered issue is found.

Weather, power, and the limits of any warranty

Radon levels fluctuate with barometric pressure, stacking effects, and groundwater. After spring storms in St. Louis, I often see 24 to 48 hour spikes, even on well-designed systems. A performance warranty should reflect physics, not marketing. Look for language that defines success based on either long-term testing (90-day alpha track) or a rolling average from a continuous monitor. A one-day spike to 4.1 pCi/L does not equal failure if the 30-day average holds at 1.8.

Power interruptions can cause condensation to collect in exterior runs. A warranty won’t cover utility outages, but it should cover damage if the system was designed without a proper condensation bypass and traps water repeatedly. I’ve replaced fans that rusted out in two winters because the installer skipped a simple condensation loop. That’s not weather, that’s design.

Regional realities: St. Louis soil, basements, and code

If you’re searching “Radon mitigation St Louis” or “Stl radon” advice, local conditions deserve attention. Much of our region sits on dense clay and fill from past construction. Sub-slab communication can be limited in older homes with interior footings, which means a single suction point may not pull evenly across the whole footprint. The result is a system that looks fine on a manometer but still leaves a corner of a basement with elevated levels.

A good radon mitigation contractor here anticipates poor communication and may propose multiple suction points from the start or at least plan for future tie-ins. Warranties that recognize this reality will include no-cost adjustments within the first season if measurements suggest dead zones, not just a single follow-up test. I’ve seen warranties that specifically state additional suction points, if required to meet the agreed target, will be added with no extra labor within 90 days of installation. That is rare, but it’s the kind of promise that shows the contractor has budgeted for the unknowns.

City and county codes also influence durability. In many St. Louis municipalities, exterior fans must be installed above the eave line. That protects from re-entrainment but puts the fan into harsher conditions. A warranty that excludes weathering on an exterior fan is suspect. Corrosion-resistant housing and UV-rated pipe paint matter more when the fan lives outdoors year-round.

What documentation you should receive on day one

Good paperwork prevents bad memories. Beyond the invoice, ask for a simple packet. It doesn’t need fluff, just the essentials that keep your warranty intact.

The exact performance target in writing, tied to your pre-mitigation test source and method. The manufacturer’s fan warranty, model, and serial number. The contractor’s workmanship and labor coverage terms, including response times and any diagnostic fees. A labeled system diagram with suction points, pipe routes, fan location, and access notes for future service. A copy of your initial post-mitigation test result, with the test device and lab name.

If you have a sump system integrated into the mitigation design, add a note about the sump pump model and date, and how to remove and reseal the cover without voiding the radon system warranty. On a job in Kirkwood, we saved hours at a later service call because the homeowner had this single page taped inside the mechanical room.

How to compare two warranties that look similar

On paper, two warranties can both promise five years. The differences show up in the margins.

Who pays labor when the fan fails in year three? If one proposal covers parts only and the other covers parts plus labor for at least two years, the second is stronger, even if the upfront cost is slightly higher. Does the performance guarantee rely on a short-term test taken too soon? A system can pull levels down in the first 24 hours but rebound a week later. A better warranty specifies the timing of the post-test and includes a second verification, not just one snapshot. Are follow-up adjustments included without a change order? Probe the language. Look for phrases like “adjustments necessary to meet the guaranteed radon level will be performed at no additional labor cost within X days of installation.” What are the exclusions for “acts of others”? Reasonable exclusions protect the contractor from unrelated damage. Overbroad exclusions can make the warranty toothless. If everything from HVAC work to holiday lighting triggers an exclusion, you have little real coverage. Is transfer to a new buyer straightforward? If you plan to sell within a few years, a clean, no-cost transfer and a one-page letter from the contractor can smooth the inspection phase. I’ve watched closings wobble while parties argued over test timing and warranty transfer. Clarity upfront avoids that.

When paying more makes sense

Homeowners often ask why one bid for a radon system is 400 dollars higher than another. Sometimes the answer is simple: a better fan and a better warranty. If an installer stands behind labor for fan replacement, commits to multiple rounds of retesting, and offers performance-backed adjustments, they have priced in the real cost of service. That has value, particularly if your starting radon level is mid to high, your basement slab is segmented, or you have a finished basement where routing changes are hard.

I recall a two-story home in Chesterfield with a finished lower level and a tucked-away utility room. The cheaper bid put the fan in the attic with a long horizontal run over living space, minimal access, and a minimal warranty. The higher bid placed the fan outside in a sheltered corner with clean access, used schedule 40 pipe, and came with a five-year labor commitment on the fan plus a two-year performance guarantee with free adjustments. Three years later, when the fan bearings began to whine, the swap took under an hour, and the homeowner didn’t see a bill. The original price difference more than paid back in convenience and avoided drywall work.

The homeowner’s role: simple habits that protect your warranty

A radon mitigation system shouldn’t ask much of you, but a few habits keep it efficient and your warranty intact.

Check the U-tube manometer monthly. The liquid levels should be offset. If they are equal, the fan isn’t pulling. Record the reading a few times a year. A slow drift downward can signal a developing issue that is easier to fix under warranty. Keep the fan’s disconnect switch accessible and labeled. If a contractor can’t safely isolate power, they may postpone service. If other trades need to access the sump or run new utilities, call your radon contractor first. A quick consult avoids cut seals and finger pointing later. Retest yearly, or at least every two years, especially after major weather events or structural changes. Some contractors offer discounted long-term tests to their past clients and will document results as part of your system history.

Those small steps don’t just help performance. They create a record that supports any future warranty claim.

What to ask during a “Radon mitigation near me” call

When you’re narrowing options, the conversation matters more than the glossy flyer. Use focused questions that surface the real terms behind the marketing language.

If the fan fails in year three, who pays for labor and how quickly can you respond? What performance level will you guarantee, and how will you verify it after installation? If the first test doesn’t meet the target, what adjustments are included at no cost? Is the warranty transferable to a new owner, and do you provide a standard transfer letter? Are there any installation details that, if not done correctly, would void the fan manufacturer’s warranty? How do you prevent those issues?

Listen for specificity. Vague answers often predict vague coverage.

Red flags that suggest a weak warranty

Most contractors want satisfied clients. Still, a few warning airsenseenvironmental.com Radon mitigation contractor signs repeat.

“Lifetime warranty” without a written, itemized definition of what lifetime covers and who pays labor. No mention of performance, only “we’ll install per code.” Code compliance matters, but radon reduction is the goal. A requirement to use only the contractor’s paid annual service to keep the warranty valid even though radon systems don’t require yearly servicing. Routine inspections are fine, paywalls are not. Refusal to share the fan manufacturer’s written warranty document. Overly broad exclusions that blame any other trade or minor home change for system performance problems.

When you see these, step back and either push for clarity or move on.

A note on costs and budget planning in the St. Louis area

Pricing moves with material costs and access. For context, a straightforward exterior radon system with one suction point around St. Louis often ranges from about 1,100 to 1,900 dollars. Finished basements, attic routes, or multiple suction points can push that to 2,000 to 3,000. Where warranties fit: a bid at the higher end that includes a strong performance guarantee and at least two years of labor coverage on the fan can be a smarter buy than the lowest bid with parts-only backing.

For older homes with thick slabs or shared walls, expect your contractor to talk about diagnostic drilling or pressure-field extension tests. If they’re doing that extra work, make sure the warranty reflects it by covering return visits to tune the system without surprise labor charges.

Bottom line: clarity, coverage, and the character of the installer

Warranties reveal how a company handles the 5 percent of jobs that need extra attention. Strong ones are plainspoken, specific, and matched to your home’s conditions. They name the fan model and warranty term. They define a performance target and the steps if it is not met. They cover labor for a reasonable period and set service timelines you can count on. They transfer cleanly and avoid gotchas.

Whether you start your search with “Radon mitigation system” basics, call a neighbor’s referral, or type “St louis radon” into your browser, judge the offer by the warranty as much as by the price. Done right, a radon system runs quietly in the background for years. Done casually, it becomes a recurring chore. The warranty is your early warning for which result you are likely to get.

Air Sense Environmental – Radon Mitigation & Testing

Business Name: Air Sense Environmental – Radon Mitigation & Testing
Address: 5237 Old Alton Edwardsville Rd, Edwardsville, IL 62025, United States
Phone: (618) 556-4774
Website: https://www.airsenseenvironmental.com/

Hours:
Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

Plus Code: RXMJ+98 Edwardsville, Illinois
Google Maps URL: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XTPhHjJpogDFN9va8

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https://www.airsenseenvironmental.com/

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Landmarks Near Edwardsville, IL

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE)
A major public university campus that serves as a cultural and educational hub for the Edwardsville community.

The Wildey Theatre
A historic downtown venue hosting concerts, films, and live entertainment throughout the year.

Watershed Nature Center
A scenic preserve offering walking trails, environmental education, and family-friendly outdoor experiences.

Edwardsville City Park
A popular local park featuring walking paths, sports facilities, and community events.

Madison County Transit Trails
An extensive regional trail system ideal for biking and walking across the Metro East area.

If you live near these Edwardsville landmarks and need professional radon testing or mitigation, contact Air Sense Environmental at (618) 556-4774 or visit https://www.airsenseenvironmental.com/.