Shopping Cart
Shop›FAQ›Radon Test Kits | Resources and FAQ

Radon Test Kits | Resources and FAQ

radon test kits health metric support page 

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. You can’t see or smell radon. Testing is the only way to know your level of exposure.  

__________________________________ 

COVID-19 update: Our partner laboratory is operational but analysis times can be slightly longer than usual. Also, shipping companies are very busy right now and shipping delays are possible.

Rest assured, all shipping related issues are covered by the replacement policy: we’ll replace your test kit if anything goes wrong in transit.

________________________________ 

Radon can be found all over the U.S. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground and into buildings and homes through cracks and other gaps in the slab or foundation. Radon can build up inside the home, reaching harmful levels. Any building or home can have a radon problem.

When you breathe in radon, radioactive particles from radon gas become trapped in your lungs. Over time, these radioactive particles increase the risk of lung cancer. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking, accounting for approx. 21,000 deaths annually in the United States alone. 

The Health Metric Radon Test Kits provides a quick, easy and reliable method to test for radon at home. With millions of detectors analyzed, this test kit is one of the most proven short-term radon measurement devices available. 

5 test kit errors to avoid  

radon test kitREAD ALL INSTRUCTIONS
Please read ALL of the instructions or watch the video instructions before beginning the test. This will eliminate nearly 95% of errors that may occur.

radon test kitTEST FOR 48 HOURS
Run the test for the recommended 48 hours. Tests exposed less than 48 hours or more than 96 hours are invalid and cannot be analyzed.

radon test kitRECORD THE SERIAL NUMBER
Record the Test Kit Serial Number for your own records. It is required when contacting the lab for any reason.

radon test kitCHECK IF EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED 
Place the completed information sheet, radon sampler, and payment (if applicable) inside the mailer and seal it tightly.

radon test kitUSE EXPEDITED SHIPPING (or the shipping label if included)
Nearly all delays and errors occur when shipping with USPS. Use expedited shipping instead: Priority Mail, UPS, or FedEx. 

NOTE: If you purchased the Health Metric Radon Test Kit that includes free return shipping, simply follow the step-by-step instructions on the included label to send your test to the lab.  Don’t forget to record your tracking number.

Video instructions 

  

Helpful resources and downloads

For more information see the EPA's website or check the following resources: 

Frequently Asked Questions

Radon is widely believed to be the second leading cause of lung cancer. Therefore, the EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing for radon in all homes below the third floor. Radon has been found in homes all over the United States. Any home can have a radon problem. On average, one out of every fifteen U.S. homes has a problem. The only way to know whether or not your home has a radon problem is to test for it.
Unfortunately, no level of radon is considered totally safe. The EPA recommends that any level above 4.0 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) be reduced. However, other environmental organizations have set their action level lower; the World Health Organization recommends that any level above 2.7 pCi/L be reduced.
Nearly one out of every 15 homes has a radon level the EPA considers to be elevated—4 pCi/L or greater. The U.S. average radon-in-air level in single family homes is 1.3 pCi/L. Because most people spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors, indoor exposure to radon is an important concern.
No. The only way to know the radon level in any home, regardless of its age, foundation type, heating system, air tightness, or building materials, is to conduct a test. Elevated radon has been found in brand new homes and homes over 150 years old.
All the Health Metric Radon Tests are analyzed by Alpha Energy Laboratories using modern gamma scintillation counters, EPA Methodology EPA-402-R-92-004. Alpha Energy Laboratories is fully certified by NRPP and by all US States which have a certification or licensing program.
The short-term test kits have an indefinite shelf life! As long as they have been sealed up in their plastic bag, do not have any sort of damage to the paper side of the kit, and have been stored under normal room temperature conditions, they should be fine to use.
For tests being run in areas that have high humidity, the best thing to do is run your kit for the minimum exposure time – 48 hours. This greatly reduces the chances of your kit absorbing too much moisture for us to get a result. If you’d like, you can also run a dehumidifier during testing as well. We do not recommend running any fans/vents that circulate in air from the outside, as that exchange of air would affect your results.
We recommend testing in the lowest livable level of your house (usually the basement), but it could be a bit up to your preference! Here’s why we recommend the basement:
 
Radon sits a little heavier than the air, so the highest concentration of radon is usually found in the lowest level of the building. By testing in the basement area you are basically testing for the “worst case scenario” of your home’s radon levels. It’s very rare that a house with low radon levels in the basement has high radon levels in the above floors!
 
Radon naturally occurs in the soil, so by testing the lowest level you are also testing closer to the most likely entry point of radon gas.
 
Most real estate transactions require that the lowest livable level is tested. This includes a level that could be lived in or modified to live in, so even an unfinished basement.
 
Radon levels are usually different between levels of your house. If you don’t spend a significant amount of time in your basement or just want to know your levels for personal knowledge, you could test an area of the house that you spend more time in! This would give you results for what levels of radon you are encountering regularly. Again, even in this case, we still recommend the lowest level, so the first floor would be the best option if you aren’t testing the basement.
Your results will be sent to you however you indicated on your information sheet! You may also view any lab tracking and test results online here.
 
For Short Term radon tests, results are generally available 3-5 business days after our lab receives the test kit. During high volume times, such as our peak season from November to April, results may take longer.
 
There is no time window guarantee for regular service – if you need your results within a small time window we strongly recommend you purchase Lab Rush Analysis Service and ship your kit via an expedited method.
Generally, one test kit will be enough to test the lowest livable level of your house (e.g. basement) for radon. However, radon levels are usually different between the levels of your house. Therefore, if you wish to test for radon on different levels of your house (e.g. basement and living room), you need more than one test kit.
Below 2 pCi/L (74 Bq/m3) is considered a low level of radon and a good test result!
Above 4 pCi/L (148 Bq/m3) is considered a dangerous level of radon and the EPA recommends taking action to reduce radon levels.
Between 2 and 4 pCi/L (74-148 Bq/m3) is considered by the EPA to be an acceptable but not ideal result. No level of radon is considered safe, so a follow-up test may be warranted to confirm test results.
The national indoor average for radon is estimated at 1.3 pCi/L, and the outdoor air averages 0.4 pCi/L.
If you would like some additional information about your radon results, you can visit the EPA’s website or call your state radon contact.
It is important that the lab gets your information from you, since they will need it to complete the testing!
If you have sealed up but not shipped your kit yet, you can place both the sealed kit and the information sheet in a shipping envelope together and we will ensure that they stay together during testing!
If you have already shipped your kit, here’s how you can get us your information:
Enter your information online via the lab’s website here. If you enter your info in online, you don’t have to send us a copy of your info sheet (although it might not be a bad idea).
Email or fax a copy of your info sheet. The lab email is radon@alphaenergylabs.com and their fax is (972) 242-8860. Make sure that your test kit serial is included in the information that you send!
Mail it. You are welcome to drop it in an envelope and send it to the lab, but we recommend using one of the other methods to make sure that you are able to get your results faster. The address is:
Alpha Energy Labs
2501Mayes Road
Suite 100
Carrollton, TX 75006
Whenever we have a completed report for your kit, we send it off via whatever method you specified on your information sheet! You can always access lab tracking and reports through the Alpha Energy Labs website. Here are the most common reasons why you haven’t seen a report yet:
Your emailed report got sent to a junk or spam folder. Since we send out thousands of reports this way, we often get flagged as spam.
Your mailed report hasn’t reached you quite yet. It can take around 7 days for a mailed report to reach you sometimes!
Some other factors may include:
An incorrectly written email, fax number, or address.
Missing information. Sometimes, we receive tests in our lab without the information sheet.
A slight delay in transit to our labs.
If it’s been over 30 days since you mailed off your kit and you have still not received results, please contact us at radon@alphaenergylabs.com or (800) 324-5928. Be sure to include your test kit serial and shipment information.
Our laboratories do not refuse packages, because we know that kits return to our labs in various ways! If you tried to send your kit back to our labs through USPS and it was returned, usually that means there was not enough postage. Click here to find out what the current rates are for our test kits!
We must receive your test kit within 10 days of the test being stopped for best results. After 10 days, we cannot guarantee your test will be valid. Delays in mail delivery are, unfortunately, out of our control – another reason why we recommend expedited services that guarantee a timely delivery!

Read more Frequently Asked Questions here!

 

Got a question that is not listed? Email us at: support@health-metric.com
We are here to help.