Radon testing for free or close to it

The U.S. EPA action level is 4.0 pCi/L. At or above that, EPA recommends fixing the home. EPA also suggests considering action between 2.0 and 4.0 pCi/L. For scale, EPA puts the average indoor level in the United States at about 1.3 pCi/L and outdoor air at about 0.4 pCi/L; there is no safe level, only lower and higher. American Radon Systems follows that guidance without scare tactics. Your own test result is the number that matters for your home.

No. Levels can differ house to house, even next door, because soil, foundations, and air pressure differ. A neighbor’s high or low result is a reason to test your own home, not a substitute for your number.

The cheapest way is a county kit: free by mail if you live in suburban Cook County, or $8 in Will County. Kits come in short-term and long-term versions, and a reusable radon detector is the option if you want to watch your level year-round. Text Bill the number when you have it and he reads it at no charge. In Illinois, test each lowest structural area suitable for occupancy; that can include an unfinished basement that could be used regularly without renovation. Follow the exact device instructions and the Illinois placement and closed-building rules that apply to the test. For a real-estate transaction, use an Illinois-licensed measurement professional, and we can point you to one.

In suburban Cook County, the Cook County Department of Public Health often mails free kits to residents. In Will County, the health department sells kits for $8 at its Joliet, Bolingbrook, and Monee offices. The American Lung Association also sells kits online, and some libraries lend detectors. Programs change and sometimes run out, so check with your county first. Once you have a result, text Bill and he will tell you what it means.

A kit is usually a short-term or long-term device sent to a lab, or a charcoal canister used under instructions. A consumer detector runs continuously and shows trends. Neither replaces a careful reading of results for real estate. In Illinois, professional measurement is licensed separately from mitigation. Detectors are useful for patterns; a solid test is still how decisions get made.

We have links to free and $8 radon test kits, based on which county you live in. Cook County mails suburban residents a free kit, and Will County sells one for $8 at its offices. If you want to watch your level year-round, we recommend a reusable radon detector you keep. Text Bill your result and he will tell you what it means and what fixing it would take, at no charge. The kit does the measuring, not the person who would sell you the fix. Buying or selling? A sale usually needs a licensed professional test, and we will point you to one.

Stay calm. Elevated radon is common and fixable. Note the number, where the test was placed, and any closing date. Then call or text Bill at (815) 370-9682 (that is his cell), or send your info on the contact form. You do not need to know what system you need. Bill looks at the home, explains the next step, and prices before work begins.

Yes. In Illinois the post-mitigation test is taken after the system has run for at least 24 hours and no later than 30 days after installation, with the system running normally and continuously for the whole test. You can run it yourself with a test kit or hire an independent Illinois-licensed measurement professional. Send American Radon Systems a copy of the result so your file is complete.

A county kit is usually the cheapest: free by mail in suburban Cook County, and $8 at Will County Health Department offices. Lab kits and professional measurement cost more, and prices vary by lab and by whether the test is for a real estate sale. Once you have a number, text Bill and he reads it at no charge, and we handle the mitigation side if you need it.

Yes. Testing before drywall and ceilings makes routing and planning easier if mitigation is needed. Remodeling can also change how the lower level is used. If levels are elevated, handle mitigation with the finish plan in mind.

Call Bill with the result and, if you can, a photo of the manometer. First confirm the fan ran continuously through the whole test, because Illinois requires the system to operate normally and continuously during the measurement, and a test taken with the fan off or interrupted does not show how the system performs. If it was running the whole time, a level that is still elevated usually points to a part of the foundation the suction is not reaching, such as an attached crawl space, a separate slab section, or an unsealed opening. Bill looks at the system and the layout to sort out what it needs. If the result is above 3.9 pCi/L and the system needs more work under the warranty, we come back and do it.

EPA says it is a good idea to retest at least every two years once a home has a mitigation system. EPA also says to retest after mitigation work, after a remodel or addition, and when you begin using a lower level such as a basement as living space. A system that is running is not a reason to skip the retest. The retest is what shows the system is still doing its job.

The Illinois radon program at IEMA-OHS answers homeowner questions, keeps the list of licensed measurement and mitigation professionals, and has test kit information: (800) 325-1245. For federal guidance, EPA’s radon pages and the National Radon Hotline at (800) 767-7236 cover testing and health questions. American Radon Systems is glad to talk through a result or a system, but we are one mitigation company, not the regulator.

Yes. Our written warranty covers fan-assisted systems for the lifetime of the fan, not less than five years from install, to keep the average radon level below 4.0 pCi/L. If a qualifying test during the warranty period shows radon above 3.9 pCi/L, contact us. We review the test and do the additional mitigation work that is reasonably necessary under the warranty. Illinois requires the guarantee terms in the written proposal you accept before we start, and the full terms are in your customer packet.