FRESH-AIRE SYSTEMS

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I called several times before I got a person. I just kept calling and leaving my information. He finally came out and changed the motor (still under warrantee). I had to call another company to find out what was required for the code. I told Fresh Aire what the code was. He reacted as thought what he had done was good enough, and that the pipe was 8 feet from the window, and that was supposed to be fine, when the code says it has to be 10 feet from any window, or two feet above the top of the window, if it isn't ten feet away. He changed out the motor, and put an additional length of pipe on. If I owned a business, I would get back to people right away no matter what my personal situation was. I would thank them for their business, ask if they had questions or concerns. Communication is something this company could improve on.

Having a radon mitigation system installed in the house was a contingency clause in the purchase agreement on our house. At closing I was given a copy of the billing statement and the new radon test reading from Fresh-Aire Systems of Oregon, WI. The radon reading in the basement (!) complied with EPA requirements, so for the time being I was satisfied. Since moving into the house, I have had several parties (including a large and highly reputable contractor in the Madison area) look at the exterior of the house and warn me that the exterior radon pipe was not installed according to EPA code and that it was a serious health hazard. According to EPA regulations, the end of the pipe where the gas dissipates has to be at least 10ft away from any openings into the house (doors, windows, vents, etc.). Mine sits only a couple feet from the window into my son's room. Because of this, concentrated radon gas is likely being sucked into the house. I was told that this is likely a worse outcome than to have not installed a mitigation system at all. When I called Eric Mikkelson, president of Fresh-Aire Systems, to report the issue, I had to leave a message. After not hearing back within 24 hrs, I called back and left another voice message. Mr. Mikkelson called me the following week and left me a voicemail, which I returned within 2 hours, only to speak with an answering machine again. It has now been several days, and I have not heard from him since. I think Mr. Mikkelson does not appreciate the fact that HIS company has created a serious health hazard for my family and that he is responsible for remedying the issue. His lack of responsiveness to my calls is telling of his workmanship and sense of responsibility.

Everything went very well indeed. The owner of the company came out to test our basement, the radon level was not too high, within the expected, however we wanted to have the radon fan extract system installed. he quoted us a price which we felt was very reasonable and within the week the system was installed. He came back to check all was going well 2 week later which it was. I would recommend this company to anyone seeking radon testing and if needed the radon extraction fan installed.

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Overall I was pleased with the installation. The installation of the system was performed quickly, professionally and cleanly. The provider came several times to test and improve the system after installation. There was one missed appointment but was promptly rescheduled. I was surprised by the ease of installation.

Eric was polite, professional, and friendly. He came in one day and gave an estimate and came back a few days later to do the work. It took him half a day to do the job, and the end cost was what was estimated. His company is certified by the state to do radon mitigation; not all companies are. Check the different areas for information about radon and radon mitigation. I would highly recommend Fresh-Aire Systems to anyone needing radon mitigation.

As we found out during our search for a radon mitigation specialist, it is very much a buyer-beware situation: many individuals are not certified by NEHA and their "solutions" may not be compliant with code. We were fortunate to come across Fresh-Aire Systems. Eric returned our telephone inquiry with a day or so and performed a site inspection a few days later. After assessing the problem, he offered two different solutions, highlighting the advantages/disadvantages of each. It took several weeks before he could actual perform the installation, but I suppose good service providers are always in demand. Eric pulled the building permit, arranged for a subcontractor to perform the necessary electrical work, and monitored the system for a week or so after installation to ensure that it was working properly. As a result, Eric reduced our basement radon levels from 30 pCi/L down to < 1 pCi/L (the EPA recommended level is < 4). We were very pleased with Eric and his work.