Radon in Indianapolis

In 2022, we tested our house for radon and got numbers that made us pause. Not panic exactly—but definitely a “we’re not ignoring this” moment. Radon is one of those invisible risks that feels abstract until it isn’t. Ours wasn’t subtle. The levels were high enough that the next step was obvious: fix it.

We had a mitigation system installed—a pretty standard setup. A pipe running from beneath the house, a fan pulling air up and out, venting it safely above the roofline. Once it was in, the radon levels dropped fast. Problem solved.

Or so we thought.

The Part Most People Skip: Ongoing Monitoring

Instead of treating it like a one-and-done fix, we kept a continuous monitor running—a device from Airthings. It sat quietly in the corner, tracking radon levels day after day.

For a long time, everything looked good. Low, stable numbers. Easy to forget about.

Until they weren’t.

When the Numbers Start Creeping

The change wasn’t dramatic at first—just a slow upward drift. The kind you could ignore if you weren’t paying attention.

But we were.

That’s the thing about having real data: it removes the wiggle room. You don’t get to tell yourself it’s “probably fine” when the trend line says otherwise.

We checked the obvious things. Windows closed? Yes. Weather fluctuations? Maybe. But the levels kept climbing.

Eventually, we went outside and listened.

The fan—the core of the whole system—was still running. But not quite right. A faint change in pitch, a subtle inconsistency. Easy to miss if you didn’t know what it used to sound like.

The system was built with a RadonAway fan, and after a bit of research, it became clear: fans don’t last forever. Ours was likely on its way out.

So we replaced it ourselves.

Turn off power. Loosen the rubber couplings. Slide the old fan out. Drop the new one in. Tighten everything back up. Restore power.

Within a day, the radon levels dropped again. Back to where they should be. The monitor confirmed it, steadily, without drama. Radon mitigation is a quiet system doing an important job, and like anything mechanical, it needs occasional attention.

The difference for us wasn’t just installing the system—it was continuing to watch it.

Because the real risk isn’t high radon levels you find.

It’s the ones you assume are handled.