Comparing the Accuracy of Radon Test Devices

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Use Airthings links for 10% off the following link. The link automatically applies the discount. Airthings Home: discount.airthings.com/discount/corentium-model-qri-digital-radon-monitor.html?aw_affiliate=eyJjYW1wYWlnbl9pZCI6IjEiLCJ0cmFmZmljX3NvdXJjZSI6Im5vX3NvdXJjZSIsImFjY291bnRfaWQiOjYyNn0 Airthings Pro CRM: discount.airthings.com/discount/corentium-pro.html?aw_affiliate=eyJjYW1wYWlnbl9pZCI6IjIiLCJ0cmFmZmljX3NvdXJjZSI6Im5vX3NvdXJjZSIsImFjY291bnRfaWQiOjYyNn0 (no promo code) RadonEye, EcoTracker, EcoQube: Use promo code ARM to receive a discount on Ecosense products: ecosense.io/ARM Air Chek test kit - amzn.to/3rQb61F If you purchase through the links, we earn a commission. Get an Estimate (within an hour of the Twin Cities, MN metro area.) americanradonmitigation.com/free-estimates/ or call 612-474-1004 If you live outside our service area, check out our virtual consulting services at americanradonmitigation.com/consulting/ How accurate are DIY radon test kits? How do consumer radon monitors compare to professional devices? To find out, we set up a variety of testing devices in the same location during the same time period and compared results. We always recommend using a professional test or an EPA-approved test kit for mitigation decisions. For basic questions, leave a comment, and we'll try to answer when we have the chance. Thank you so much for watching!

[@Twitch_Moderator]

24 to 32 Bq/m3 is an average reading for a home. (That was the spread of readings you got from the multiple devices.) I just used the consumer Airthings one. Pricey, but a great peace is over me now. After seeing some people were over the limit of 200 Bq/m3 in my part of the world. One family had a reading of over 4,000 Bq/m3. That is a recipe to develop cancer VERY quickly.

[@mikem4665]

I'm in southern Minnesota and after getting a 6.2 measurement from a mail in test kit I bought an Ecoqube and so far I think it's worked great. It initially measured about 5.5 for a few months which I feel is similar enough to the mail in test. I also used my neighbors air things handheld and it was within .1 it .2 of my evoqube. I then installed a mitigation system, using the sump pit and discharging through garage roof. My measurements dropped immediately and now hover around .1 to .8 for the last 11 months.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Nice work, Mike!

[@xGERKENATORx]

thanks for showing the variation here, very helpful

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JasonBay-RealEstateInvesting]

In my mind mitigation is never a bad thing. Lower Radon is always better. Don't settle for "good enough"

[@petebusch9069]

It would be much more simple if everyone just installed a system. Most homes that test low are just below 4 and rarely get below 1 naturally.

[@MaryDeanDotCom]

I wish you would do this test again in a house that has high radon levels. Mine tested at 14.6. Also, anyone viewing this video is obviously looking for guidance on an actual purchase, so if they are really the same in terms of accuracy, maybe you could discuss the other things that make them good or bad, and recommend the “best.” I wonder about using them in different houses. It would be good to have a rolling average, but on the other hand, you wouldn’t want to average two houses together. Is there a reset button? Do they lose all their data when the batteries run out? Is there a version that runs on AC for continuous testing with an alarm? etc. Thanks for your videos, they are very helpful.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Thanks for the ideas! One of my favorites is Ecocube. ecosense.io/ARM A discount is automatically applied by using that link and we earn a small commission.

[@MaryDeanDotCom]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation Would you recommend that one over the RadonEye that is only $15 more?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Yes, I would.

[@MaryDeanDotCom]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation Great. It will be my first official new home purchase.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

How exciting! Congratulations!

[@beauchampfrancois151]

Thank you for such an informative video. I use an EcoQube myself and the readings do change when I get closer to my unused, uncovered sump pit. Results are very interesting when I ventilate my basement. The readings go down slowly but are back to normal within twelve hours. I don't know if the machine is very accurate, but it is reliable to give you an idea of the presence of radon and which room is more affected.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

You're very welcome! Yes, they are great devices.

[@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube]

How effective are detectors when you use a funnel fan? I'm going to buy some hundred-dollar detector and I have discovered in other applications simple mechanical manipulations can radically improve the performance.

[@jeffsstuff6575]

Built a new house in 2020 in Michigan and closed on it 1 month before Covid struck. Never got a chance to use my test kits and have been forgetting to get more. After seeing your video, I just ordered an EcoQube using your link and promo. Thanks for the video and thanks for the discount! Now to learn how to use it and get some good readings! Fingers crossed all is good.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

You're welcome! How do your levels look? Are you happy with the EcoQube?

[@jeffsstuff6575]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation Just got it set up today. Already measured 5.8!! It’s set up near my sump pump basin about 4’ off the ground. This is freaking me out a little!

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

The sump will test high since it’s a major radon entry point. I’d move it away from your sump basket since it’s not likely an area you usually breathe from.

[@jeffsstuff6575]

@@AmericanRadonMitigationThe sump is in the corner of our unfinished basement but I do have a home gym down there and we are planning to partially finish it. If my tests show an acceptable level wherever we might be regularly using the basement am I good to go? Thank you so much for responding!

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

If it were my house, I'd mitigate anything above 2.0 pCi/L. That might change to a lower number if I had kids or my wife had an office downstairs. In that case, I'd probably want it as low as possible. I highly recommend sealing block tops, plumbing penetrations, cracks, control joints, and floor-to-wall joints in the basement floor before finishing anything while you still have access. It will save you money if you choose to mitigate in the future. Keep in mind radon levels fluctuate.

[@tiannakester3422]

How long do you recommend placing the consumer brand Airthings home tester in the location of your home? And what reading is a safe reading and which is a reading you should keep an eye on?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Check out this information from Airthings: help.airthings.com/en/articles/3119887-radon-how-to-respond-to-your-radon-levels#

[@RedShiftedDollar]

Can a Geiger counter with a pancake tube capable of detecting alpha particles detect radon?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

That's a good question. However, I have no idea.

[@RedShiftedDollar]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation I found the solution which was a bit elusive. Even many research papers on detection of radon fail to mention anything about Geiger counters and why they are not effective. But basically they are not effective at measuring the radon emission directly. But there is a trick you can do to measure the decay daughter products. Polonium-218 has a half life of 3 minutes. If you use a vacuum cleaner to suck air through a filter, the daughter products will be collected. You can immediately test the filter with the Geiger and you will detect these short half-life isotopes. Then if you test for a little while, you can watch the decay profile to see if it matches up with the expected half life of the byproducts (Po-218 -3 min, PB-214- 30 min, BI-214- 30 min). The more common method is to use a dedicated radon meter that uses a scintillation counter instead of a Geiger tube.

[@MinSredMash]

Certainly a pancake G-M can measure radon. The problem is finding enough of it. Next time you run a load of laundry, take the dryer lint out while it's still hot and your pancake should absolutely sing! Bear in mind that most of the counts will be created by radon's various alpha and beta-emitting decay products, because they are solids and not gasses. The radon doesn't really get stuck in the lint, just slightly slowed down. This trick should also work for heater and vacuum filters, or plastic bags that have contained radium antiques.

[@RedShiftedDollar]

@@MinSredMash Yes, that is what I described in my follow up post. However, my main question was in regards to detection of radon with the intent of evaluating concentration levels agains the 4 pCi/L threshold where in-home mitigation is recommended. Basically this concentration is too low to give you a meaningful signal above background that you can also confidently attribute to radon. The reason this is all relevant is because pancake tubes do detect alpha so they can detect radon. This might lead someone into believing they can buy one of these detectors and evaluate the safety of radon levels in their home. Because this is a very natural and logical idea it’s important to have awareness that it actually cannot be done effectively. Otherwise somebody might buy a detector, measure a reference background for an hour, then measure their basement. Even if radon is present at concerning levels, this test will give the person a false sense of security. Even the specialized scintillation detectors that are tuned to the emission energies of radon are not very sensitive and take days to gather a reading.

[@MinSredMash]

@@RedShiftedDollar It's the forced airflow of dryers, heaters and vacuums that gets you above the threshold where G-Ms start picking things up. In theory one could use actual radon monitors as a benchmark to correlate radon levels with the observed activity of filters and boom, you have a hillbilly radon test. Regrettably I don't know of any accessible dwellings which have very high radon levels, or I would take a field trip with my Wet-Dry Vac and start gathering data.

[@deborahd.7281]

What happened to Air Chek 3 and Air Chek 4 results?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Check out this video to see the results. kzbin.info/www/bejne/onu6eKV5iLSfgqMsi=Yh3s-ECDSEogQ-Y2

[@AD-bb9np]

You should test them side by side like this at a few different ambient radon levels.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Thanks for the suggestion. The tricky part is finding a house with elevated radon, going back several times to shoot a video, and finding the time to do so.

[@seyupo]

Test only at one radon level especially at lowest values is not sufficient. At least one more point is needed, say around 20 pCi/L.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

I agree. Performing this test at higher radon concentrations would be interesting. The test done in this video was to satisfy my curiosity. We don’t see many houses that test above 10 pCi/L in our area. Even if we did, I likely would not make several trips to perform this test in a potential customer's house. Maybe I'll repeat this test by capping our radon system in the future. However, I don't want my wife and I breathing in more radon than we need to. Kansas State University did a test on this recently. I'll post the results here if I can find them. Thanks for your suggestion!

[@toddjoseph7977]

@@AmericanRadonMitigationI have the Ecoqube and for a test I actually put it in the sealed sump pump where we just installed the fan and the reading was 27. The reading in the basement was give or take 1. Like others, I just wanted to check a high radon area.

[@Jamesgangcreative]

By any chance, do you know the difference between the Airthing model 2350 and model 223? I think 2350 might just be newer version, but I can't find anything that tells me what's going on with these model numbers.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

The Corentium (Airthings) Home model 2350 is black in color and is a Home Depot-exclusive version that can be found in-store only and cannot be purchased online. ​ The 223 model is the gray model and works the same way. The only difference is the color and packaging.

[@wintrowag]

I put a Corentium on the floor and got a 5.54 reading. I then read that it should be put at least 50 cm above ground. Why would a floor measurement be invalid? Thanks in advance. Incredibly helpful videos.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

I believe Thoron may throw off the readings when you place it on the floor.

[@ncooty]

Why should residential monitors not be used for mitigation decisions?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

In case you have a bad monitor. I once had someone mitigate based on his Safety Siren Pro 3 reading 26 pCi/l. His post-mitigation Air Chek result was less than 0.3 pCi/L. His Safety Siren was still reading 26 after mitigation. Either his monitor was bad, or he never reset it after mitigation.

[@jeremyjedynak]

Why do the Air Chek test kits say that they're not available in NJ?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Here's what it says on Airchek's website: For New Jersey radon test kit pricing, call toll free 877-723-6600. NJ charges additional user fees and has special reporting requirements.

[@alexhatcher8812]

Because the will notify the govt with your address and numbers. Do you trust the NJ govt?

[@petebusch9069]

Accuracy is very important but a couple of tenths either way doesn't really matter with the exception of a real estate transaction test. Do you really care if its 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, or 4.1? Your at the limit so mitigate. Another point is you will almost always get different results using two monitors side by side so who is to say which result is more accurate. We make WAY too big of a deal about accuracy and personally I think its more of a marketing thing than anything, all professional monitors are good. The important thing is if your doing your quality control checks or not, this will show a montior is not working correctly, you never know when they will fail.

[@tdodo3026]

Awesome video!! Thank you!

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Thank you!

[@ragtie6177]

Just picked up the AIRTHINGS DIGITAL DETECTOR from HOME DEPOT for $99. I am heading to the house we just bought to see what it reads after a company did a "Stab & Go" for the seller (very nice people). The level was 62.4 before the install. I'm very curious to see a quick read over the next couple of days, by this unit... and what moving it around will show. Thanks for the great video and explaining that they are accurate but need a legit test follow-up.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

I'm curious to hear how your radon levels are looking. We're glad the video was helpful!

[@fredharvey2720]

So?

[@crowbaril903]

62???

[@petebusch9069]

What is a stab and go?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

It’s a quickly installed mitigation system without any engineering or diagnostic pressure field extension testing. Often the seller chooses the cheapest option since they are selling the house.

[@Time.for.tea.]

Thank you! This was very helpful information! My mail away test results were 9.8 and I was wondering if it was accurate.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Glad it helped!

[@A-Viking]

I heard you should have the device closer to the ground or atleast same level as you sleep at in your bed for best practical results

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

I'd recommend testing at your normal breathing level. Here's a link to the radon testing standard: standards.aarst.org/MAH-2023/8/index.html#zoom=z

[@creetpollock4759]

Why not test individuals in house for radioactivity levels and look for correlation. Ie a 10^-12 mllicurrie level in the air might predict what living inside that home. Maybe their levels might be same as average person?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Have you tried this?

[@tonymidmore7652]

You sound like you know what you're talking about. What would you be testing for and with what testing device? I ask because the radiation from radon and most of its progeny of concern is Alpha particles. Alphas being ejected inside the body won't be detectable because they are stopped by as little as a few layers of flesh. They eject and cause tiny burns, effectively. Because the isotopes are breathed in and the Alpha particles are ejected largely within the lungs, the fragile tissue there is damaged. No detecting from outside the body would react to that. There have been radiation tests of items in high risk areas that catch the radiation decay particles (RDP) of radon, such as polonium and bismuth, such as in air filters, where those metals have plated off (stuck). I believe that, due to the low overall concentration of all of these isotopes, the readings you would get would be very low. Again, the concern over radon and its RDP's is of long-term breathing of low concentrations, not one that a typical radiation sensor, such as geiger counter, would pick up, over background. Please advise if you have more information. FYI, the measurements of radon in a typical environment are of pCu/L (pico, not milli). A tested level of 4 pCu/L is the EPA level recommending action. Thank you.

[@JenniferThorne]

How about the Sun Radon professional continuous monitors?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Does your company use Sun Radon CRMs, Jennifer? We’ve never had them, but we did use Femto-tech back in the day.

[@JenniferThorne]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation Yes, we have 7 units, we calibrate them yearly an they work well producing a pdf of the report that we upload to our inspection software for the client to review.

[@ranger178]

you don't mention how much any of the testers cost or reliability

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

The cost is constantly changing. Some of these monitors are half the price they were several years ago. I didn't speak to reliability since that wasn't the point of this video and not my area of expertise.

[@norb231]

Why was the ecocube reading so high compared to the others.?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Radon is hard to measure at low levels. However, all of the devices fall within acceptable control limits. The control limit is + or - 1.0 pCi/L when the results average below 2.0 pCi/L.

[@HomeRapidRepair]

Where's the good ole Sun Radon 1028 XP?

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

We've never used one. We only do mitigation, so I'm not up-to-date on CRMs.

[@shrimpinpat]

I bought a house with a mitigation system. It is pretty old late 90's. Still original gear. Should I be having this serviced? I don't think it ever has been. Thank you!

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

It's not a bad idea to have a mitigator give it a once over and bring it up to today's standards. A radon monitor is a great way to keep tabs on your radon levels too. Check out this video to see which one I like. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4ioqmOHlKl8n8k

[@torchofkck4989]

I'm interested in accuracy & durability in atmosphere where hydrogen sulfide, methane, natural gas, sulfur dioxide, & other gasses have to be monitored for confined spaces... AWA the best choice for the money. Would be used appropriately four times per year, at & throughout 25 underground stations & 14 sublevels of 3 facilities.

[@tonymidmore7652]

I know I'm 7 months behind, but in case you see this and for others reading, if the confined space requirements include supplemental air with a respirator (you're not breathing the surrounding air), then radon likely isn't a concern. If you can't breathe in the radon and its radiation decay products (RDP), then it isn't likely to harm you. In addition, you need to look at the amount of time in the confined space. Due to low concentrations, even in high risk areas, radon and its RDP's are only a risk over a pretty long exposure span, not brief exposures. If you enter the confined space four times a year, for an hour each time, you're not likely to have any concern over radon. Concerns are over homes and work locations, where a particular person may be breathing that air for hours per day, over years. Now, if you have a below ground location with breathable air, where people work daily, yes testing should be done. I'd recommend investing in continuous radon monitors (CRM), installing one in each area. One or more people should be trained (online training is fine) in how to use them and interpret the readings. It's not rocket science, but companies with people in risk areas should take it seriously, as their people are at risk, putting the company at risk. Message me if you have questions or email anthony () midmore.com. Tony Midmore, Eagle Rock Inspections, Reno, NV

[@Tenpennycustoms4958]

Awesome video. I use two Radex MR107 monitors

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Thank you, Logan. I've never heard of Radex. How do you like them?

[@Tenpennycustoms4958]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation I like it a lot. However, the people with the company in Germany told me that it’s not an approved monitor yet because it’s new to the market. And it kind of sounds like a mom and pop shop so I’m not sure they have the money to spend to meet the certification guidelines, just my guess.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

That's too bad.

[@Tenpennycustoms4958]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation haha why’s that too bad?

[@greegearl1542]

A more in-depth video about RADON from UC Berkeley: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZe1mmBned6jn7s

[@AnastasiaSynn]

I am so incredibly angry at the company that manufactures the garbage radon monitor that I used. Wish I had seen your video first. Hired a radon abatement guy - cost me $5,500 to install the system... and when I use airthings, I'm reading .05 yet my old monitor sitting right beside it is reading 4.1. I am so angry right now. Wasted five grand. Also not real thrilled with my installer not insisting on a professional test for this exact reason.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

I'm sorry this happened to you. What kind of monitor is the one in question? You could also turn off your radon system and cap the top of the exhaust pipe to get an idea of what your home tests at without a mitigation system. You may find you had elevated levels all along.

[@AnastasiaSynn]

@@AmericanRadonMitigation apparently this fan is drawing the same as a 120 watt light bulb left on constantly. It's one of the most expensive electrical devices I now have in my home. I plan on keeping it off and getting readings with the airthings square unit. I've made so many mistakes since becoming a homeowner and it's just costing me so much money I'm going to go broke. I was scared because I'm having breathing issues since moving here but it's probably the dust and the elevation and the stress :(

[@AnastasiaSynn]

I tried to post the link and it will not stay up. It is made by funny kitchen, but that's just a reseller it is some piece of garbage from overseas

[@tonymidmore7652]

If you have a crawl space, confirm or have someone confirm, that there is a heavy plastic barrier over the soil and vent pipes running under it, to the exhaust fan system. If so, the barrier should be sealed all around and no soil exposed. If there is a barrier, is the piping to the fan within the house envelope (in the warmed walls, such as up through the attic) or is it up the exterior of the house? I would consider: shut off the fan. After 24+ hours (to allow any radon to start building again), start testing at the lowest livable/occupied level in the house. Run the test for at least 48 hours. Longer is better. Keep in mind that any barrier on the soil is going to reduce radon into the house from what it would have been before any work was done, so don't get angry if levels are low - it may simply because the barrier is working, not that no mitigation was needed. Now, if the piping goes up inside the house, you may be okay with just leaving the fan off, allowing the surrounding heat of the house to lift the air up and out of the soil, by the stack effect. That's a typical starting point for some systems, until it's decided that a fan is needed.

[@AnastasiaSynn]

@@tonymidmore7652 I don't think you read my comment properly.

[@Scottydont1978]

This test is meaningless… there is no radon to detect! You should conduct this same experiment in a location with known higher levels of radon.

[@izzybritton503]

READ comments and replies from ARM : @AmericanRadonMitigation 3 months ago Thanks for your suggestion, Alex. Unfortunately, all the homes I've lived in since getting involved with radon have had radon mitigation systems. It would be somewhat awkward to ask a stranger who does have a house with elevated radon if I could film a video comparing testing devices in their home over the course of several days and visits. It would also be pretty time-consuming. Kansas State University recently did a study on radon monitors that might have the data you want.

[@Alex_the_Reign]

Absolutely useless video. All the testing was done in no radon env so all the results show the same close to zero values within the margin (really laughed at the lab test showing 0.5 +- 0.3, basically allowing you to choose any devise result as your personal favorite) leaving no space to actually check fluctuations. I would rather see how those testers perform in the mid-high radon environment and what would be the difference between readings compared to the lab test. I currently have Airthings and Inkbird in my house and they are showing roughly a 30% discrepancy standing side-by-side, where Airthings tend to show higher values.

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

Thanks for your suggestion, Alex. Unfortunately, all the homes I've lived in since getting involved with radon have had radon mitigation systems. It would be somewhat awkward to ask a stranger who does have a house with elevated radon if I could film a video comparing testing devices in their home over the course of several days and visits. It would also be pretty time-consuming. Kansas State University recently did a study on radon monitors that might have the data you want.

[@jem02081]

I’m interested in the performance at low radon level (

[@leewilliam3417]

Mmmm😊

[@AmericanRadonMitigation]

🤔