Dataset · v1.0.0 · 10 rows
Component and service-life dataset
Every component of an active radon mitigation system: what it does, how it fails, whether failure is visible, and whether it is a wear item or permanent infrastructure.
Components by service-life class
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The data
| Component | Function | Classification | Failure mode | Failure visible to owner | How to detect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fan | Develops the pressure difference that draws soil gas from beneath the slab. | wear-item | Bearing wear then motor stop. Warranted for a term of years, budgeted as a replaceable part after. | false | Manometer columns level; fan no longer audible. A fan-failure alarm shortens the window considerably. |
| Manometer | Indicates that the system is developing suction. | semi-permanent | Fluid loss, or the gauge knocked out of level so it reads incorrectly. | true | Visual check against the mark made at commissioning. |
| Suction pit and sub-slab connection | Couples the pipe to the aggregate layer beneath the slab. | permanent | Silt or debris intrusion reducing the draw area; rare. | false | Falling manometer reading with a confirmed working fan; diagnostics. |
| Riser pipe | Carries soil gas from the suction point to above the roofline. | permanent | Joint separation or damage, most often during a basement renovation. | true | Visual inspection; loss of suction after building work. |
| Roofline discharge | Releases exhausted soil gas where it disperses rather than re-entering. | permanent | Blockage by debris, nesting, or ice. | false | Manometer change without a fan fault; seasonal noise change. |
| Sump lid seal | Closes what is often the largest single opening in a basement floor. | semi-permanent | Gasket degradation, or the lid left unsealed after pump service. | true | Visual check after any sump or drainage work. |
| Floor-wall joint and crack sealing | Stops the fan pulling conditioned room air instead of soil gas. | semi-permanent | Sealant cracking with slab movement; sections covered by later finishing. | true | Visual inspection where accessible; a rising indoor result with the fan running. |
| Crawl-space membrane | Takes the place of a slab so suction can be drawn beneath it. | semi-permanent | Tears from storage or trades access; seams or wall seals opening. | true | Inspection after anyone works in the crawl space. |
| Dedicated electrical circuit | Powers continuous fan operation with a disconnect. | permanent | Tripped breaker, which stops the system silently. | false | Check the breaker first when the manometer reads level — it costs nothing. |
| System label and documentation | Tells the next owner, inspector, or contractor what was installed. | permanent | Lost during ownership transfer. | true | Absent at resale, which turns a documented repair into an open question. |
Download and API
- component-service-life.csv — 10 rows, comma separated.
- component-service-life.json — rows plus the field schema, methodology, and version. Stable URL, same origin, no key required.
- index.json — the catalogue of every dataset, for programmatic discovery.
Licence. CC BY 4.0 — reuse with attribution to Radon Connect and a link to the dataset page.
Field schema
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
component | string | Part of an active system. |
function | string | What it does. |
classification | enum wear-item · semi-permanent · permanent | Wear items are expected to be replaced within the life of the system; permanent components are expected to outlast it. |
failureMode | string | How this component stops doing its job. |
failureVisible | boolean | Whether an owner would notice without testing or inspection. |
detection | string | What actually reveals the failure. |
Methodology
The question this answers
What is an active radon system made of, how does each part fail, and would an owner notice?
How a row comes to exist
- Components were enumerated from the scope a competent mitigation contract specifies.
- Classification uses three service-life classes rather than year ranges. Manufacturer warranty terms differ by model and we do not restate them as though they were a general service life.
- The visibility column exists because silent failure is the defining maintenance problem in this field.
Inclusion and exclusion
- Components present in a standard active sub-slab or sub-membrane system.
- Optional monitoring hardware is described in the guides rather than treated as a standard component.
What this dataset cannot tell you
- No expected lifespans in years are published. Those depend on model, duty, and environment, and a general figure would be an invented number.
- Failure modes are the common ones, not an exhaustive engineering list.
- Nothing here is a maintenance instruction. Fan, roof, and electrical work belong to a qualified professional.
Related
- Radon Mitigation Cost Driver Index — The variables that move a quote, their direction, and their relative magnitude — no invented dollar figures.
- Home-Sale Radon Negotiation Outcome Taxonomy — Four outcomes, what drives each, and who carries the risk afterward.
- How long systems last — The pipe is effectively permanent. The fan is the wear item.
- Fan replacement cost — The one wear item: spotting failure, replacing it, and retesting.
- Long-term ownership costs — Electricity, conditioned air, retests, and one or two fans.
- System not working — Diagnose in order: the test, then the fan, then the design. Most "failed" systems fail at one of the first two.
- Research Center — every dataset, with its provenance and status.
- Research methodology — how this platform builds and checks content.
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Sources
- U.S. EPA — Radon
- U.S. EPA — Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction