How we read a radon test in York
The number only helps if the house was closed and the device sat where people actually spend time. Zone 1 soil does the rest.
Closed house, lived-in level
Short-term tests in York County are read against closed-house conditions: windows shut, the device away from drafts, on the lowest level someone uses. A basement playroom counts. A rarely opened root cellar usually does not. If the listing test was done with the house airing out, we say so before anyone prices a system off that canister.
The 4 pCi/L line
EPA’s action level is 4 picocuries per liter. Readings under that can still be reduced, and readings well over it are common on this limestone and shale. The map that puts York County in Zone 1 is public. A single high test is a reason to mitigate or to confirm with a second test when the first placement looks wrong. It is not a medical diagnosis.
The retest after the fan
A system is not finished at the manometer. We retest after the fan has run. A result that is still high means we look at seals, a second suction point, or a crawl that was never under the membrane. How the house is walked before that test is on what we check. The install steps are on radon mitigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 4 pCi/L a promise the fan will beat?
It is EPA’s action level. We install to pull the lowest level down and then retest. We do not promise a specific number before the system has run in your house.
Can I average a bad test with an open-window test?
No. An open house dilutes the reading. We use a test that was placed where people live, with the house closed, or we place a new one.
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