Where Should a Radon Test be Placed?

Radon home testing is the best way to protect you and your family from unnecessary lung cancer risks. While our home tests are easy to use and come with complete instructions, many people still want to know where radon tests should be placed before they make a purchase. These tips on the best placement of detector kits will prepare you for the process and assure you that it's easy to handle on your own. Regardless of why you need to test for radon or the layout of your home, here's what you need to know about radon test placement.

Recommended Placement of the Detectors

Our radon tests are highly accurate and easy to use, but placement is important for getting correct readings. Making a mistake could give you a false negative reading, letting you believe you're breathing in safe air while you're actually inhaling unsafe levels of radon. Placement mistakes rarely create false positive readings, but it could be possible if you place the test in too small of an area in an unoccupied basement or too close to a known radon source like an unsealed sump well.

Aim to place at least one test kit in the largest central living area on the lowest occupied level of the home that receives air flow from the rest of the space. Additionally, you may want to test the floor you occupy the most to see if and how your radon level is dissipating as it moves from floor to floor. This gives you a general reading of the home's entire air supply. If you're concerned about radon in a specific area, you can place the test in that room or floor. However, a specialized test focused on one room or floor isn't a replacement for a general test in a central area.