One common question our clients ask us is why radon levels fluctuate – and it’s a perfectly valid thing to wonder. In truth, fluctuating radon levels occur due to natural circumstances. It’s important to regularly test your home for radon in Colorado to ensure that either a) your home’s radon levels are low and a mitigation system is not needed, or b) your radon levels are low and your existing mitigation system is functioning properly.
Reasons Radon Levels Might Fluctuate
Natural causes of radon level fluctuation:
- Light wind or rain – light wind and rain are generally not a big concern when it comes to radon level changes, but if they do have an effect it will be very small in terms of radon test results.
- Heavy storms – heavy wind, rain, or other stormy conditions can have a severe impact on your radon test levels, however. The radon levels of your home can become higher during rain storms, and this is due to barometric pressure changes as well as changes in the soil beneath and around your home.
- Winter cold – radon levels tend to increase in the colder months due to the difference in temperature inside and outside of your home. If the outside temperature is drastically lower than the indoor temperature, then a vacuum is created within your home as the warm air indoors circulates. This vacuum pulls radon into your home at a faster than normal rate, resulting in elevated radon levels.
Another factor during colder months that can affect your radon levels is your cold air return – or rather, your lack of a cold air return. Normally, a furnace pulls the air it needs from outside the home. However, if you do not have a cold air return, then your furnace will pull the air it needs from your basement, resulting in elevated radon levels as the radon escapes from beneath your home and circulates around the house.
Additionally, if the ground near your home is blanketed with snow, it prevents radon from escaping. This means that radon will choose the path of least resistance – your home itself.
- Summer heat – summer brings its own kinds of radon fluctuation problems because the temperature changes so drastically from day to night. This results in higher radon fluctuations throughout the day.
What to Do About Fluctuating Radon Levels
Test and retest – if you achieved an extremely high radon level reading from your radon test, then run the test again to verify the result. At American Radon, LLC., we provide you with a free radon test kit and free access to the results. You can also pick up a kit for about $50.
Call a professional – if you are getting drastically different results from your radon tests, then it’s time to get the help of a professional. One thing is for sure – radon levels above 4.0 pCi/L are extremely dangerous to your health. Our professional radon mitigation team in Colorado can verify your test results and install radon mitigation equipment as needed to ensure your safety. Give American Radon, LLC a call today!
