Test Your Radon Knowledge Answers
1. The action level is 4.0 Picocuries Per Liter (pC1/L) which is set by the EPA. This is the
level at which you can request the sellers to pay for the MITIGATION.
2. If your family has a history of cancer your action level could be as low as 2.0 pC1/L.
3. The EPA and the Surgeon General recommends testing all homes. At this time testing is
not mandatory but may become one of the requirements in the future for a government
backed loan.
4. Due to the different geological formations under each home the readings will be different.
Only testing will reveal the true level.
5. MITIGATION is the installation of a system to remove radon from a structure. The
average cost for a contractor to lower radon levels in a home is about $ 1200, although
this can range from $ 500 to about $ 2500.
- A passive system is the addition during the time of construction of the PVC piping
required for an active system. If needed, a low voltage fan can be added later to convert it
to an active system.
7. Radon gas causes lung cancer. It is estimated that 14, to 30,000 people die each year
from exposure to radon gases. This number continues to rise.
- Radon gas comes from the breakdown of uranium in the ground and can enter the house
through cracks and joints in the foundation. It can also enter through an unprotected
crawl open to the basement.
- Testing is recommended to be done every two years to make sure the conditions have not
changed under the home.
10. The differential pressure gauge should be checked periodically. This is the U shaped
gauge on the PVC piping and if the system is working, the levels will be uneven.
11. For some strange reason people believe that radon is only found in basements. There
have been high levels found in all types of buildings. Test it.
12. Radon can change with weather, heating system changes, geological changes, ect.
13. A short test is for 2-90 days, long test is up to 1 year. Two day testing is the most
common.
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