Home Inspections

Do I really need a radon test?

  • Apr, 29 2021
  • doublehinspection

Radon Testing

One question I get asked a lot is, do I need a radon test? The short answer is YES everyone should have their home tested (even if you’re not buying or selling).

Radon is something that before my training I honestly didn’t think was too serious. I knew about radon but it really wasn’t on my radar for things to be worried about. That has all changed though with my training through Internachi and Healthy Homes.  Radon is deadly and needs to be taken seriously as it posses real health risks. How deadly you might ask? Well according to the EPA there are approximately 21,000 deaths in the US each year from lung cancer related to radon exposure.  That is more deaths than gun murders, illegal drug overdoses, drownings, and many many more commonly known causes of death.  The problem is that radon is impossible to see or detect by a person and it takes time to have its devastating effects show up in people.  This causes radon to not even show up on some peoples radar as something to be concerned with.  I want to help change that and keep our communities informed and safe.

Radon testing is simple and effective and the technology today makes it very accurate.  I partner with Airthings and use their Corentium Pro units to ensure the highest standards in my results.  The Corentium Pro samples indoor air through a passive diffusion chamber, using alpha spectrometry to precisely calculate the radon level. Radon is detected using silicon photodiodes to both count and measure the energy of alpha particles resulting from the decay chain of radon gas. The instrument is calibrated to reference instruments in accredited laboratories and is AARST-NRPP and NRSB certified.  It also measures temperature, humidity, and air pressure during the test so we can get a full picture of what is going on if levels are rising and falling. This is a huge benefit over the cheap charcoal test kits that are out there that will simply give you the average and not the full picture of what is going on. These units also have motion detectors on board to make sure the unit isn’t tampered with during the test to help ensure accuracy.

Please check out the link to Internachi’s chart on Radon deaths in the US here LINK

You don’t need to be buying or selling a home to get a radon test. We can provide these to any one at any time to give them the peace of mind that their home is safe from the dangers of radon gas.  Sheridan County has an average level of 6.58 pCi/L which is above the 4.0 pCi/L level that the EPA recommends mitigation of your home at.  That means if you live in Sheridan County you really need to get your home tested and make sure it is safe.

See the map here for county by county averages of radon level.   LINK

Another reason radon hasn’t been taken as seriously as it should be is that in the past it might not have been as prevalent in our homes. As building designs and materials get better and more energy efficient one of the unintended consequences is that they are more air tight. This is great for energy efficiencies but not so good for radon levels.  Our homes don’t “breathe” as much as they use to and that can cause houses that maybe in the past didn’t have such a concern to have higher levels of radon present now.   We are learning more and more about radon and its effects all the time but the bottom line is it is smart to get a test and get mitigation if you have elevated level.

If you have any questions on radon or our test please reach out as we are happy to help anyone in our communities make sure their home is safe from radon and its effects.

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About Author

doublehinspection

Radon Testing

One question I get asked a lot is, do I need a radon test? The short answer is YES everyone should have their home tested (even if you're not buying or selling). Radon is something that before my training I honestly didn't think was too serious. I knew about radon but it really wasn't on my radar for things to be worried about. That has all changed though with my training through Internachi and Healthy Homes.  Radon is deadly and needs to be taken seriously as it posses real health risks. How deadly you might ask? Well according to the EPA there are approximately 21,000 deaths in the US each year from lung cancer related to radon exposure.  That is more deaths than gun murders, illegal drug overdoses, drownings, and many many more commonly known causes of death.  The problem is that radon is impossible to see or detect by a person and it takes time to have its devastating effects show up in people.  This causes radon to not even show up on some peoples radar as something to be concerned with.  I want to help change that and keep our communities informed and safe. Radon testing is simple and effective and the technology today makes it very accurate.  I partner with Airthings and use their Corentium Pro units to ensure the highest standards in my results.  The Corentium Pro samples indoor air through a passive diffusion chamber, using alpha spectrometry to precisely calculate the radon level. Radon is detected using silicon photodiodes to both count and measure the energy of alpha particles resulting from the decay chain of radon gas. The instrument is calibrated to reference instruments in accredited laboratories and is AARST-NRPP and NRSB certified.  It also measures temperature, humidity, and air pressure during the test so we can get a full picture of what is going on if levels are rising and falling. This is a huge benefit over the cheap charcoal test kits that are out there that will simply give you the average and not the full picture of what is going on. These units also have motion detectors on board to make sure the unit isn't tampered with during the test to help ensure accuracy. Please check out the link to Internachi's chart on Radon deaths in the US here LINK You don't need to be buying or selling a home to get a radon test. We can provide these to any one at any time to give them the peace of mind that their home is safe from the dangers of radon gas.  Sheridan County has an average level of 6.58 pCi/L which is above the 4.0 pCi/L level that the EPA recommends mitigation of your home at.  That means if you live in Sheridan County you really need to get your home tested and make sure it is safe. See the map here for county by county averages of radon level.   LINK Another reason radon hasn't been taken as seriously as it should be is that in the past it might not have been as prevalent in our homes. As building designs and materials get better and more energy efficient one of the unintended consequences is that they are more air tight. This is great for energy efficiencies but not so good for radon levels.  Our homes don't "breathe" as much as they use to and that can cause houses that maybe in the past didn't have such a concern to have higher levels of radon present now.   We are learning more and more about radon and its effects all the time but the bottom line is it is smart to get a test and get mitigation if you have elevated level. If you have any questions on radon or our test please reach out as we are happy to help anyone in our communities make sure their home is safe from radon and its effects.