Luckily, there are fast and fairly easy testing methods to detect radon in the air and water of your home. Radon air tests can be purchased and placed by a homeowner, or the certified professionals at Radon Pro can take care of the testing for you. Radon water testing is more complicated, with stringent parameters for accurate testing procedures, and should be completed by a certified radon testing professional such as Maine Radon Pro.
Testing for radon gas in your home is pretty straight forward and can be completed by a homeowner. Simply follow the directions exactly. A “short-term” radon test is done under “closed building conditions” meaning the amount of fresh air coming into the house is kept to a minimum and conditions are kept constant and stable. Windows and doors must be kept closed, and ventilation system that do not operate constantly (24/7 all year) are shut off, for the duration of the test. Winter is a good time to do a baseline test of your home since our homes tend to be the most closed up during this period of the year. Short-term radon test kits are done over a 48-hour period.
Simple tests kits can reveal what the radon level of the air in your home. Stop by our Greene location or any state certified lab to purchase your test kit. If you have a radon air level of 4 pCi/L, take steps to remedy the problem as soon as possible.
Typically, groundwater has much higher levels of radon than surface water. This is because radon in groundwater is “trapped” by being submerged underground and cannot easily escape. Because of this, water supplied from underground, drilled wells have a much higher probability of having significant levels of radon. Large, pretreated municipal water supplies test for radon and typically have negligible levels of radon.
While there are some “DIY” water radon test kits available, the process for testing water is quite rigorous and, if not done precisely, results are unreliable. The best way to find out if your well water contains radon is to have a test completed by a certified professional and analyzed by a licensed testing laboratory. If you have a radon water level of 4,000 pCi/L, take steps to remedy the problem as soon as possible.
Much testing is stimulated by a real estate transaction. Home buyers and sellers should be aware that Maine Law requires that only a licensed, radon-testing trained home inspector (not your agent) can conduct radon tests as part of purchase and sale contingencies.
