The serial kit number is printed beneath the barcode on the plastic tray of the test kit. This number should not be confused with any licensing numbers used to indentify the kit as a product on the outside of the box (Kidde and First Alert).
The best area to place your radon test kit is in the lowest livable level of your home. Depending on whether or not your home has a basement or not, your two best bets would be either your first floor or in your basement.
Unlike other analytical laboratories, Alpha Energy Labs does not charge an additional fee for analysis. However, there are several processing options which do require an additional fee, but are not required in most cases.
For Canada residents, there is an analysis fee of $15.00 per test kit.
Most of the major email servers such as Yahoo, GMAIL, Comcast, Hotmail, etc. use spam guards to protect you from unwanted mail and advertisements. One of the tools used in this process is to track where mail is coming from and who else is receiving mail from a given sender. A red-flag as it were, is to see a single email server sending out thousands of emails to different persons. Our email server works in this fashion. More than likely, you received your report, it was just spammed out to your junk/spam folder, by your email server for your protection. Please visit our website to obtain your results.
The state of New Jersey requires a $10.00 dollar fee for every radon test conducted in the state of New Jersey. At the time of analysis, it is required by New Jersey residents to include payment for this fee.
If you are not a New Jersey resident and do not require the rush option, there is no additional fees required.
The paper backing is essential in maintaining the integrity of the test kit for return shipment and analysis and therefore should never be removed or punctured in any way. Like most papers, this backing is permeable and allows for the Radon (if present) to move freely between the air being tested and the charcoal contained within the test kit.
You should run the test at minimum, 48 hours, and at maximum, 96 hours. (2-4 days).
If the test is conducted for less than 48 hours, the test is invalid and you will receive an “Error” message on your report.
Unfortunately, the only result will be an “Error” message due to over exposure.
In most cases a replacement kit can be purchased from the lab directly for a $5.00 fee, to cover the cost of shipping and handling.
Unfortunately, the only way to know if a radon problem exists in your home is to test. Even if several neighbors on your street or neighborhood have a radon problem, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your home has a radon problem. The same can be said if you haven’t heard of any radon problems in your area, the EPA still suggests your home be tested to make sure.
Unfortunately, no radon level is considered safe. Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency has the action level for radon mitigation at 4.0 pCi/L. However other environmental organizations have recently updated their action level, such as the World Health Organization which has lowered its action level from a 6.0 to a 2.7 pCi/L. If you have any concerns about your radon level, Alpha Energy Labs suggests you contact your State Radon Officer or an EPA representative for more information.
Since Alpha Energy Labs is an independent lab, we suggest you call your State Radon Officer and ask for a list of licensed mitigators in your area.
A mitigator is a home contractor that specializes in the removal of radon. When choosing a mitigator, research company history on the internet, ask detailed questions, get estimates and choose the mitigator that best suits your needs.
Though rare, stores sometimes take materials from other kits to please customers who may have misplaced those materials. You can go to our website and enter your test information online. Its safe, secure and fast.
The best way to make sure that the kit its sealed and no longer exposed during transit to our labs is to place it in a ZIPLOC Freezer bag. The Freezer bag is the most dependable way to keep out air that could affect the exposure. Because the return mailer is not being used, we recommend you expedite transit to get accurate results.
Theoretically, yes. As long as it was stored under normal room temperature conditions, not exposed to excessive heat or cold, and the packaging remains intact, it’s still valid. However, many things within the shipping instructions may have changed since the return mailer or instructions were printed, such as the amount of postage due. As of 2009, kits require 4 postage stamps for return mailing.
Every year, Alpha Energy Labs adjusts the amount due for postage based on the current rates of the Post Office. So as the Post Office increases postage rates, Alpha Energy adjusts accordingly. The most common scenario is that you purchased the kit from a supplier who hasn’t been able to move the product as they had hoped and therefore have older kits with outdated instructions. So though at the time, only 2 postage stamps were required, since then newer instructions have been printed to accommodate the change.
The most effective way to test granite countertops requires the use of two (2) radon test kits. One used to test near the granite and one test kit used as a control in another part of the home.
Though there is radon found in granite countertops, this shouldn’t be a major concern for granite countertop owners or those considering purchasing granite countertops. Granite is an igneous rock and is formed from magma. Granite is also a natural source of radiation like most natural stones. Therefore, granite gives off a radiation signature and in some rare cases emits radon into your home. However, in the United States, this problem is thought to have affected about 5% of all granite. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/radon.