Radon test kit how does it work

When it comes to radon gas testing, you can do it yourself with a home testing kit or hire a professional company. Home Testing Kits : The benefits of home testing kits are cost, speed and convenience. However, using a DIY radon testing kit means you sacrifice accuracy for convenience.

Therefore, these tests are only recommended to identify if there is a problem. These tests are not meant to provide specific radon levels. If radon is detected, it is highly recommended that you hire a professional company to test your home. If you decide to purchase a DIY test, here are several important steps you need to take to get the most accurate result possible:. Professional Testing : If you are in the process of buying or selling a home, professional radon testing is recommended.

This testing method is performed by trained and certified experts using precise, professional-grade equipment. There are some very important differences in professional and home testing kits that you should understand:. If radon gas is identified during a professional test, the company you hired will typically help create a comprehensive plan to resolve the issue and make the home safe. Home testing kits are usually considered short-term tests. Because long-term tests capture peaks and valleys in your radon levels, they are considered more accurate.

If a professional inspection company identifies elevated levels of radon in your home, they will discuss various mitigation options with you. With many models, the results will be displayed on the screen and therefore visible to building users, which may not always be desirable.

Some monitors have an option to disable the screen for this reason. In certain situations, a formal report from a validated laboratory may be required as proof of radon testing, therefore a digital monitor may not be appropriate.

These monitors will not give an instant result and to obtain a reliable result should normally be left in place for 7 days or more before reliance is placed on the readings. Useful Links Buying a house in a radon affected area? Where to place radon detectors? What can affect radon test results? How does Radon affect me? House in a radon gas affected area?

Request Your Test Kit With an independent lab, we will test the radon levels in your property and our experts will report back. Useful Links We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Do not sell my personal information. Manage consent. Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website.

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You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. An HRV may dilute the radon by bringing in fresh air, but it still will allow the radon to enter the house. Plus, research that has been conducted shows that the reduction provided by an HRV is not enough to reduce high levels. Geothermal technology itself does not bring radon gas into a home because the loops used in geothermal are closed and so would not impact radon levels within a home.

The loops can be situated vertically or horizontally and could create a pathway which would allow radon to move through the ground and up. The pipes need to enter the house some how and this access point needs to be sealed or it could be a potential entry point for radon.

They still need to be tested for radon. Some provincial or regional building codes require radon prevention measures. New homes could have either a radon rough-in stub pipe or a radon rough-in extended pipe. Both of these pipes are intended to make reducing radon easier once the home occupant has tested for radon and determined if radon reduction is required. Currently, we only know of a few programs that provide some type of assistance however, we will update our website as we learn of others.

In Ontario, Tarion Warranty covers new homes for the first seven years after construction. If homes test above the Health Canada guideline then the warranty program covers the cost of the radon mitigation system if installed by a C-NRPP Professional.

In some case if a senior fails to qualify for a loan a grant may be given. Radon is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, radioactive gas found naturally in the environment. Radon is released into the air during the natural breakdown of uranium in rocks and soil. Radon enters homes and buildings through any place in contact with the soil, such as small cracks in the foundation, construction joints, gaps around service pipes, floor drains and sumps. Lung cancer can develop after many years of radon exposure.

As a radioactive gas, radon decays. Alpha particles release small bursts of energy which are then absorbed by nearby lung tissue. This results in lung cell death or damage.

When lung cells are damaged, they have the potential to result in cancer when they reproduce mutation. To date, medical researchers have not conclusively linked radon exposure to health concerns other than lung cancer.

The Take Action on Radon is a national initiative funded by Health Canada to bring together stakeholders and raise awareness on radon across Canada. The goal of this survey is to gather more information about radon concentrations throughout the country to increase our knowledge and help us to better understand concentration levels.

If it still gives you trouble, you could try using a different browser ex. Google Chrome or you could email and have us help you with entering the information. You only need to click the submit button once. Sometimes if people double click it takes it as two submissions and provides this error, but the first submission worked. You can email us at info takeactiononradon. Once the lab has received the batch of kits from the community, they should provide the results within two weeks.

They will provide the results to the email that was listed on the when the Start Test information was entered. If no email was provided. They will mail the results to the address listed as the contact address. The length of time to receive the results by mail will vary depending on the mail service but could be 4 week after the tests are received.

Take Action on Radon takeactiononradon. We are continuing to take list of communities that would like to participate next year. Radon contributes to over 20, American deaths each year. Request a service appointment today. Not every house has or will have elevated levels of radon, but one in 15 does, and there is no way to know if your home is affected without testing as radon gas is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Any home with a radon level of 4. There are two types of tests, passive and active, and there are three subtypes of passive tests, including charcoal, alpha track, and electret.

Only charcoal and alpha track tests are available as a DIY radon test kit. Active tests are always conducted as professional radon testing. If you're debating between a DIY radon test kit or professional radon testing, you should consider the reason behind the testing. If you merely want to know if a radon problem exists in your home, DIY testing can save you some time and money. If you need test results for a real estate transaction, you need professional radon testing.

If you're considering a DIY radon test kit, you need view the test only as a means of determining if there is a radon problem at all. The accuracy of a DIY radon test kit is always uncertain because it's conducted by an amateur. A DIY radon test kit will either be charcoal or alpha track. Charcoal tests absorb the radon in the air for a specified amount of time, and once in the lab, the radioactive particles emitted by the charcoal are counted or converted to light, giving a radon level readout.

Alpha track tests use a plastic film that is etched by the alpha particles that strike it.