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EPA RECOMMENDS: If you are buying or selling a home, have it tested for radon. For a new home, ask if radon-resistant construction features were used and if the home has been tested. Fix the home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher.
What time of year is best to test for radon?
The best time to test is during the fall or winter months since your home is closed up and windows are not kept open. As a result, radon levels will be the highest during these cold months.
What are the symptoms of radon in your home?
A persistent cough could be a sign that you have radon poisoning. Persistent cough. Hoarseness. Wheezing. Shortness of breath. Coughing up blood. Chest pain. Frequent infections like bronchitis and pneumonia. Loss of appetite.
How often should you check your home for radon?
It’s easy to test for radon with our home kits, but it’s not enough to test once. If you’re wondering how often you should test for radon, here are the facts. To provide peace of mind, 2the EPA recommends testing your home after any lifestyle changes, renovations and every two years as part of routine home maintenance.
Is radon testing necessary?
When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high. You Should Test for Radon. Testing is the only way to find out your home’s radon levels.
Should you walk away from a house with radon?
Should you walk away from the deal? Consumer Reports says you don’t have to. Radon-related deaths are due to exposure over the course of a lifetime. “You should definitely take it seriously but you really don’t need to walk away from the home.
Where is radon most commonly found?
Radon levels are usually higher in basements, cellars and living spaces in contact with the ground. However, considerable radon concentration can also be found above the ground floor. Radon concentrations vary considerably between adjacent buildings, as well as within a building from day to day and from hour to hour.
How quickly can radon affect you?
Radon gas can damage cells in your lungs, which can lead to cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States, though it usually takes 5 to 25 years to develop.
How do you eliminate radon?
Other radon reduction techniques that can be used in any type of home include: sealing, house or room pressurization, heat recovery ventilation and natural ventilation. Sealing cracks and other openings in the foundation is a basic part of most approaches to radon reduction.
What is the most accurate radon test?
The good news is that radon test kits are very affordable and easy to use. The best radon test kit is the AccuStar Radon Test Kit. This kit is easy to use, accurate and includes quick-arriving results.
How long does a radon report last?
Testing for radon is simple and inexpensive and involves small plastic detectors being placed in the property for a period of time. As radon levels fluctuate constantly, the longer the test period the more accurate the result, so it is usually advised that detectors are left in place for three months.
Can high levels of radon cause headaches?
The only known health effect of radon is an increased risk of lung cancer. Radon does not cause any warning symptoms like headaches, nausea, fatigue, or skin rashes.
Are home radon detectors accurate?
Based on the requirements of these two programs, one could generalize that short-term or long-term radon detectors that have passed one of these performance tests have an accuracy of about 25% or possibly better. The Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for indoor radon are based on annual average exposure.
Where is radon found in homes?
It sometimes gets concentrated in homes built on soil with natural uranium deposits. It can enter buildings through cracks in floors or walls, construction joints, or gaps in foundations around pipes, wires or pumps. Radon levels are usually highest in the basement or crawl space.
How much does radon testing cost?
A certified radon mitigation contractor can test for radon (est. $100 – $200) depending on home construction and location. A DIY test kit, available from most home improvement stores, runs between $15 – $40, usually including lab analysis.
Will opening the basement windows before a radon test lower the results?
Unfortunately, no, opening the windows does not reduce radon. It is not a gas that will just permanently escape the home like smoke from something burning in the oven. The radon may seem to leave when the windows are open, but as soon as they are closed, it is back.
What can affect a radon test?
A short term test is good at measuring your current radon levels, but these levels can fluctuate due to a number of factors, including: Barometric pressure. Temperature/Season. House construction. Rain soaked ground. HVAC system. Improper placement of the device.
What causes radon levels to fluctuate?
Radon gas is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas found in the soil. Some weather events, like storms, typically cause radon levels in a home to rise. Other events, like heavy winds, can cause radon levels to either rise or fall. Essentially, weather events can cause your radon levels levels to either rise or fall.
Can air filters remove radon?
Yes, air purifiers help with radon gas reduction to some extent. The air purifiers with activated carbon filter technology are highly effective in trapping radon gas.
What type of soil is radon found in?
The U.S. Geological Survey explains that radon moves easily and quickly through porous soils, like sand and gravel, and slower through more solid soils, clay being one such example. Moisture has a lot to do with this.
Are radon levels higher in the winter?
Radon levels can vary but tend to be highest during the winter when homes are being heated and the air is stagnant. Since most people don’t open their windows during the winter, there’s nowhere for radon to escape too which causes it to build up in the home. This makes winter the best time for radon testing.
Does radon make you tired?
Additional, long-term symptoms of radon gas exposure include loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue. It’s important to be aware of the symptoms above because not only do they indicate symptoms of radon exposure, but consistent exposure to radon can also lead to lung cancer.
How can radon be prevented?
More Ways to Take Action Stop smoking and discourage smoking in your home. Increase air flow in your house by opening windows and using fans and vents to circulate air. Seal cracks in floors and walls with plaster, caulk, or other materials designed for this purpose.
What are 5 facts about radon?
Here are a few facts about radon, and what you can do to help keep your family healthy and safe. Radon is radioactive. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. Radon causes cancer. No immediate symptoms. You must test for radon. Radon is present indoors and outdoors. Radon can build up in any building.
