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Should I have a cover put on my Radon pipe?

10/24/2018

16 Comments

 
Picture
Homeowners frequently ask us if we put a cover on the top of the radon mitigation piping, and it’s a good question. It does seem like it would be a good idea when you look and see a pipe open to the elements. However, as we will explain in this post, not only is it not necessary for the system to be effective and to protect the fan, pipe covers can actually reduce the effectiveness of the system itself and cause big issues in the winter time.

Lets first go over the main questions we hear from homeowners when they see the opening in the top of the pipe.

Won't rain get into the piping and negatively affect the system?

The radon mitigation fans that we use are designed to handle water coming through the piping, and if water does come down into the pipe when it rains, the water will simply drain back into your drain tile underneath your home to be pumped out again from your sump pump. In our 21 years of business we have never encountered a water issue from rain trickling into our systems piping.

Won’t leaves and other debris get into the piping and wreck the fan or clog the pipe?

The airflow moving through our piping is quite substantial, and it is very rare for debris to find its way into the pipe without getting blown right back out, or getting deterred before it can even get close to going in. 

What about animals?

Due to the amount of air flow constantly running through the pipe and how quickly it is exhausting, most, if not all animals stay away from opening to the pipe. In extremely rare cases if an animal does get in, that would be covered under warranty.

Why a cover can be detrimental to your radon system:

Pipe covers can cause your system to freeze over in the winter:  When your radon mitigation system is running, it is pulling air from beneath your homes foundation and safely venting it above your roofline. In the wintertime, the outside air is much cooler than the air from underneath your home and this causes condensation to form. With a cover, the condensation starts to build up and freeze over, eventually causing it to freeze over the top of the pipe completely. Once this happens, the radon fan can no longer pull and push any air through and the system becomes useless. This is especially bad because radon levels tend to be higher in the winter time due to closed house conditions, stack effect, and other temperature/pressure differentials.  Therefore, with a frozen over system you will start to accumulate high levels of radon in the basement with nothing to extract it out.

Less Airflow: Nearly all covers will affect the amount of airflow running through your radon mitigation piping. To run at peak efficiency and keep your levels as low as possible, the top of the pipe should be left open to allow the most airflow possible.

In conclusion, putting a protective cap on the top of your radon system might sound like a good idea in theory. However, due to the factors discussed above and the fact that it is not necessary, it is something to avoid when installing a radon system in your home.

Andrew Kreklow

Lifetime Radon 

16 Comments
Jack
5/10/2019 07:41:00 pm

There isnt much if any air flow leaving the pipe on the out side of my house. Wont the fan get hot and melt with no air flow?

Reply
Mike Robinson link
9/12/2019 04:38:03 pm

I would like to build a box around the pipe coming out of the basement floor, someone said all I need is an access panel to check the levels . Does it sound right, thanks

Reply
Lifetime Radon
9/17/2019 01:35:43 pm

Hi Mike,

Yes that does sound right. You can box in the pipe in the basement as long as you leave an access to see the manometer.

Reply
Ray Sharretts
4/27/2020 05:07:11 pm

I don't have a sump pump, will rain entering the roof pipe be a problem draining back under the foundation of the house?

Reply
Keith Evanson
11/18/2020 09:11:41 am

I have this situation

Reply
Travis
12/22/2020 06:45:30 pm

Also the same. Hoping to see some feedback here.

Andrew Kreklow link
2/24/2021 09:28:39 am

If you do not have a sump, the water will simply drain back into the soil. The amount of water that will actually enter the pipe when the system is active is negligible, so it's never been an issue for any homeowners that we have dealt with.

Reply
Shane
6/26/2020 01:26:55 pm

I just replaced my fan because it quit after only a few years. When removing the old fan, I discovered the remains of what I think was a squirrel in my fan. Would a wire mesh cover be okay to prevent this in the future?

Reply
Ray Sharretts
6/26/2020 02:00:29 pm

I asked the radon installer this question and he said even the large gauge mesh collects condensation in the winter and can freeze causing partial to complete obstruction. He said they recommend no cover of any kind. I have very strong airflow out my pipe, my radon level has gone from 11-13 to 0.5. Very pleased, didn't think it would work that well

Reply
Ben Kopp
4/2/2021 07:09:05 pm

We hear significant gurgling from our radon mitigation system just before water starts coming into our basement. What is happening to create that gurgling sound? (We are trying to figure out where the water that's coming in is flowing from so we can stop it.)

Reply
ben kopp
4/4/2021 04:30:39 pm

I SHOULD ADD... This happens after a day of continuous, heavy rain that creates storm water/surface runoff. Do you think gurgling water is flowing under slab or if enough rain has fallen down mitigation pipe to collect at bottom?

Reply
Mark Greenemay
4/11/2021 07:33:40 am

I have a 4” PVC pipe coming out of my house for the vent, the pipe was installed against the side of my house causing mold abound the vent on my siding. Is it ok to add a 4” elbow on the end of my vent pipe to keep the air flow away from the siding?

Reply
Carmen
5/1/2021 04:22:00 pm

I’ve been thinking the same. Would like to see an answer to this question.

Reply
Dave
12/7/2021 12:51:29 pm

My fan system doesn’t have drain holes at the bottom of th 90 degree bend of the vent pipe before it enters the crawl space, should it? The top of the vent pipe was secured to the side of the house and the opening is at a point of the roofline where rain drains off the roof. In a heavy rain, Water would pour directly into the vent pipe. I have since put a 45° angle pipe at the top of the vent to stop that from happening.

Reply
Jeremy
1/10/2024 02:04:29 pm

I'm seeing a lot of no you shouldn't have a problem with rain coming in or rodents coming in. Well what if you do have that problem? my radon vent is full of water and the fan keeps tripping my gfci when there is heavy rain/ice.

Reply
Anna Brzycki
1/21/2024 02:59:29 pm

Hello. There is ice and snow sticking out of the top of my radon pipe. I don't have a cover on it.
I can hear inside my house a long vibration noise. The pipe seems to be touching my outside wall directly. The fan is not making the noise. What should I do?
I appreciate any help and suggestions. Thank you.

Reply



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    Brian S. Thompson
    Lifetime Radon Solutions

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  • Home
  • Locations
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    • Lifetime Radon Mitigation La Crosse
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  • Services
    • Radon Mitigation
    • Radon Testing
    • FREE Radon Testing
    • Crawl Space Encapsulation
    • Trichloroethylene (TCE)
    • Commercial Radon Testing and Mitigation
    • Local Articles >
      • Lifetime Radon Mitigation Brookfield
      • Lifetime Radon Mitigation Madison
      • Lifetime Radon Mitigation Plymouth
      • Lifetime Radon Mitigation Brooklyn Park
      • Lifetime Radon Mitigation West Allis
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