Q: what is the shortest amount of time you can do a test with this device? a home inspection last only a few hours..will it have to be left over night?

I own this unit. My experience is the lower the level of radon, the longer it takes to spit out a short term reading. Using it on my screened porch, it took 24 hours to show a reading of .54 which is generally understood to be the amount of level naturally occurring in the outdoors. I had levels of 15 confirmed in my basement via traditional test and this unit gave me an initial reading of 8 in just under and hour and continued to increase every 45 mins until ultimately stopping a 15 in just under a total 0f 12 hours. Since mitigation I have readings of between 1 and 3.5.

Q: I see there are air holes in the back, so if it is placed against a surface, won't it impede the airflow into the detector?

According to the company's website, the unit should be placed on its back (display facing upwards), on a flat surface, at breathing-level height, and away from windows, doors, air vents, etc. See https://support.airthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003370189-How-do-I-place-my-Home-radon-detector-to-obtain-correct-measurements- Or as their FAQ answer states: "You can just lay it flat on a table or a shelf. The air flows into the Radon chamber as usual." https://support.airthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001097069-Can-I-just-lay-the-unit-flat-on-its-back-side-

Question 1

how often does the tester need to be calibrated and how much does it cost to calibrate

Accepted Answer

To cut through all of the nit picking and posturing:  This is a home unit, not a lab instrument.  It will give you practical insight, not NIST calibrated precision.  On the other hand, we are talking about a gas whose concentration will ebb and flow.  As a home owner, you want to know is this "no problem" (0 pCi/L), "meh" (2.720).  So if you are a homeowner I think this is fine.  If you are a pro and you are using it as a quick pocket reference before setting up real monitoring, still fine.  If you are Sheldon Cooper, stop being mean to homeowners and go order something NIST traceable, along with a NIST traceable calibration reference so you can re-calibrate every time you use it.  That shouldn't cost much.

Question 2

Are we positive the readings are accurate?  I have now tested the first floor of the house and am getting a reading of 7.5 pCi/l.

Accepted Answer

We have two older (15+ years) Safety Siren meters that read 2.3 & 2.4 for both long and short readings and seem stuck even after a reset/retest in our radon mitigated basement.  The new Airthings 223 started a little over 2.0 and slowly dropped to 1.8. Yesterday I resealed the sump pit covers to the floor and the Airthings 223 1-day average already (<24 hrs.) dropped to 1.43. It seems to correctly reflect variations with short term readings. This could be just coincidental with random variations but I feel that it is reasonably accurate and responsive to changes in the environment. I’m about to buy a second unit to replace our old (tired?) meters.

Question 3

what is the shortest amount of time you can do a test with this device? a home inspection last only a few hours..will it have to be left over night?

Accepted Answer

I own this unit.  My experience is the lower the level of radon, the longer it takes to spit out a short term reading.  Using it on my screened porch, it took 24 hours to show a reading of .54 which is generally understood to be the amount of level naturally occurring in the outdoors.  I had levels of 15 confirmed in my basement via traditional test and this unit gave me an initial reading of 8 in just under and hour and continued to increase every 45 mins until ultimately stopping a 15 in just under a total 0f 12 hours. Since mitigation I have readings of between 1 and 3.5.

Question 4

I see there are air holes in the back, so if it is placed against a surface, won't it impede the airflow into the detector?

Accepted Answer

According to the company's website, the unit should be placed on its back (display facing upwards), on a flat surface, at breathing-level height, and away from windows, doors, air vents, etc.  See https://support.airthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003370189-How-do-I-place-my-Home-radon-detector-to-obtain-correct-measurements-

Or as their FAQ answer states:  "You can just lay it flat on a table or a shelf. The air flows into the Radon chamber as usual."  https://support.airthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001097069-Can-I-just-lay-the-unit-flat-on-its-back-side-

ASIN	B00H2VOSP8
Alarm	Visual
Battery Average Life	3 years
Best Sellers Rank	#92,513 in Tools & Home Improvement ( See Top 100 in Tools & Home Improvement ) #26 in Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Brand	Airthings
Built-In Media	Radon sensor, 3 AAA batteries
Color	black
Colour	black
Customer Reviews	4.6 out of 5 stars 10,381 Reviews
Global Trade Identification Number	07090031102234
Item Type Name	Corentium Home Radon Detector (1 Pack)
Item Weight	0.22 Pounds
Item weight	0.22 Pounds
Manufacturer	Airthings
Mfr Part Number	223
Model Number	223
Number of Items	1
Power Source	Battery Powered
Power source	Battery Powered
Product Style	Corentium Home Radon
Style	Corentium Home Radon
UPC	854232008019
Unit Count	1 Count

Airthings Corentium Home Radon Detector 223 Portable, Lightweight, Easy-to-Use, (3) AAA Battery Operated, USA Version, pCi/L

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