We’re all too familiar with the challenges that Midwest winters can bring but did you know they can also lead to exterior radon exhaust freeze-ups?
While you’re out shoveling driveways and salting sidewalks, you probably aren’t thinking about your radon mitigation system. However, frigid temperatures can lead to exterior radon exhaust freeze-ups, causing your radon system to stop working, and elevating the radon levels in your home.
Every winter we get calls from concerned homeowners asking why their radon alarms are going off. We didn’t feel right telling customers just to wait for a thaw, so we decided to find a solution.
Freeze-ups occur when ice builds up inside the exhaust pipe, preventing proper airflow.
Radon Exhaust Freeze Up Experiment
As an experiment, we ran a temporary heat cable down the exhaust pipes of two different mitigation systems to see if it would help prevent ice buildup.
Neither of the systems experienced freeze-up problems that winter.
Radon Exhaust Freeze Up Solution
Once we knew that heat cable would work to keep the system operational in cold weather, we developed a more permanent solution. We now install a self-regulating heat cable that adjusts with how cold it is outside. As temperatures drop, the cable puts out more power and more heat.
Below you can see where the power supply enters the pipe.
The heat cable begins just above the fan and runs all the way to the top of the exhaust pipe, makes a loop, and then runs back down about three feet inside the pipe.
Lastly, we have an electrician install a GFCI-protected outlet. From there, the customer just plugs in the heat cable during the winter, and it prevents their system from freezing.
If you have an outdoor system, don’t wait for radon exhaust freeze-ups to give us a call at 612-474-1004.
Contact us today to get a quote for heat cable installation.
