Reliable Radon Readings
The compact Wave radon monitor from Airthings provides real-time radon readings to help you determine if mitigation is necessary.
Exposure to radon leads to a greater risk of lung cancer, and the EPA recommends a home undergo radon mitigation if the level of radon gas is above 4.0 pCi/L. After a series of borderline results from flimsy home tests and a confidence-lacking professional test left me feeling uncertain about whether to invest in radon mitigation in my own home, I borrowed my sister-in-law’s Airthings Wave Radon monitor.
This battery-powered compact disc sits in my basement and gives me constant real-time radon readings as well as temperature and humidity readings, which help explain the dips and bumps in the radon levels and are particularly useful for monitoring moisture in my basement. A few months passed before I received a notification that my radon levels had been over 4.0 for over 24 hours. After a few more months of elevated readings, I decided to have a fan and venting mitigation system installed.
The Wave ($160) has since enabled me to see if the mitigation was successful with lowered readings after the fact. Airthings also makes the Wave Plus, which monitors volatile organic compounds (VOCs), CO2 levels, and changes in air pressure, and the View Radon and View Plus ($300), which have a few more features than the Wave devices. Any of the devices can be wall- or ceiling-mounted or simply set down, and all take AA batteries.
Photos courtesy of the manufacturer.
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