I am playing with my new toy, a SunRadon 1028XP, and I was curious about this… the normal waves make sense because those are the hvac system working… the motion detection was my cat hitting it (this was just me testing the unit to make sure I know all the ins and outs of it so I wasn’t terribly worried). The initial spike I understand could be because it started to rain shortly after setting the unit (set in my basement), but what could cause the ending spike?
Thank you all for your thoughts, I’m trying to make sure I know how to read the results.
HVAC system shouldn’t cause changes unless it’s pushing/pulling air to/from outside (leaky ducts, etc.). The best explanation I’ve been able to get for spikes is pressure changes in the weather.
Change in barometric pressure has a big influence on the reading, however there is a delay between rise and fall of the barometric pressure and the radon levels. High pressure keeps the radon in the ground and low pressure sucks it out.
Make sure your home is safe by ordering a test kit online or by mail for only $15! This price includes shipping, lab processing, and follow up service for testers with elevated results. (Non-Georgians should visit the EPA for assistance assessing radon risk.)
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Seems like the UGA extension services may be taking advantage of a non regulated state…
I do not think they are taking advantage of anyone for $15. I believe this is a public service.
(Note: Long term test kits are not available thru GA Extension)
The EPA will also give direction to this site from Kansas State University. They will also recommend obtaining these kits from local health departments or state radon programs
Like said already, atmosphere pressure, wind, soil moisture movement, house stack effect, along with other house conditions. In the end, make your recommendation based on the average; 3.6 pCi/L.
From the EPA web site When to mitigate: “EPA recommends homes be fixed if the radon level is 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) or more. Because there is no known safe level of exposure to radon, EPA also recommends that Americans consider fixing their home for radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L.”
3.6 pCi/L is well within the “consider fixing your home” reading. That’s your recommendation. Long term testing is unlikely to be below 2.0 pCi/L in this house.
Do you have the environmental module for your unit??? If not, then get one. I have THREE 1028XPs and they All have the module. Helps tremendously to say the least, especially when trying to figure out why a spike shows up. Also, follow the weather and take notes. We get rogue isolated thunderstorms here that really jack with tests. Pain in the buttocks! I watch the weather like a hawk in a specific area when I have a test underway. Remember that a spike occurs after a not as it starts to . It takes time for the gas to find a new way to the surface, or into a house…
Look at the weather stats for your area during the test. Could explain a lot…
Thank you all… I’ve been double checking through my weather since no rain last night, but the wind speed went to half, and pressure changed significantly too…
I was thinking active weather as in rain etc, but that’s why I wanted to test with it before I offered it for a customer…
Do you have a quality assurance plan? There’s more to radon testing besides your device and the weather. You need to perform a cross check on your device at the 6 month time from last calibration, and you need to perform duplicates on all devices every 10 tests. You also need to keep records, post notices at the test site, have a tamper plan, and document test conditions. Real estate testing sometimes can be adversarial. Standards of Practice; MAH 2019
This is your documentation assuring your tests are reliable. It’s also where you go should you have a complaint or god forbid, a call from an attorney.
and take notes. We get rogue isolated thunderstorms here that really jack with tests. Pain in the buttocks! I watch the weather like a hawk in a specific area when I have a test underway. Remember that a spike occurs after a 
not as it starts to