What's the best Radon Detector?

[FJ and G]

BB the beagle seems to like it upstairs better than in the basement. I know that animals have better senses of things than people sometimes and I'm now curious if the radon levels are high down there, as I'm always downstairs fiddling over the toy trains.

As far as I know, there are two basic kinds of detectors, the 3 day and the month or longer type.

Which are the more accurate and is there a "best" brand? Also, do I have to go thru the pain of mailing out the tested package and then waiting, waiting for results?

[cnw1995]

BB is probably right about something down there. Radon is a big deal here - the longer (more expensive) types allegedly are more accurate but the one day - you open the baggie, leave it for a day or two, seal it up and mail it in - is also accurate. Our basement was at 2.1 or so - anything about 3.0 was fix immediately. Last did this 5 years ago when we moved in - I really don't want to know it's worse... Don't have a brand to recommend, just went to the hardware store.

[FJ and G]

Doug,

I spend a lot of time in the basement, as you can imagine from my participation on the forums. Even if the reading is within the normal range, I'm wondering if there's a cumulative effect and that "normal" reading might be for normal people who don't go too often in their basements, i.e., is quality of health improved by not spending as much time there?

[cnw1995]

I hear you! I guess spending a lot of time underground in a somewhat dank, artificially lit environment isn't that great an idea; not that I'm going to pull back on it. I went to the state's website about radon - and was somewhat reassured. Essentially if you don't smoke, the changes of getting lung cancer from radon were pretty enormously hight.

[dougdagrump]

Got a canary ? [:-^] [:D]

[Anonymous]

If you are concerned about Radon, don't go cheap. Hire a certified Radon specialist to check your basement/house. My experience is that an electronic test is more accurate than the old fashioned "canister" test. Electronic testing also gives you graphic capabilities so you can actually plot or track how the Radon readings actually fluctuate according to atmospheric and weather changes.

Weather conditions such as frozen ground around your home, snow cover, and a high negative pressure in your home will tend to increase the Radon in your home. Winter readings are always higher than readings taken during the summer.

BillFromWayne
www.modeltrainjournal.com

[Anonymous]

Maybe BB does not like to go up and down the basement stairs? I think that might be the problem right there. Or, maybe the floor is cold. That dog is no fool. He wants to be upstairs where the house is warmer. And, the steps are nicer going upstairs than down to that basement. What do you think?

[Chris F]

David,

Probably more than you wanted to know here, but -

http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html

I'm not familiar with how the Radon standard was set for air, but I am familiar with the process for drinking water standards. In general, the standard is based on ingestion of 2 liters of a specific water per day from birth to age 70 and the affect that would have on the chances for health problems. Based on the EPA link, it looks like the air standards are similar.

[Anonymous]

I once worked somewhere that required some education in radioactivity in regards to human beings. They taught us that the EPA spent years studying what levels of Radon were dangerous to people, and presumably the dogs too. The first EPA regs set a federal limit (only a guideline to your house and mine, but becomes a matter of legality for your school, police station, fire department,...) that was below the levels of nearly every federal building on the east coast. The east coast has lots of granite and the bedrock is closer to the ground level which are both bad for Radon. Anywho, the federal regulations were rewritten such that the limit was high enough so schools wouldn't shut down. My point is you should look hard for some unbiased information on radon levels and the connected health threat.

But as far as BB the beagle, Radon is beyond the range of animal senses I'm sure. He's probably avoiding the cold, damp, mold, mildew, and dark of the basement. Or if your basement is anything like mine he is avoiding the cussing, swearing, and throwing of things in frustration because that @#$#^ train won't run.

[Buckeye Riveter]

In this part of Ohio, radon is often detected due to the shales beneath the surface. Geology is a major factor and sedimentary rocks seem to be the worse. Our house has vent to the outside to let the gas escape beneath the basement slab.

[AlanRail]

Radon isn't a problem yet where I live, but if you have a smoke exhaust system in your train room, when its on you will also exhaust the radon with the smoke.

So keep the trains puffing and your exhaust system pumping.

Alan