Radon testing is easy and inexpensive!

Radon is a radioactive gas that seeps into home all across the United States and Canada. It is impossible to know if you have it unless you test for it. One common myth about radon is “my neighbors level is low so mine must be also”.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking, causing an estimated 21,000 deaths annually in the USA.

Radon Test Kits

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Air-Check short term radon test kits are an industry standard. Test duration is 3-7 days with lab results available in less than a week. If you have multiple levels in your home and you have a forced air furnace/air conditioner you may like to do more than one test, since levels are often found to be high on the upper levels of the home also. These test kits are $15.00 which includes all shipping and lab fees.

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Long term radon test kits should be used to determine an average level from 3 months or longer. Typically these are used after a test result is found to be around EPA’s action level of 4pCi/L. Radon risk is based on dose and length of exposure. Radon levels tend to be higher during the colder months so a long term test taken during  a couple of seasons will give you an accurate picture of your long term exposure.

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Radon in water is a concern if you have a private well or a smaller local water source. Usually it’s better to do an air test first before checking your water. When radon levels test higher on the upper floors of the home, you could have a high radon level coming from your water source.

Radon Water Test Kit

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Inexpensive radon monitors have been around for a few years. I must say that I was not impressed with the 1st attempts to provide an affordable electronic radon tester for the public. But the Safety Siren Pro Series 3 radon monitor is a quality product.

I have mitigated a number of houses where these devices were being used by my customers. When I perform a radon mitigation, a follow up test is performed to verify the results of the radon fan system. I provide a Air Chek short-term 3-7day charcoal test kit and the results have been right in line with the digital readout on their Safety Siren radon detector.

So for those of you who like science experiments, this little tester is kind of fun to watch, since radon levels will vary greatly, even over the course of a day. You will receive updated levels every 4 hours  and it will keep track of long term averages from the time it is first plugged in. If you are looking for a continuous read out you’ll pay close to $1000 USD or much more.

The Safety Siren Pro Series 3 is definitely worth $129.95. But if you end up with some border line results in the 4pCi/L range, you may want purchase a short-term test kit to verify your results. The scientist in me says yea it’s worth it…

And hey when you are done with your house you can try it out at your family and friends homes too!