Short And Long Term Radon Tests

Which one do you need ?

Radon Tests, short term and long term, are the only way to find out what your Radon level is at home.

Is your house up for sale on the market? Do you have two weeks left before the closing date?
That's when you need short term tests running 2-3 days.
Or you just want to know where you are at for the first time?
A 2-day-snapshot will do!

Long term tests provide more information, they are taken under normal living conditions and run anywhere from 6 months to 12 months.

Of the different types of Radon tests the electronic test with the continuous Radon Monitor is the most accurate.

This is also the most expensive one ($150), usually performed by home inspectors or Radon specialists. A Radon Monitor measures and analyzes the indoor air in 1 hour intervalls, calculating the average between high and low. At the end of the 48 hour test period these data can be printed out or transferred to a computer program for a test report.

Very common and inexpensive are charcoal canisters ($25). Once opened, the container absorbs the air over a 2-day-period and then, sealed again, is sent to a lab for analysis.
It takes about a week to complete the test and have the report sent back to you.

This device cannot absorb all high and low Radon levels during a testing period very well; it is rather biased towards the last 6 hours of the test.


Long term tests are performed with a tiny device called Alpha Track Detector ($30), which has a microscopic sensitive film inside that records alpha traces.
Again, a lab will analyze the film and report back to you.


Water can be a source of Radon entry into your home...



Test your water when you have your own well water and private septic system and your indoor-air is already showing elevated Radon levels. Order your kit online, follow clear and simple instructions, return the glas to the lab and they will do the rest.



This is a spredsheet of 2 test results, before and after mitigation. Although they were taken at different times, one can see the effect of the mitigation. The high and low peaks are much reduced in the lower (red) graph.