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Place a radon detector in the breathing zone, 2-6 feet above the floor, and away from drafts, exterior walls, sumps, drains, windows or doors. Radon may enter a building through cracks in the foundation or through sumps or drains and will usually be higher near these entry points.
What should you not do during a radon test?
Turn off all air moving devices during the test. This would include ceiling fans, dehumidifiers, regular fans, HEPA or any other kind of filtering device that moves air. Do not operate fireplaces or heating stoves during the test unless they are your main source of heat.
Do you need a radon detector in every room?
If the home has a crawl space, place a radon detector in the room above the crawl space. If the house has a cement floor, (“slab-on-grade”) place a radon detector in any room. Avoid testing in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room. If a house has all three foundation types, all three areas should be tested for radon.
How many radon detectors are needed in a home?
Because areas under your home are normally the first place radon gas will accumulate, you should consider placing one radon detector for every 2000 uninterrupted sq ft, and in frequently occupied rooms.
How do you make sure you pass a radon test?
How to Pass a Radon Test Open windows. This will increase airflow through the house and assist in the ventilating process. Install vents in the basement or crawl space. The company working with you will decide the best option. Increase air movement. Vent air outside from the floor. Retest your home.
Is a 48 hour radon test accurate?
“Short-term radon test kits are not effective in measuring radon gas exposure: Findings show radon tests of less than 90 days are imprecise up to 99 percent of the time.” ScienceDaily.
How do open windows affect radon testing?
Don’t just open the windows However, opening the windows in your house will have little effect on your home’s radon levels. What’s more is that, even if radon levels are reduced with the opening of your windows, the levels will return to their higher rates once the windows are closed.
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.
Where is radon found in homes?
Radon is a radioactive gas that has been found in homes all over the United States. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation.
Is it OK to live in a house with radon?
If you smoke and live in a home with high radon levels, you increase your risk of developing lung cancer. Over time, these radioactive particles increase the risk of lung cancer. It may take years before health problems appear. People who smoke and are exposed to radon are at a greater risk of developing lung cancer.
How common is radon in homes?
It’s common: About 1 in every 15 homes has what’s considered an elevated radon level. The gas is odorless and invisible, says the EPA, and it causes no immediate symptoms, so the only way to know if your home is affected is by testing your individual residence.
WHO recommended radon levels?
Based on recently completed research, the World Health Organization is recommending that homeowners take action to remediate the radon level in their home if it exceeds 100 becquerels (Bq), which corresponds to 2.7 picocuries per liter (pCi/L).
How do you test for radon in a basement?
You can hire a professional tester or do it yourself with a kit you buy at a hardware store or online. Follow the instructions for leaving the kit in your house for the required number of days. Then mail it to a lab and wait for the results. If radon levels in your home are high, you can take steps to lower them.
Do ceiling fans reduce radon?
Ceiling fans can reduce radon levels by 50%. If used along with positive ion generators, ceiling fans are capable of reducing radon levels by 90%. This is achieved by a phenomenon called plate-out, which neutralizes radio-active particles.
Are home radon tests accurate?
While any measurement system has an associated variability in precision and accuracy, we expect that radon test devices that are used properly will provide accurate and reliable results.
Will running a fan reduce radon?
Opening windows improves air circulation and ventilation, helping move radon out of the house and mixing radon-free outside air with indoor air. Running a window fan in a basement window reduces radon levels, but only if the fan blows air into the basement.
What time of year is radon highest?
The reason that radon levels in the home can be higher in the summer and winter is two-fold. During the winter, the air in your home tends to be much warmer than the outside air, and this temperature difference creates a vacuum within your home.
How do you lower radon levels before a test?
In some cases, radon levels can be lowered by ventilating the crawlspace passively, or actively, with the use of a fan. Crawlspace ventilation may lower indoor radon levels both by reducing the home’s suction on the soil and by diluting the radon beneath the home.
Are charcoal radon tests accurate?
Charcoal Radon Test Kits These tests are the cheapest and quickest options for measuring radon levels in your home, but they are also the least accurate because they are susceptible to spikes in radon levels and interference during shipping for lab tests.
