Radon Testing: Understand Your Next Step

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.

You can use a short-term kit, a long-term kit, or a professional measurement. 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 Illinois placement and closed-building rules that apply to the test. American Radon Systems does not sell testing. We publish guidance and can point homeowners toward appropriate measurement options. If you already have a result, call or text Bill.

Many Illinois counties and health departments offer free or low-cost kits at certain times of year. Will County and suburban Cook programs change, so check your county health department. The American Lung Association also sells kits. Libraries sometimes loan consumer monitors. We do not sell kits, but we can help you understand a result once you have one.

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. Monitors are useful for patterns; a solid test is still how decisions get made.

No. American Radon Systems specializes in mitigation. Illinois licenses testing and mitigation separately, and testing is handled by licensed measurement professionals. EPA also points out the conflict of interest when the same company tests a home and then sells the fix, so keeping the two apart is deliberate. Bill can help you understand a result and point you toward the right next step. If you already have elevated results, send them over with your address.

Stay calm. 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.

Kit and professional measurement prices vary by county program, lab, and whether it is real estate testing. American Radon Systems does not sell testing, so we do not quote test prices. County kits are often the lowest-cost path for homeowners. For real estate, many people use a licensed measurement professional. Once you have a number, we handle the mitigation side.

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 system needs more work, we come back and do it at no charge to you, and we pay for the professional retest afterward.

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. If your post-mitigation test is still 4.0 pCi/L or higher, we come back and do the additional work at no charge to you, and we pay for the professional retest afterward. That is the guarantee on the standard systems that make up nearly all of our work, and Illinois requires it to be spelled out in the written proposal you accept before we start. Your proposal is the place to read the exact terms for your home.