Natural radon gas is a by-product of uranium decay in ingenious rock and soil that enters your home through cracked foundations, then slowly builds up until it becomes hazardous. As a cancer-causing gas, radon can cause minor symptoms like headaches to more severe health problems like lung cancer or even death. To determine if such a harmful gas is present in the lowest livable level of your home, you would need a radon gas test kit, which you can easily buy after checking reviews of the best radon test kit consumer reports. Have a look at the reviews and a detailed guide to make an informed buying decision.
Reviewing Top 6 Radon Test Kits
1. Airthings Corentium Home Radon Detector 223
If you are searching for a highly capable radon detection device, then your search ends here. This radon detector operates on battery power, so you don’t have to find an outlet to charge it every day. This radon detector ensures constant monitoring of radon gas in your home, which is important since the radon levels fluctuate daily, so you will be able to find an accurate level after long-term monitoring.
If radon levels turn out to be on the higher side, then you can take suitable action on time. You can also check if the changes you’ve made are working or not using on-screen readings. This radon detector also allows you to generate a self-inspection report to keep a record of the radon levels in your house at specific times. You will see both long-term and short-term readings on the screen for a quick overview of the radon levels present in your home.
2. First Alert RD1 Radon Gas Test Kit
You can easily and safely check your home, work, or other places for dangerous radon gas with the First Alert RD1 Radon Gas Test Kit. There is no odor or color to radon, but is very dangerous and can cause severe health issues such as lung cancer in non-smokers. Suitable for disaster preparedness, this radon testing kit can be used to identify the presence of radon easily and inexpensively. However, it should only be used within the United States.
You will get a Radon gas test kit in the box along with an instruction manual on how to use it properly. To use the kit, leave the radon sampler out on the lowest level of your home or office for 2-4 days. Then, place the test in the envelope provided in the kit, apply postage and mail it to the lab. You will get the results from the lab within 3-5 business days. You will also get information regarding the dangers of radon and how it might be entering your premises.
3. Radon Gas Test Kit AccuStar Charcoal Short Term 48-96 Hour Test
You can get this Radon gas test kit for obtaining accurate results on the presence of Radon gas on your premises. Test results are available in a short period of time using this device. You can detect Radon gas levels at the home, office, or any other building where you doubt the presence of the gas. If you are installing the kit in a dark place such as basement, make sure to use the best flashlight for maximum visibility. The best thing about this test kit is that it delivers certified results, so you don’t have to doubt its accuracy at all. This tool is ideal for evaluating the effectiveness of a Radon Mitigation system
4. Health Matric Radon Test Kit For Home AUB07RJZDSX7
Radon is a dangerous gas that is responsible for approximately 21,000 deaths due to lung cancer every year. The only way to stop this gas from causing lung cancer in your body is by conducting a test on time. Doing so will help you save yourself and your family from unnecessary risk. You can check your home or office for radon with this product in just a few minutes. It only takes a couple of days for your radon report to arrive. Just follow the simple instructions, send it in, and you'll have it shortly.
The company is going to pay for the testing fee and return shipping so that you don’t have to pay anything for the same. The lab results will come in 3-5 working days once the lab receives your radon sample. The sample will be tested in the NRPP-certified US lab that has experience in testing radon gas since 1983. If you have any questions, you can get in touch with the company for quick assistance.
5. RadonScreen RD-411 Home Radon Test Kit
With this EPA-approved home radon test kit, you can quickly detect radon gas using activated charcoal and a lab test. Be alert to elevated radon levels in your home and take action before they become dangerous. RadonScreen offers a quick, easy and accurate way to detect radon gas, after which you can take the necessary action to mitigate the level of radon and monitor the quality of indoor air.
To test the radon gas, you need to go through the instruction manual and leave the radon detector exposed and undisturbed for 2-3 days. The test kit features EPA-approved lab analysis fees, so you don’t have to pay anything while mailing the return envelope. You just need to apply the postage and ship the envelope to the company’s lab for fast results. If you are sending the envelope from New Jersey, then a $10 regulatory fee is required. You will get the results in 3-5 business days.
6. Health Metric Radon Test Kit For Home
Check out this radon test kit from Health Metric, which includes two tests for analyzing two different rooms simultaneously. Send both results together with the included free shipping label. It takes a few minutes to set up this test kit and includes all the necessary things you need to test radon gas in your house or office. You just need to follow the instructions, put everything in an envelope and send it.
The test report will be back in a few days. The test kit has detected millions of reports in the last 30 years and they all have been accurate. The sample will be analyzed by the NRPP-certified US lab that has been doing it since 1983. Radon takes around 21,000 lives every year due to lung cancer, so the only way to keep yourself safe from this deadly gas is to get your premises tested with a reputed test kit.
Types of Radon Test Kits
EPA suggests the installation of a radon removal system when the radon level reading is beyond the acceptable value. Testing your home for high radon levels can be done in several different ways with radon test kits.
Short-Term Radon Test Kits
These kits are used for collecting the radon readings from your home between 2 and 90 days. Then, the kits are supposed to be sent to a laboratory for calculation of results that will be sent back to you. The lab fees and shipping charges are included with the kit at times, so you can check for the same when buying a kit. There are both long-term and short-term radon test kits available on the market where the former is more reliable as they test the radon level over a long period and give more accurate results. Short-term radon test kits are better for quick testing and results.
Long-Term Radon Test Kits
These test kits are developed for testing the radon level in the house over an extended period. At the end of the usage period, the sample is collected and tested in the laboratory. This type of test kit is more accurate than short-term kits as it allows the collection and review of larger data rather than results being influenced by random spikes (high or low), leading to incorrect test results.
Alpha-Track Radon Test Kits
This is a long-term testing method where polycarbonate plastic sheets are used. In this, the test kit needs to be kept at the lowest livable point of the house to check the presence of radon gas. If the radon is present, then you’ll see tracks being created on the sheet by the alpha particles. The higher the level of alpha tracks, the more the presence of high alpha particles and radon. After keeping the alpha-track test kit in place for the time suggested by the manufacturer, you can remove the sheets and send them to a lab for tests.
Charcoal Radon Test Kits
Another short-term procedure, charcoal radon test kits have an identical operation when compared to alpha-track test kits, but in this test kit, the radon gas is absorbed for 2 to 90 days before you can send it to the lab for results.
These tests are affordable and fast to measure radon levels in the home, but not that accurate because they are influenced by the spikes in radon levels as the sample is shipped from your home to the lab for testing.
Digital Radon Test Kits
These kits are also known as radon detectors and are very expensive compared to other test kits. Installing them can be a bit of a hassle, as every manufacturer has its own procedure. But these are relatively permanent as you can attach them to a wall and use a sensor to determine the presence of alpha particles in the surroundings. It features a digital display that provides continuous pCi/L reading without having to send the samples to a lab.
How to Choose The Best Radon Test Kit?
Every radon test kit works differently, so you must keep the following points in mind while selecting a radon test kit:
Accuracy
Accuracy is a key factor when deciding upon test radon levels. The accuracy of the results depends upon how long the test is carried out by the test kit. Reason being, the longer testing will let you find out the average level of pCi/L in the home without the influence of random high or low spikes. There is always a question about the accuracy of short-term radon tests because of their susceptibility to spikes in radon levels, which may ruin the average. Whereas, long-term test kits take a long time to collect readings, but that leads to better average radon levels in the home. Obviously, their cost is high and the time taken to take the samples is also longer, but the results are more accurate than short-term radon kits.
Usability
Test kits designed for radon are meant to be simple and easy to use. Kits that are not easy to use can provide inaccurate readings due to human error, whereas kits that are easier to use provide more accurate results.
There are several passive radon test kits available, including charcoal and alpha-track. Both are relatively simple to set up, though they require you to get your hands dirty during testing. You have to place them in a particular location to test the air, then take the results to a laboratory.
On the other hand, digital radon detectors are very easy to use once properly installed. These devices will update radon level readings from time to time for you to keep a constant check and take action in case there is an unusual reading. Some digital radon detectors are complex as well because of the features added by the manufacturer.
Ease of Installation
If you are looking for a test kit that you don’t have to monitor on a daily basis, then you should opt for a radon detector, which comes all the instructions you need to place the kit at the right place for accurate testing. Active radon test kits range from wall-mounted battery units to units compatible with smart home devices, which require properly setup before you could use them.
Wrapping Up
Radon is dangerous no doubt, but there is a way to detect this gas and take suitable action to prevent it from harming you and your family. So, it’s time to act promptly and buy a radon test kit from the list of best radon test kit consumer reports. Follow the instructions to check the presence of radon gas and send it to the lab for confirmation. Don’t take it casually, as it can cause severe health problems that can put you in mortal danger as well. Get a test kit now!