Without radon testing, you can’t know if your home or building is safe. There are a wide variety of radon tests available to meet everyone’s budget, time frame, and accuracy requirements. Health Canada recommends a 3 month long-term winter test, as this is when radon is highest. Although secondary, testing in warmer months can still indicate potentially high radon levels in the winter (and even year-round).
An increasingly popular solution! Digital detectors offer battery-operated or plug-in options. Radon readings are available in as little as 10 minutes and accurate readings within as little as 1 hour. Furthermore, they provide real-time radon readings for the contentious homeowner. Every home Synergy Radon mitigates is equipped with one of these meters so that the homeowner can monitor the effectiveness of their system.
Quick radon test results. Simpler digital display models, or more complex Bluetooth or Wi-Fi options available, including graphs for data analysis. Some detectors include testing particulate matter 2.5, temperature, pressure, and carbon dioxide readings, among others.
Considered "homeowner detectors", they are not a Listed (or Certified) recalibrate radon measurement device. We cannot guarantee accuracy, although most, in our experience, are accurate.
A C-NRPP Listed (or Certified) Device.
Long-term Alpha Track Detectors are left in place for 91 days or more, ideally in the winter months (as this is when radon levels are highest). Once the measurement time is completed, the puck(s) are sent to a lab for analysis. The number of pucks requires is based on the square footage of the building, building use, and layout.
An accurate test that gives an average reading over a period of >91 days.
Results are assessed by a laboratory and emailed to the client.
Prone to human error: device must be placed in a specific location and not disturbed, and accurate record keeping is essential
Time: it takes 91+ days to perform the test plus several weeks for lab results
A C-NRPP Listed (or Certified) Device.
A short-term Alpha Track Detector begins measuring radon concentrations as soon as it is unwrapped. The test duration is based on client need, and is anywhere from 7 to 90 days. Once measurement is complete, it is then sent to a lab for analysis. The number of pucks required is based on the square footage of the building, building use, and layout.
An accurate test that gives an average reading over a period of 7-90 days.
Results are assessed by a laboratory and emailed to the client.
Prone to human error: device must be placed in a specific location and not disturbed, and accurate record keeping is essential
Time: it takes 7-90 days to perform the test plus several weeks for lab results.
Radon can enter the home through many different avenues. Although not usually the primary culprit, rural water wells can be the source of much radon by entering the home through water faucets, shower heads, clothes washers, and dishwashers, among others.
YES. Since 2020, BC has required that sellers disclose if they have tested for radon, the levels, and date of test.
Professional Radon Screening for a real estate purchase. Requires a minimum of a 4 day test, ideally using a C-NRPP Listed and annually calibrated Continuous Radon Monitor, conducted by a C-NRPP Certified Radon Measurement Professional. Digital report is submitted to the client shortly after the test is concluded. Contact Synergy Radon for details on this service.
No amount of radon is ‘safe’. However, Health Canada’s guideline recommends an average radon concentration less than 200Bq/m3. The World Health Organization’s ideal guideline is a radon concentration less than 100 Bq/m3. The lower the radon levels, the better.
Personally, my own home averaged about 800 Bq/m3 in the winter but spiked over 1500 Bq/m3. After mitigation, my levels are consistently below 30 Bq/m3 and have remained there for years.
We see multiple buildings per year in the thousands of Bq/m3. Some neighborhoods and areas may be worse than others.
No. For example, four houses on one block ranged from the 200Bq/m3 range to thousands of becquerels. As Health Canada recommends: every building requires testing. Retesting should also reoccur every 2-5 years, or after large renovations, significant changes in building envelope, window and door upgrades, changes in ventilation systems, upgrades in water heating equipment, and upgrades in heating equipment.
We can advise you on how to do it yourself, or if you’d rather, for a fee we can look after the whole thing (do the set up, pick it up, ship it to the lab, and email you the lab results). For schools and other government buildings, professionals are required to install the test units.
Currently, no. However, laws regarding radon are changing constantly. Certain establishments like government buildings, schools, and daycares are becoming the focus of testing and mitigation.
People are not required to test their personal home, but if you decide to sell you will have to report radon levels in the Property Disclosure Statement.
Health Canada recommends mitigating your home within two years if the levels are between 200-600 Bq/m3. If the levels are over 600 Bq/m3, then mitigate within 12 months. There is talk of removing that recommendation as no amount of radon in the lungs is safe. It is best to mitigate as soon as possible.
The winter months are the best time to test for radon as indoor radon levels are highest. This is due to colder outdoor temperatures, leading to an increase in building stack effect (convention and heat loss), an increase in pressure below the building, and ultimately, greater flows of radon gas into the home.
Synergy Radon, based in Summerland, BC, specializes in radon testing and mitigation services. A radon professional since 2015, Cody Wright offers tailor-made solutions to reduce radon levels in various residential settings.
© 2024 Copyright Synergy Radon. All Rights Reserved. | Website by FirstPage Marketing