Radon Monitor.

[thutton (Timothy H. Hutton, TN 464)]

I am looking to get a radon monitor, I haven’t decided if I want to buy or lease yet. I came across this one yesterday and was wondering if anyone has ever used one, or know anything about it. It sells for $1175.
http://www.alphamonitor.com/

What kind do you use/recommend?

Thanks in advance,
Tim Hutton

[jhagarty (Joseph Hagarty, CMI)]

http://www.sunnuclear.com/products/radon/Radon.asp?topmessage=Radon

[bplantz (Blain R. Plantz)]

One of my colleagues is selling a few of his Sun Nuclear 1027s for around 300 each. If you are interested I can give you contact info.

[thutton (Timothy H. Hutton, TN 464)]

@sunnuclear

Accuracy: ±25% or 1 pCi/l, whichever is greater after 24 hours.

That is from the sunnuclear site. Correct me if I’m wrong, but a 25% margin of error doesn’t sound too good. The one I listed is 3%.

I just want to get the best one I can find.

Tim Hutton

[asenter (Alan Senter)]

Hello bplantz - I’m interested in a Sun Nuclear Radon Monitor. They’re widely considered the best, maybe for the price tag. Far better then the “canister type”, or so I’m told.

Alan Senter - sasenter@msn.com

[dmuirhead (Dave Muirhead, CT Lic. #87)]

@bplantz

One of my colleagues is selling a few of his Sun Nuclear 1027s for around 300 each. If you are interested I can give you contact info.

I would be interested in the 1027’s
I can be reached at 1-800-255-8383
or at www.Building-Inspections.com

[mnahrgang (Mark Nahrgang, C.R.I.)]

@thutton

That is from the sunnuclear site. Correct me if I’m wrong, but a 25% margin of error doesn’t sound too good. The one I listed is 3%.

I just want to get the best one I can find.

Tim Hutton

Tim,

That’s what they advertise because that’s what the EPA requirement is/was for their approval, and that is the level that they were approved at. I had mine (1027) calibrated about a month ago, and the calibration factor is 1.04377. So I have to have a level of 8 pC/L to be off 1/10 of a pC/L. Plenty accurate enough for a RE transaction requiring a level of 4. Especially at better than half the price of some of their competitors.

The $300 deal that is being offered is an awesom bargain. (Even if he has to send it to Sun for a $125 calibration.)

[Doug_Wall]

Several of my friends use Sun Nuclear.
Does anyone ever wonder why a Femto Tech monitor cost $4,000?
http://www.femto-tech.com/purchase_options2.asp

Used Radalink in part of 2000, switched to femto tech, thousands and thousands of tests later, we know we made the right choice.

Air Chek, Inc. and femto tech have a nice program for serious inspectors.
www.radon.com

Doug Wall, CIE
Radon & Mold Professionals
www.naplesmoldinspection.com
www.radonmoldhelp.com

[mnahrgang (Mark Nahrgang, C.R.I.)]

@Doug Wall

…
Does anyone ever wonder why a Femto Tech monitor cost $4,000?
…](http://www.femto-tech.com/purchase_options2.asp)

I do… why does it cost $4000? Why would I need all that? Like I said in my previous post, the Sun’s work fine.

[Kevin_Luce]

Yet they felt they had to make a better monitor. Why is that? Because the 1027 was made to just pass the EPA requirements. I hope builders don’t think the same way. “So what! It met the minimal standards!”:shock:

Information from Sun Nuclear website:

1028
“A 12 hour delay start can be pre-programmed to meet all proficiency program closed building procedures.”

This feature is not on the 1027. How do you deal with a house that is open when you go set the machine in place?

“The NEW model 1029 Continuous Radon Monitor is even more impressive with environmental sensors checking temperature, barometric pressure and relative humidity to further assist with closed building conditions. It has twice the sensitivity as the 1027 and 1028 …”

For a Real Estate transaction, I feel knowing the temperature, barometric pressure and relative humidity during a radon test is important.

[mnahrgang (Mark Nahrgang, C.R.I.)]

Hey Kevin,
Good post, and good points. Here’s my take on your questions…

@Kevin Luce

Yet they felt they had to make a better monitor. Marketing options. I too offer different levels of inspections at different price points. Why is that? Because the 1027 was made to just pass the EPA requirements. It doesmeet EPA requirements, and then some. Mine has a calibration factor of 1.04377. More than accurate enough to determine if a home should be mitiagated or not. I’ve spoken to the sun rep, and she told me that the newer models actually have the pretty much the same radon detection mechanism in them as the 1027 just slightly more sensitive. They have the other models because they have added some nice additional features. But the guts are pretty much the same.I hope builders don’t think the same way. “So what! It met the minimal standards!”:shock: Actually the monitors exceed the standards. They simply don’t market them. My machine has been tested to be within .1 pC/L at 8pC/l. Well within the EPA standard of .25 pC/L at 4. And like you said yourself, they do offer other higher end models with additional bells and whistles.

Information from Sun Nuclear website:

1028
“A 12 hour delay start can be pre-programmed to meet all proficiency program closed building procedures.”

This feature is not on the 1027. How do you deal with a house that is open when you go set the machine in place? No problem. I close up the house, set the machine and leave. Rather than picking the monitor up in 48 hours, I leave it for at least 60. I simply use the most recent 48 hours.

“The NEW model 1029 Continuous Radon Monitor is even more impressive with environmental sensors checking temperature, barometric pressure and relative humidity to further assist with closed building conditions. It has twice the sensitivity as the 1027 and 1028 …” Personally I don’t need twice the sensitivity. My machine is mathematically acurate to ±.1 pC/L at 8 pC/L. If I’m off 1/10 of a pC/L one way or the other at a level of 8, I’m already recommending mitigation. 7.9,8.0, or 8.1 all get the same recommendation…Mitigate. Twice the sensitivity doesn’t give me anything more that I need or even want. (I do like the tri-pod options for some of these though.)

For a Real Estate transaction, I feel knowing the temperature, barometric pressure and relative humidity during a radon test is important. I feel it’s nice information to have, but not vital nor required. I used to use Radalink monitors, and they reported that info too, and it’s useful for helping to determine if the test has been tampered with. But it’s not required. Actually you can follow EPA guidelines and use the cheap non-Continuious monitors that you can pick up at the hardware store. So the bells and whistles that you get with higher end machines are nice, and are helpful. But not required. Besides I can usually tell that something is up with the test simply by graphing the hourly results in excell.

When it comes to providing a good service to my clients for a fair price, I feel the Sun 1027 are a good value. Are they the best machines on the market today? Absolutely not.

Are they reasonably priced, and do they give reasonably accurate and dependable results within EPA guidelines. Absolutely. Sure, I probably spend 15 minutes on each test by running the results through excell, but I feel that’s a small price to pay considering the cost of the higher end machines.

It would be great to own a machine that had all the Bells and whistles, but for a difference of about $3500, I don’t see it being a good business decision for what I am using it for.

Here’s a question for you. What do you do when there is no electric in the home to power your $4000 monitor, yet your client wants a radon test performed anyway? Does your device have a 48hr battery? Mine will only last 20 hours. In these cases I use non-CRM’s, and send them to a lab. So definately no bells or whistles there. What do you do in those situations?

[sprice (Shawn G. Price)]

Mark,

The $4000 machines (in this case femto-Techs) don’t need power, as they have a ~12 month battery life. I guess it comes down to how clearly one wants to see the object. The more expensive radon monitors give a much more detailed picture of the radon levels during the test, just as an electron microscope costs much more than a light microscope and even more than a magnifying glass. More detail = more $$.

Look at the cars on the road. One person hopes he makes it home before the doors fall off, while the other guy takes the scenic route and enjoys the ride. One has an 8-track, while another has Sirius, a GPS, and OnStar. Choices, options, and preferences. As they say in the car business, there’s an a$$ for every seat.

Regardless of who you are and what equipment you choose, the main thing is to abide by the protocols and maintain a strict and documented quality assurance program.

Enjoy the ride,

Shawn Price

http://radon.com - General radon information
http://radon-pro.com - Information for radon professionals

[mnahrgang (Mark Nahrgang, C.R.I.)]

@sprice

Mark,

The $4000 machines (in this case femto-Techs) don’t need power, as they have a ~12 month battery life. VERY NICE I guess it comes down to how clearly one wants to see the object. The more expensive radon monitors give a much more detailed picture of the radon levels during the test, just as an electron microscope costs much more than a light microscope and even more than a magnifying glass. More detail = more $$. That’s nice, but I just need to know what the levels are, to recommend mitigation or not. Differences of less than .005 pC/L don’t affect that decision. Therefore I would be paying for precision that isn’t necessary. I just need the “magnifying glass.”

Look at the cars on the road. One person hopes he makes it home before the doors fall off, while the other guy takes the scenic route and enjoys the ride. One has an 8-track, while another has Sirius, a GPS, and OnStar. Choices, options, and preferences. As they say in the car business, there’s an a$$ for every seat.

Regardless of who you are and what equipment you choose, the main thing is to abide by the protocols and maintain a strict and documented quality assurance program. Amen!

Enjoy the ride,

Shawn Price

http://radon.com - General radon information
http://radon-pro.com - Information for radon professionals

…

[sprice (Shawn G. Price)]

Good reply Mark,

Most of the time a magnifying glass, wiped clean of finger prints and dirt, can give us a clear picture of hard-to-see objects. But everyone needs to understand that the amount of effort put into the process will impact the amount of quality coming out the other end. Effort = Quality = Peace of mind.

Enjoy the ride

Shawn Price

http://radon.com
http://radon-pro.com

[mvolpe (Mark Volpe, 2825)]

Hi,

I want to get radon certified but I have a question. Can the 1027 be used for Radon measurements in the crawlspace?

Mark

[sgilligan1 (Scott Gilligan, CMI)]

@mvolpe

Hi,

I want to get radon certified but I have a question. Can the 1027 be used for Radon measurements in the crawlspace?

Mark

You wouldn’t test in the crawlspace. You test in the lowest livible area, which is typically a basement or first floor in cases of a crawlspace.

[rkie (Rick Kie, NYS UID#16000019351)]

yes it can but why would you?

[jfarsetta (Joe Farsetta)]

Why would you be doung a radon measurement in a crawlspace?

Follow EPA and State protocols.

Typically, one measures either lowest living area or livable area. Crawlspaces fall into neither category.

[fcarrio (Frank M. Carrio, CMI)]

@mvolpe

Hi,

I want to get radon certified but I have a question. Can the 1027 be used for Radon measurements in the crawlspace?

Mark

NO! is

[sprice (Shawn G. Price)]

Mark V.,

I don’t support 1027’s, but I do support understanding radon and doing things by the protocols, regardless of the device used. Give me a call and I can find your best avenue for training and certification. I’ll be in Greensboro next week and can sit down and talk if needed. Holler if you have questions or want to meet.

I think we’re doing the Winston Cup Museum (NASCAR goodies) Wednesday night in Winston-Salem. Want to come along? BTW, my boss used to build cars driven by many HOF racers, such as Buddy Baker, Cale Yarborough, Fireball Roberts, Tiny Lund, Dave Marcus, and the list goes on… The museum history starts at 1971, only 3 years before he got out of racing (after 14 years), but there might be a few tidbits of history that make it worth the trip. I’m pumped to hear how the museum screwed up and doesn’t really understand! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Shawn Price

http://radon.com
http://radon-pro.com
800-247-2435 x812