Installing a radon system is an important step, but it is not the last one. EPA recommends retesting after a mitigation system is installed. Testing is the only way to know a home's radon level, and that is as true after a fix as it was before.
If you have a system in your Lynchburg home, or you are about to, this page explains what a follow-up test involves and how to keep an eye on the system over time. (434) 455-8258 connects you with licensed and insured local radon testing and mitigation professionals who can set up a retest.
Why a follow-up test matters
Radon has no color, smell or taste. You cannot see a vent pipe working or notice a lower level in the air. A fan that hums and a pipe that runs up the side of the house are good signs, but they do not tell you the number.
A post-mitigation test gives you that number. It shows whether the level in the home has dropped, and how it compares with EPA's action level of 4 pCi/L. EPA also says homeowners should consider fixing a home that tests between 2 and 4 pCi/L, so the result is worth reading closely, not just glancing at.
How a retest is done
A short-term test stays in place from 2 to 90 days. It is done under closed-house conditions, which means windows and outside doors stay closed except for normal coming and going. The device goes in the lowest lived-in level of the home.
A long-term test stays in place for more than 90 days. It better reflects the year-round average, which can matter because indoor levels change with weather and how the house is used.
If a result still comes back at 4 pCi/L or higher, tell the professional who installed the system. They can look at the system and the home and explain the next step. The exact work depends on your foundation type, size and layout, and a quote comes only after a professional looks at the home.
Reading the system's pressure gauge
Many systems have a simple pressure gauge on the vent pipe. It shows that the fan is running and pulling air from beneath the foundation. It is a quick way to check on the system between tests.
The gauge does not measure radon. It only tells you the fan is doing its job. Ask your installer to show you where the gauge is and what a normal reading looks like for your system. If the reading looks different later, or the fan has gone quiet, call a professional rather than guessing.
Retesting every two years or so
EPA recommends retesting a home every two years or so, including homes that already have a system. Fans can wear out, seals can shift, and houses change. A routine test is a simple way to confirm things are still working.
It can help to pick a regular reminder, such as an anniversary of the last test. Lynchburg winters are cool, with January averaging about 36 degrees F, and many homes stay closed up for weeks. That makes the closed-house conditions for a test easy to keep, but the schedule matters more than the season.
After renovations or a change in how the home is used
EPA also recommends retesting after major renovations. Work on a foundation, new walls, a finished basement or changes to the heating and cooling can alter how air and soil gas move through a house.
A change in how you use the home matters too. If a basement or lower level becomes a bedroom, office or playroom, that becomes the lowest lived-in level, and the test should reflect where people actually spend time. The same applies if a home is divided into separate living spaces or if household routines change.
Older homes and newer subdivisions alike
Any home can have elevated radon, new or old, with or without a basement. That includes the older houses in Rivermont, Daniel's Hill, Diamond Hill, Federal Hill and Garland Hill, and newer subdivisions in Forest, Timberlake and Madison Heights. The Virginia Department of Health reports high results in every Virginia county, including counties on EPA's map as low risk.
Homes in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains also have mixed terrain, with hills and sloped lots. Retesting looks at the house you have today, not the lot or the neighborhood.
Help is available across Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Forest, Timberlake, Rustburg and the surrounding counties. Call (434) 455-8258 to talk through a retest.
Choosing a qualified professional
Virginia law requires anyone doing professional radon testing or mitigation in the state to hold current NRSB or NRPP certification. EPA also recommends hiring a qualified radon professional. When you are connected with a local contractor, it is reasonable to ask about their certification before work or testing begins.
If you have questions about an existing system, a recent renovation or an old test result, (434) 455-8258 is the way to start the conversation.