Closed-house conditions the test should match how you live
A radon test should describe the air the occupants breathe, not the air of a house opened for the occasion. Health Canada recommends at least three months, ideally from October to April, when the windows stay closed for long stretches. Exterior doors open to come and go. They do not stay wide open.
The air exchanger or the heat pump keep running as usual. Switching them off “so they do not skew the test” invents a house that does not exist. Changing their setting during the test invents the other extreme. More on the exchanger: does it lower radon.
The four-day test
Over four days, a single day with the windows open weighs a lot. Keep the house closed from start to finish, detector in place, not in a drawer. What invalidates a test. Testing in summer.
Reference points: Health Canada, what you need to know about radon and the 200 Bq/m³ guideline. The two-year timeline between 200 and 600, and one year above 600, comes from Health Canada’s guide for radon measurements in homes.
The 4-day test gives a first reading. The 91-day test covers the three-month minimum Health Canada asks for. Both are $59 before tax: shipping, return and the laboratory are included, taxes extra. The PDF report is sent within 2 business days after the laboratory receives the detector.
Above 200 Bq/m³, mitigation is confirmed with a quote. Gaz Radon is C-NRPP certified for measurement and mitigation.
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