Tag Archives: Radon Testing

Radon in the Water – Protect your Iowa Home

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Radon is in the Air, But it can also in the Water

Radon is a serious problem for many homeowners in Iowa. It is a colorless, tasteless, odorless gas that is the number two cause of lung cancer in the United States. Five out of seven homes in Iowa contain elevated levels of radon, leading dangerous threats to the health of those who live in or visit the home. If your home has a radon problem, it is important to have it taken care of as soon as possible. Fortunately, the experts at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation are able to provide professional radon testing and mitigation services to keep your home safe.

Solutions for Radon in the Water in your Iowa Home from AmeriservAlthough radon usually enters the home through the soil beneath the foundation, it can also enter your home through the home’s water supply. The risk of radon poisoning from the water supply is usually highest when the radon in the water enters the air as the water is used for showering, cooking, or other common household purposes. When the contaminated water is released from the tap, the radon will evaporate out of the water and contaminate the air. Heating this water and causing steam can increase the amount of radon that is released into the air. Normally, contaminated water supplies come from groundwater sources, such as a private or public well, and not from surface water sources.

If you suspect that the water in your home is contaminated with radon, follow these steps.

  • Radon Testing: Test your home for radon to determine whether or not there are really elevated radon levels in your home. For this type of radon testing, short-term testing is probably the best solution.
  • Home Radon Mitigation: Invest in radon mitigation services from the professionals at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation to get rid of the radon in your home.
  • Remove Radon from Water: Radon can be removed from the water source in your home in two different ways: point of entry, and point of use. The water can either be treated before it enters your home, or at the tap.

If you are looking for radon testing and mitigation services in Iowa, look no further than Ameriserv. We can test your home to determine the severity of the problem, and come up with a mitigation system to best suit your individual needs. Contact us today to find out more about the services we offer and the cities that we service.

Radon Test Kit vs. Professional Radon Testing in Iowa

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Why Choose Professional Radon Testing in Iowa

Each year, around 400 Iowans die from exposure to radon, a naturally produced gas. Radon is formed when the uranium and radium in rocks decays, filling the soil with radon. When buildings are constructed on radon-rich soil, the radon escapes into the home through foundation cracks, sump pumps, or gaps and spaces around pipes. This creates a dangerous environment for you and your family. If your home is one of the five out of seven homes in Iowa infected with dangerous levels of radon, it is important to call the experts at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation today.

You cannot see, smell, or taste radon; this makes it even more of a threat to the well-being of your family. Homes with elevated levels of radon are nearly impossible to detect without professional radon testing. There are a couple different types of testing, short-term testing, and long-term testing.

  • Short-Term Testing: This type of test usually remains in your home for 2 to 90 days, depending on which kind of test you use. The types of devices used for short-term testing are “charcoal canisters,” “alpha track,” “electret iron chamber,” “continuous monitors,” and “charcoal liquid scintillation” detectors. Short-term tests may not determine year-round average radon level, but are great for getting quick results.
  • Long-Term Testing: These tests remain in your home for more than 90 days. Common long-term test devices include “alpha track” and “electret” detectors. Long term tests take longer, but are much more likely to give you your home’s year-round average radon level.

Radon Testing in Iowa by Ameriserv Radon Mitigation The first step is to determine whether or not there is a radon problem in your home. This can be done either by DIY methods, or by calling a professional radon mitigation expert to administer professional tests. Radon testing kits are very affordable, but the results may vary. In some cases, if you are just trying to determine whether or not to invest in radon prevention systems, DIY radon testing may be the option for you.

However, if you are looking to sell your home, or your DIY tests showed elevated radon levels and you want confirmation, professional tests should be considered. The radon mitigation experts at Ameriserv can provide reliable tests to see if your home is in need of professional radon mitigation services. The extra cost is definitely worth it, as professional radon testing can help you determine the extent of the radon problem in your home.

What to do once you test positive for Radon in Iowa

If you find that your home has elevated levels of radon, it is important to contact a radon mitigation expert immediately. The Ameriserv team installs a radon mitigation system to remove any harmful radon from your home as fast as possible. First, we will drill a hole in your foundation to provide a suction point. Next, we will attach a PVC pipe to the hole to act as a vent and connect the hole to a fan. This fan promotes air flow in the right direction. Once this system is installed, it is important to seal foundation cracks and any gaps and spaces to prevent radon from the soil from making its way into the home.

Contact us today for more information on our premiere radon testing and mitigation services in Iowa.

The Costs and Benefits of Radon Test in Iowa

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Radon Testing Can Save Your Life

You may think that getting radon testing done in your Iowa home, business, church, or school will be expensive, but this is not necessarily true. We here at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa offer long-term tests, short-term tests, and radon kits.

Long-term tests stay in your home for about 90 days. These tests are administered by our professionals. These tests give an accurate representation of what your home’s radon gas levels are year-round.

Radon testing costs and benefits in Iowa

Short-term tests stay in your home anywhere from 2 to 90 days (depending on the specific device). These tests are also administered by our professionals. These give a result that represents the levels during that time. Radon gas levels may fluctuate throughout the year, and from season to season.

If it is found that your home has higher radon gas levels than the allowable 4.0 pCi/L after taking a short-term test, it is likely that you will have to take another short-term test, or a long-term test, just to be sure.

The last type of testing is a radon kit. These are tests that are administered by you. They are the cheapest, and one of the quickest ways to test for radon gas levels in your home, business, church, or school. We here at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa offer these radon kits for only $15.00!

Radon tests are the best way to know if your Iowa home, business, church, or school is falling victim to high radon gas levels. Radon gas is a dangerous gas that can not be seen, smelled, heard, or tasted. Because of this, the only way to tell if you are being affected by it is through regular testing.

Radon gas is dangerous because it can cause serious health problems such as lung cancer. In fact, on average about 400 Iowan deaths a year are caused by lung cancer due to high radon gas levels. So, getting a simple radon test could save your life. Paying a little money, and taking a little bit of your time could save your life, so do not wait!

The Side Effects of Radon

The entire state of Iowa is in “Zone 1” which basically means that all of Iowa is likely to have elevated levels of radon gas. In fact, about 5 out of 7 Iowa homes are likely to have high levels of radon gas. Because of this, radon testing in your Iowa homes, businesses, churches, and schools is even more important. Some ways to tell if you could be experiencing the side effects of radon gas include:

  • Persistent cough
  • Wheezing
  • Heavy breathing
  • Lung infections

These are also early signs of lung cancer, so if you experience these health problems, make sure to consult your doctor immediately, and get your home tested by us here at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa. If we test your home and your results come back as high levels of radon gas, we offer a mitigation service to install mitigation systems.

To learn more about our radon testing or mitigation services, our service area, or to schedule a radon test, give Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa a call! We want to help you feel safe and healthy in your Iowa home. Contact us today!

Everything You Need to Know About Radon

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What is Radon?

Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas. It forms What to know about radonnaturally from the decay of uranium that is found in rock, soil, and water. Once it is produced, radon moves from the ground into the air. Some of it remains below the surface and dissolves in the water that flows underground.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, only second to smoking. When it moves up through the ground to the air above, it can get into your home through:

  • Cracks in floors
  • Cracks in foundation
  • Construction joints
  • Gaps in floors
  • Gaps around pipes

Once it is inside your home, it builds up and becomes trapped. Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can get into your lungs from the air you breathe. As they keep breaking down, the particles release small bursts of energy which can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer. Breathing radon does not cause any of the short-term effects such as shortness of breath, coughing, headaches or fever.

Radon Testing

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that the action level for radon is 4 pCi/L. However, any level of exposure is unsafe. Since there are no warning signs that you have a build-up of radon in your home, testing is the only way to know if you are at risk. Testing is inexpensive and only takes a few minutes.

AmeriServ Radon Mitigation of Iowa does both short-term testing and long-term testing. Short-term testing is the quickest was to detect radon. This is done when the results need to be determined quickly such as in a real estate transaction. The methods of doing this are:

  • charcoal canisters
  • electret chamber
  • continuous monitors
  • liquid scintillation

Radon levels change on a day-to-day basis and season to season. By doing long term testing which lasts 90 days or more, you will get a more accurate idea of what the year round average of the radon level is in your home. We use electret detectors or alpha track detectors for long term testing.

The electret detectors have a Teflon disc that is statically charged. When an ion generated from radon decay strikes the Teflon disc, the electrical charge is reduced and in the laboratory, the charge reduction is measured and the radon level calculated.

The alpha track detectors have a plastic film that gets etched by alpha particles that strike it. In the laboratory, the plastic is chemically treated to make the tracks visible then the tracks are counted.

If a level of 4 pCi/L is detected, immediately action needs to be taken to reduce the level. pCi/L means picocuries per liter. The lower the number the better, but any level of radon can be dangerous. If your home if found to have radon, AmeriServe Radon Mitigation of Iowa can help.

Prevent Radon from Entering your Home

When you have had your home tested and need to get the Radon mitigation in Iowaradon level reduced, AmeriServ Radon Mitigation of Iowa can perform radon mitigation.

Radon mitigation is the process of removing radon from your home to the outside. A hole is drilled into your foundation or slab, which creates a suction point. then we use a PVC pipe connected through this hole to use as a vent for the radon gas. Then a fan is connected to this system so that the air flows in the right direction.

Lowering high radon levels requires an expert with the technical knowledge and equipment to handle the job. AmeriServ Radon Mitigation of Iowa has the experts that are licensed and certified who can test and reduce the radon in your home. They are professionally trained by the State of Iowa and certified by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

We will test your home again after mitigation to be sure that the radon levels have been reduced. Our services include a 5 year warranty on the mitigation systems.

The risks of living with radon can be high. There is more to know about the risks of radon and cancer than most other cancer-causing substances. We know more about this because these risks are based on studies of cancer in underground miners.

The risk to your health from radon depends on how much radon is in your home and the amount of time you spend in your home. If you have not had your home tested for radon, don’t hesitate. The sooner it gets tested and the sooner the radon level gets reduced, the safer you will be.

Radon can be present in all types of homes.  Construction material and the location are all factors that can affect radon levels. If your home tests high for radon, AmeriServ Radon Mitigation of Iowa will perform professional radon mitigation at an affordable rate.

Radon Detection in Your Iowa Home

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Radon is a radioactive gas that is created from the breakdown of uranium. Since radon is odorless and tasteless, every home should be tested for radon gas. Radon can enter your a home’s structure through cracks in solid floors, construction joints, wall cracks, and gaps in suspended floors. It is a silent killer that causes lung cancer.  At AmeriServ Radon Mitigation of Iowa, we can test your home for radon to protect your family. According to EPA, Iowa is  high risk because of high radon levels in homes. We are your radon detection Iowa team here to serve you. We have more than 50 years of experience.

Radon Detection Iowa

Family in autumnHow does AmeriServ test your home? Radon gas can be detected using two different radon testing techniques. At AmeriServ Iowa Radon Mitigation, we can use short or long-term testing. Short-term testing is the quickest way to detect radon gas. These tests consist of charcoal canisters, electret ion chambers, liquid scintillation, and continuous monitors. Radon results should be lower than 4 pCi/L. Our professional team can administer these quick tests to make your family safe and secure. We are your radon detection Iowa team.

Long-term testing last 90 days or longer. We use alpha track detectors and electret detectors. This type of test will give you a clear indication of radon levels. It measures your radon levels year around. It is the most accurate testing system.

If you have radon levels above 4 pCi/L, your home is considered a danger zone. We recommend radon mitigation for your home. Any amount of radon, is considered unsafe. We take accurate tests to make sure your family is safe. AmeriServ is your radon detection Iowa team.

Radon Detector Iowa

Radon mitigation is a process that removes radon gas from your home. Our AmeriServ Radon Mitigation Iowa team can install a radon mitigation system in your home. After our professionals confirm high radon levels in your home, we can determine the best system that your home needs. We can control the direction of the radon gas so it is redirected out of your home. This involves using a PVC pipe. The pipe connects through a hole to use as a vent for the radon gas. A fan is used to blow the air out in the right direction.

If you are worried about radon gas in your home, then hire our radon mitigation Iowa team to test your home. We even offer a referral program so you can get paid every time you refer a friend. Tell your family and friends about your great experiences with AmeriServ. We have fast, friendly professionals that care about our clients. Contact AmeriServ so we can be your radon detector Iowa team!

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Things to Know about Radon when Selling your House

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Radon mitigation and radon testing for selling a home is a very important thing to make sure is completed before you try and sell your home.  This deadly gas has been found in homes all over the county and can be quite a problem in some homes without the homeowner even realizing it. Whether your home is new or old, the same problems can be present. Because this gas is emitted from soil and rock and even water, it can affect the air that you breath and can end up causing lung cancer if not found quickly. It is reported that this radioactive gas is the second most cause of lung cancer. AmeriServ, we can be your radon mitigation Iowa service provider.

When you decide to sell your home, be aware that most home buyers will want to see some type of radon testing report to make sure they are not purchasing a home that is going to put them at risk. The testing should be done in the lowest level of the home that will most likely be used by a family as living space as this is where they will be spending the most time. Two short-term tests should be conducted at the same time for 48 hours when needing to get a quick result for selling your home.  Once the test is completed, getting it to a testing lab quickly will get the best results. If high levels of radon are detected, getting the problem resolved quickly is very important.

Some ways that radon can be mitigated in the home are to make sure there is proper water drainage in your basement area and also to seal the basement foundation. Another method that is used is active soil depressurization which uses a fan to pull out the gas from under the foundation.

AmeriServ Radon Mitigation Iowa is a company you can trust when it comes time to test your home for radon and/or to get rid of it if it is detected. Call AmeriServ today for you radon mitigation Iowa and radon testing needs today.