What is radon gas in your home?

radon gas in your home causes cancer. how to test for radon

What is radon gas and where does it come from? Radon is present in homes and will kill you.

Radon is a radioactive gas that has been found in homes all over the United States. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation.

What are the symptoms of radon in your home?
Is it true that radon poisoning can give you cancer?
  • persistent cough.
  • coughing up blood.
  • wheezing.
  • shortness of breath.
  • hoarseness.
  • chest pain, especially when you cough or laugh.
  • frequent infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas which may be found in indoor environments such as homes, schools, and workplaces. Radon is the most important cause of lung cancer, next to smoking!

Radon gas in your home. Radon gas is a produced during the decay of elements such as uranium and radium. The gas is comprised of radioactive particles that, when breathed in, damage the cells lining your lungs. … In fact, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

Radon tester for testing for radon gas in home or office
Radon tester I bought

There are no safe levels of radon, and there’s no way to eradicate it. All you can do in your home is ventilate and seal the foundation as best you can.

As the National Cancer Institute notes, “Long-term exposure to radon can lead to lung cancer.” It is long term exposure that matters, so it’s never really too late to check your home for radon.

LEVELS of radon gas in the soil may be as much as 10 times higher in the summer than in the winter, when most testing for the cancer-causing gas is done, a Pennsylvania State University study has found. … The tests are normally conducted in the winter when indoor levels are believed to be highest.

Radon levels fluctuate over time, with the seasons, rain, lack of ventilation, etc.

WHY AM I WRITING A POST ON RADON?

A month ago, a realtor friend of ours was selling a house 2 doors down from us. She called to inform us the house registered very high for radon gas. The house was occupied by an older lady, who passed away in the home. Our realtor friend asked what she died from; I wasn’t sure.

Knowing there were very high levels of radon in the house 2 doors down, she suggested we get our home tested for radon. The homes in our neighborhood are only 10 years old. It doesn’t matter how old or new your home is, as radon comes up from the soil and gets in your home through the foundation.

Have you seen a wide pvc pipe in your basement labeled RADON? That pipe is supposed to carry any radon from the foundation up to your attic and out into the air. The problem is, only so much radon rises up through the pipe on its own. Your best best is to have a fan installed in your attic, which is connected to this pvc pipe. An electrician can install this radon fan by cutting the pvc pipe in your attic and installing the fan between the two pieces of pipe. This radon fan will pull radon from under your foundation up and out of your home.

radon gas in your home

Radon gas in your home is very dangerous. Radon causes lung cancer.

How do you know if you have Radon gas in your home?

You can do a google search for radon testing in your area. A professional will install the radon testing equipment in your home and leave it there for 24-48 hours to get a reading. The cost is around $200. It takes 24-48 hours to get a good reading.

What I chose to do is buy a Radon detector, which is equal to most equipment the professionals use. The cost of a Radon detector is around $150 but you will have it forever.

Since radon levels fluctuate over time, and is always present, it makes sense to always have this radon detector around. I can measure radon at any time.

This is the radon detector bought on Amazon. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and customer service is outstanding. It’s a small price to pay for the safety of your family.

If it turns out the home has high levels, I will most certainly have a professional install a radon fan on the radon pipe in the attic.

Even without a basement, you can, and probably do, have small traces of radon in your home or business. I hope this helps you guys.

I write about anything techy, music, photography, artsy and whatever I think you may find interesting.

Steve

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I’m a video editor of 25 years, computer technician of 25 years, audio engineer 20 years, photographer 25 years and guitarist 20 years. I post photography and stop motion animation videos, but mainly guitar playing. This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and review.