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Radon Testing

The radon testing process involves setting up and retrieving a detection device, getting the results, and producing a report.  All of this is non-invasive and quite simple.  It should take no longer than 20 minutes to set up and 15 minutes to tear down.  Depending on the type of test being performed, the test results may be produced digitally on-the-spot or may take as much as a couple of weeks to get back from a certified radon lab.

The Steps:

Note:  It is highly recommended to look for the NRPP certification logo to ensure a professionally qualified radon technician is performing your radon test.

  1. Schedule Appointment
    • Contact us to schedule an appointment.
    • Allow a minimum of 12 hours before we begin testing to allow your home or business to reach its Dynamic Equilibrium which entails closing all windows and outside doors.  This allows the air and radon particles to equalize within the structure and insure an accurate test over the minimum 48-hour test period.
  2. Radon Technician Arrives
    • Upon arrival, the radon technician will be carrying a detector along with any additional hardware or supplies that are necessary to properly set the detector up.
    • The technician will explain the service to the customer and the necessary steps he’ll take to accomplish a successful test.
  3. Customer Consultation
    • The technician will perform an evaluation to determine which room is best to test from, set up his detector, post a sign to remind occupants the test is in progress, give the appropriate instructions to the customer, and then depart.
    • The consultation consists of establishing what the customers needs are and answering any questions they may have.
    • Any preliminary paperwork will be handled prior to test start.
  4. Setting Up the Radon Detector
    • The radon detector will be placed in a room or space on the lowest floor that has the potential to be occupied by people.
    • It will be elevated above the floor according to the EPA standards and away from any objects, walls, windows, or doors that could affect its performance.
    • It will then be configured to begin its monitoring of the ambient air in the room or space.
    • The minimum test requirement is 48 hours.
    • If a Continuous Radon Monitoring (CRM) device is used, a report will be generated in the form of a PDF that can be emailed on-the-spot to the customer by the technician after the test is complete.  Otherwise, the testing device will have to be mailed in after the test and the results will take up to 2-weeks before the customer receives them via email, mail or fax.
    • Note:  During the test, the detector must remain undisturbed.  The CRM detectors are tilt sensitive and must not experience tampering during the test; otherwise, the test will be deemed ‘Void’.
  5. The Radon Test Period
    • During the test period, all occupants can go about their normal activities.
    • All windows, and outside doors must remained closed, other than the normal entry and exit.
    • Any inside doors to rooms which are regularly occupied should remain open to insure proper distribution of the air occurs within the normal living space.
  6. Radon Detector Retrieval
    • After the 48 hour minimum test is over, the technician will arrive at his scheduled time to retrieve the detector from its test location.
    • Note:  The detector will either have a built-in timer that allows it to turn itself off at its scheduled time or be a passive device that will be recovered by the technician who will annotate the time of test-start and test-stop.  As long as the test is at least 48 hours long for the passive device, additional time is expected and accounted for when recovering the device.
    • All normal activities from this point may be resumed by the customer.  The test is complete.
  7. Radon Report
    • If a Continuous Radon Monitoring (CRM) device is being used, our technician can generate a digital report on-the-spot and submit it to the customer via email in the form of a PDF file.
    • If  a passive device, such as a charcoal canister detector, is being used, the technician will send the device to a lab and have the lab mail, email, or fax the results directly to the customer, which may take a couple of weeks.

Radon Mitigation

The radon mitigation process varies according to the environment surrounding the home or business.  The purpose of the mitigation process is to draw the radon gas away from the interior of the structure, where people reside, by creating a negative pressure (suction) around its entry points, and exhausting it out into the atmosphere above the structure to prevent any reentry.  The steps involved in doing this vary according to the entry and exit points of the radon gas.

The main source of radon gas comes from the soil surrounding a structure and is the target where a suction point is created.  Large PVC pipe (~4 inches in diameter) is usually used to insert into a suction pit or other void that serves as the evacuation point around the foundation of the structure.  The pipe leads to a radon fan that is sealed and mounted either inside or outside of the structure, and from there the pipe is exited to the exterior of the structure where the exhaust port discharges the harmful gas into the atmosphere.

The radon fan is connected to the building’s electrical system and runs continuously to maintain the constant suction needed to keep the radon gas levels within acceptable limits.

The electrical cost of operating the radon exhaust fan averages around $3/month.

A pressure gauge is included in the installation of the mitigation system to verify the system is always producing the suction needed to expel the radon gas.

After the mitigation system installation is complete, the system will run autonomously without any need for maintenance.  To ensure the system is operating properly, a post-test should be performed after 24 hours and before 30 days has passed.  After the initial post-test, it is advised to still have a radon test conducted every 2 years according to the EPA’s recommendations.

Our Mitigation Procedures

The Steps:

Note:  It is highly recommended to look for the NRPP certification logo to ensure a professionally qualified radon technician is installing your radon mitigation system.

  1. Schedule an appointment
  2. We conduct a survey of the structure and provide a plan and estimate to complete the work.
  3. If the plan is approved by the customer, we order the necessary hardware and supplies to begin our work.
  4. Before installing the system, as needed, we will seal off radon gas entry points, and then conduct a suction test around the foundation of the structure to determine if an effective Pressure Field Extension (PFE) underneath the foundation can be generated to properly draw the radon gas away from the interior of the structure, thus reducing its levels to within acceptable limits.
  5. Once the PFE test is complete, we begin the installation process.
  6. An optimal suction point will be determined to insert the ventilation pipe, then installed by either drilling into the foundation to form a suction pit or connecting to an existing suction point.
  7. Once the pipe is installed into its suction pit or point, the pipe will be ran to the inlet port of the radon exhaust fan.
  8. The radon exhaust fan will be mounted wherever it is most appropriate to reduce noise in the home and any interference with existing systems in its path.
  9. After the fan is mounted, the next step is to run the ventilation pipe from the exhaust port of the fan to a point above the roof of the structure where the exhaust port can effectively discharge the radon gas into the atmosphere away from the structure.
  10. All of the mitigation hardware will include mounting brackets.  The pipe will be installed and ran according to the customer’s preferences.  The limitations to this will be identified before installation of the system begins.

Once the mitigation system is successfully installed, the home or business owner will be briefed on the importance of ensuring the pressure gauge that comes with the system is always reading the proper suction.  If for whatever reason, the system ever loses its suction due to a failed fan or obstruction, the home/business owner should immediately contact a qualified radon mitigation expert to fix the problem.

Radon mitigation is the best way to reduce radon levels within a home or business.  The system requires little to no maintenance, and has a high reliability and probability of keeping the radon levels within a home or business well within the EPA’s risk limits for many years after its installation.