If you’re purchasing a home in the Tallahassee area, as part of your home inspection you should really have a radon test done. In fact, we highly recommend every homeowner in this area consider radon testing due to the fact that roughly 20-25% of all homes tested have results over the EPA recommended action level. Here we will discuss the different radon testing devices.
Which device your home inspector chooses to utilize matters for several reasons. For a real estate transaction, where time is important, we would only recommend conducting a test with a continuous radon monitor. While both passive testing devices and continuous radon monitors (CRM) will give you the same final result, how the information is given to you is drastically different. A passive test device, is just that, it sits for at least a 48 hour time period and then has to be retrieved, properly sealed and mailed to a laboratory for analysis, which can add 3-5+ days before results are known. The results from these devices will only be a single number, for discussions sake, we’ll say is 4.3 pCi/L. The charcoal canister is also fairly easy to tamper with, as it’s small, does not require power and has no active monitoring.
The CRM monitors used by Tallahassee Real Estate Inspections, have numerous anti-tampering mechanisms. Once we have started a test, the test cannot be stopped or turned off by anyone other than us. Any fluctuations or loss of power is flagged, along with any movement of the monitor. The device is also constantly recording temperature, humidity level and barometric pressure. When we pick up the test and upload the data electronically, we typically have the results within a few hours (except on Sundays when the laboratory is closed). These results give you much more than a single number, like the 4.3 pCi/L as above. Our reports will display the hourly averages along with the collected environmental data throughout the entirety of the test period. This can make a big difference in how one might interpret the data as you can see any drastic swings, which may indicate tampering or environmental events (i.e. heavy rains). For more information about radon or radon testing devices, please see our radon testing services page.
Two styles of passive radon testing devices.
Radalink AirCat Continuous Radon Monitor
