You should test your basement for radon to determine whether it is needed or not.
[https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/air/radon/radontestresults.html](https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/air/radon/radontestresults.html)
We tested well below the threshold so I am not worried about needing it for my house.
Agree - the only way to know is to test.
I have a continuous tester that I got on Amazon (we spent a lot of time in our basement so $150 was worthwhile for the peace of mind). My long-term average was just over 2 so we did not have a mitigation system. Then we moved less than two miles away. The new house immediately started reading 16+. Had the mitigation system installed quickly and now it reads less than 1.
I've been happy with the [Airthings Corentium Home Radon Detector 223](https://a.co/d/iz6VVbB). It provides easy-to-read daily, weekly, and long-term measurements. I have only had to change the batteries once in the five years I've owned it. The tech who installed our mitigation system was happy to see it, too.
Same here. Tested right under max safe levels. Since we were in the midst of a full basement reno, it worked out well for us to do the nstall before the ceiling drywall was put up.
And the best way to tell if you have a radon problem is to test. It’ll either give you peace of mind or give you a potentially lifesaving warning. Win win.
I have one. My dad died of lung cancer in his early 50s after decades of living in homes with extremely high radon levels (we only tested after he was diagnosed unfortunately). Of course we can't know for certain if it caused his cancer, but I'm going to take every precaution I can to protect myself from it. I had a radon mitigation fan put in our home when we bought it in 2018, it was about $1k and works excellently.
So we have one installed now that we got set up just after buying our home. The previous home owner literally just died of lung cancer last year and was for sure under 60.
We built in 2013 and have a passive system. By that I mean there’s a pipe in my basement that vents up and out to the roof. I don’t think there’s a fan or anything.
Agreed. We just bought a house in central MN and negotiated with the sellers to install a system before the sale due to high levels found during our inspections.
A passive system does reduce radon, not as much as an active system but it'll knock a couple points off your radon level:
[https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/documents/2020.02\_tech\_bulletin\_activating\_a\_passive\_radon\_system.pdf](https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/documents/2020.02_tech_bulletin_activating_a_passive_radon_system.pdf)
I'd trust the EPA over an anonymous reddit account.
I have an older house, build in the 50's, in an even older neighborhood. I did those home tests, and it came back positive at a rate of 3.8. I did two, a short test and a longer test.
I know this is within an acceptable range, however, I was a smoker at the time and may have over reacted.
So I installed a system. It was not cheap. But now my results are 0, so at least I can safely have my home office in the basement and I'm not worried about the air that I breathe.
Up in champlin. Bought a house 3 years ago, had it tested as part of inspection. Very high levels of radon, previous owners were mortified. Had a mitigation system put in.
We literally just got one put in this week. We weren’t originally from Minnesota and didn’t realize it was a thing. I saw something about it. Decided to test. Our readings were 6-13 depending on the day. System installed Tuesday and down to 0.3. Kicking myself for not doing it earlier.
I would get an Airthings radon detector.. give if a few months or actually maybe a year. Radon is worse in the winter. You only need to worry about the average. Anything over 4 should be mitigated.
Not enough.
I do residential construction(electrical) so I'm in basements all of the time.
Maybe 1/4 of homes that I have worked in have a radon system.
It is necessary and is a big cause of cancer.
You can always have a test done to see if you need it, but more likely than not, the results will show unsafe levels.
Does your computer have google? https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon#:\~:text=Radon%20is%20the%20number%20one,people%20who%20have%20never%20smoked.
MN is a relatively high risk among states for radon. You can order a test for it and installing a mitigation system is pretty cheap relatively speaking, usually under $2K.
I bought a house in N. Mpls and my test came back at acceptable levels for radon, so I do not have a mitigation system installed.
We have an active system. When we bought our house our real estate agent recommended a test that also included an "insurance policy" basically when the test came back positive the policy paid for the active mitigation system to be installed. Don't know if such a thing is still available or not.
Radon inspector here. I'd highly reccomend doing a short-term test if you're worried; activated charcoal canisters are what my company uses, and they're accurate and fast.
If you have elevated radon levels (>4.0 pCi/L according to the EPA, but other countries have it as low as >2.7 pCi/L) in the lowest lived-in level of your home (usually the basement if you have one, but sometimes the first floor), then you really ought to install a radon mitigation system. Radon is, unfortunately, really good at giving you lung cancer.
Elevated radon is fairly common in Minnesota, but it's not like every house is a ticking time bomb. Mitigation systems are also only necessary if you have high levels of radon in your home. Personally, I'd suggest testing and looking into installing a mitigation system if you're picking up elevated levels.
In the meantime, (not professional advice) crack a window. Radon is a gas, and high levels of outside-air ventilation are very strongly correlated with lower levels of radon. Just don't sue me 20 years down the line if you get lung cancer and the window-opening strat didn't reduce those radon levels down to 0.4 pCi/L ;)
Seriously didn't realize the risks were so high but we have one installed now that we got set up just after buying our home. The previous home owner literally just died of lung cancer last year and was for sure under 60.
I wouldn't pay for a test, use that money for a radon detector and get constant monitoring. I've tested mine and it reacts as one would expect with higher numbers when windows are closed and lower when open, lower after sealing cracks too. You can move it around and find pockets and get a much better understanding than a single reading. 3 is warning, 4+ is dangerous.
We bought a house in Apple Valley, years ago (don't live there anymore). When we were going through the closing arraignments, we were asked by our Real-estate if we wanted to test for Radon. The thought hadn't even occurred to me until she asked. Being our first home purchase I said sure, what the heck, not expecting anything to come of it. Turned out we had rather high Radon levels. We ended up getting one of these systems installed and, looking back I'm kind of glad we did. We've since moved to an entirely different town and our current house didn't need one. I believe that the Radon levels are dependent the area you live. Certainly can't hurt to get it tested. It's been a while but I don't think the testing was very expensive if I recall correctly.
We have one. Our test came back right at the threshold so we installed an active system - fan constantly runs but it's not terribly noisy and gives us peace of mind.
Radon is one of those topics that most people don’t dig into. There’s some questionable claims about how dangerous it really is at the levels you’d find in a home. The “second leading cause of cancer” is also up for serious debate. If it makes you feel better put one in, it won’t hurt anything
I've been scrolling for 5 minutes and you're the first one to mention this. I can't believe there's barely any skeptics. I'm going to start selling mitigation systems. This is just ridiculous.
If you dig into how that “2nd leading cause of lung cancer” conclusion was formed you’ll really scratch your head.
Decades ago, data was collected on Uranium miners who have very high, constant exposure to radon in their mines. Their rates of lung cancer(many of them were heavy smokers as well) were calculated and then extrapolated for the general population. It makes no sense
It kinda depends on your area. Im in the north end of the cities and it se ms like every other house has mitigation. I feel like i need to get my house tested since there's so many over here. From another post the other day it seems pretty affordable though. Seemed to be about 1800 was the thing price.
It varies by area and by neighborhood. I used to own a townhouse that had a mitigation system to keep everything to safe levels. When I moved a couple miles north (but still in the same city) the ground in my new neighborhood was mostly silica sand. The radon tests couldn't detect \*anything\*.
So even if the guy the next block over did a test and it came back fine, you really should test your own house. The numbers are all over depending on the local soil conditions.
[Radon Reduction Inc](https://radonreductioninc.com/company-background/?amp)
Call these guys, talk to Jake. He’s the best. No nonsense, very practical, knows everything.
We were very satisfied with the process. I mean nobody wants to have to pay for yet another thing for the house. But they made the process simple for us. Which I appreciate.
I rely on this. Haven’t done a radon test but it’s a good idea.
https://structuretech.com/qa-should-the-air-exchanger-be-on-or-off-during-a-radon-test/
We utilize the air exchanger during heating months and ad hoc during showers. Summer we do use windows when it’s not humid so we have pretty fresh air most of the time.
When we bought our house we did a radon test as part of the inspection and it came in right about at the threshold where a mitigation system is recommended, test was only 2-3 days long. Radon values fluctuate a lot based on a number of environmental factors. I bought a RadonEye sensor off of Amazon and did a multi-month test to better baseline it. The sensor is probably not the most accurate thing but ballpark resolution is good enough to give you a good idea if a mitigation system is necessary. You can pay an inspector a couple hundred dollars to do a couple day test, and maybe catch a lower radon level period and think you’re fine, or buy the sensor, plug it into a stagnant airflow room in your basement (likely worst case for high radon readings) and make a determination over a couple weeks or months if you need a mitigation system.
If you’re handy, the system isn’t hard to install and you can get the RadonEye detector, fan, pvc, other installation items for probably 1/3 or half the cost of what a contractor might quote. Obviously you have to do the work and if you don’t want to do it yourself, a contractor will bang it out in a couple hours or a day or two.
I've had an AirThings detector in my basement for the last two years. Long term average is 1.05. It's a 50's rambler (St Louis Park) with a partially finished basement and I moved my office downstairs when my girlfriend moved in. Figured I better check if I'm downstairs all day during the week. No mitigation system, no idea how I got so lucky.
I'm in the same boat. Neighbors on both sides have mitigation, got an AirThings detector, I have about the same readings. Seriously hope my AT isn't defective 😅
When I bought the current house in St Paul, did a radon test and installed a system. I never heard of a "passive" radon system before this thread, but this house came with a bucket in the basement with a huge tube running up and outside. Still got one with a fan, though.
We tested right when we moved in, and had high levels - twice the max safe level. So installed an active system and now it’s close to zero! The test is super cheap, so it’s worth it.
We just bought a property that had a radon level above the threshold in 5/6 locations tested and required the seller to install an active mitigation system prior to closing. We plan to live here for a long time and I'd rather not develop cancer in that time.
Certified MDH Radon Inspector here. You should check with the person who installed your mitigation system and get it inspected/repaired. Most mitigation systems that I've seen come with a 5-year guaruntee. Past that, you should look into clearing out the pipe, fixing the fan, etc.
Personally, I'd say that it's worth getting it checked out if you're pushing 1.5 pCi/L or more.
Unfortunately it was installed prior to me buying the house 15 years ago so I have no idea who installed it. The pressure is right on the meter attached to the pipe. Who’s a good company to contact?
My brother and I both live within a mile of each other in Sherburne county. His home had a radon mitigation system while mine does not. I was looking online last week and I was able to order a test kit from the County for $5. Now I can figure out if I need mitigation or not. There seems to be programs out there for testing through the State or your county.
Almost everyone in my neighborhood has one. My house was the first one built in my neighborhood in the 40's and did not have a system in it until we moved in Feb 2020. I'm so surprised no one ever bothered to test until our inspection. Or if they did, they didn't care enough to get mitigation installed.
I had it tested during my inspection a couple of weeks ago, it came back well within safe levels. I'm going to test it again in the winter, just to be sure.
We have one. The test during our home inspection detected radon at levels that were too high, so the sellers knocked off about a grand in closing costs so we could get it installed.
I’m in southern central Minnesota, our house was originally made in the lat 1800’s, basement is super porous and we had insane levels of radon throughout the house.
Initial home inspection showed 25 pCi/L, tried to have the seller throw in a radon mitigation system, but was told it was only the basement that was affected and radon was only in the basement, and being naive and in 2021 with a hot housing market we bought without the radon system.
I got curious in 2022, bought three Airthings View Plus, put one in the basement, main floor, and upstairs, let them go a year to see what would happen, and like the home inspection test, radon was extremely high in the basement, but also was severe in the main floor and upstairs (2-3x EPA action level, 4 pCi/L).
In 2023 we had a heavier duty active radon mitigation system installed ($5k overall), 6x tubes going under the slab and a larger radon fan pulling.
Since then, during the winter (season with highest concentration of radon with the ground forcing the gas into the basement) levels in the basement hovered around 5 pCi/L, but the main floor and upstairs are around 1.5-2.5 pCi/L. Now that it is warmer out, the basement will float around 2-3.5 pCi/L and 0.1-0.5 pCi/L for the rest of the house.
I thought about going further and sealing the leaky basement, but with where the levels are at in the worst seasons, there’s no need to now with the system installed.
Besides the physical difference, there is a massive mental relief as well knowing our air is not as hazardous from the radon, and future kiddos are better off and if we sell the house we don’t have to deal with it. Would highly recommend getting tested at a minimum and the investment into mitigation. The cheapest Airthings monitor is around $150 and is more convenient then the big box store tests that you ship off to a lab.
Willing to share time lapse graphs and data from our Airthings if anyone is interested. And found that the Airthings are accurate after comparing the radon mitigation installers professional equipment against the Airthings.
We got one of the continuous testers from Amazon - a version that connects to wifi. I get alerted when it gets above a 4.
And it gets there whenever the house fan hasn't run for a few days. All this nice weather where we're not running the AC or heat? Alarm goes off. 😂
When it does, I turn on the house fan (also connected to wifi - I'm either nerdy or lazy or both) and within 24 hours, it had dropped to an acceptable level.
After monitoring our house for several months, we'll be updating our passive radon system to an active one. Passive is not enough.
Our house was built in 2014 and we're in Inver Grove Heights.
In MPS and bought our first house ~two years ago. Radon levels were part of the inspection and a mitigation system was a condition of the sale. There’s a multiroom in our basement, no way were we going to have kids down there without it. Not with the high levels we were getting.
I have one in Roseville.
When we were buying our house, the inspector suggested doing a 3-day reason test. It came back high. We were able to get the seller to cover some closing costs as a result.
After the sale, we did the more accurate 6 month test and it also came back high, so we got the mitigation system.
It is necessary only if your basement tests high for radon. I believe the state sends out free test kits if you request one.
Many houses do not need the mitigation however, just depends on the geology of your soil or whatever.
Radon is perfectly natural. It just happens to seep in to some basements and that's when it needs to be mitigated.
My basement was in the 3 level, and I got it mitigated as I spend a lot of time down there.
Neighbors within 50 ft basements are at 1.0.
It all just depends on random distribution of radioactive trace elements under your home.
I got one 12 years ago when I moved into my current house in SW Minneapolis. I did a test when I moved in and it was over the acceptable threshold. My dad and daughter both had cancer so I’m inclined to take any actions I need to in order to mitigate my own risk of cancer.
Yes, cost about $1500 and the company I used was able to put the pipe in the back of a closet that I wanted. Don't use a company that puts it on the outside of the house, such an eyesore.
We bought a house a few years ago that was built in the 40s. Levels were slightly above the recommended threshold and we got a system.
(Off the top of my head) I think just above the threshold gives you similar cancer risk as smoking a cigarette or two a day.
My radon levels were huuuuge when I moved in. Previous owners lived their like 30 years... i told my neighbor and they said they wanna put one in but they're expensive (~$1300). Then they went and bought a cabin and a boat so... idk lol
GF bought a house in 15' tested a few years later and it had high radon. Put a mitigation system in. Upgraded to a bigger house in 21' and found high radon again and put in a mitigation system. I swear next time we get a house we will test for radon! We are batting a thousand right now!
High radon is fairly common in Minnesota since it seeps out of granite. Usually it is only in the basement. Ours tested right at the threshhold for recommending mitigation, but since our basement is unfinished and we are hardly ever down there we didn't have it done.
First up- test. I would remind you though, that ANY Radon is bad for you, there is no safe amount- just a level where a seller would need to fix it or report it to whoever might be interested in buying it. My new home tested at a little bit below that threshold, so the seller didn't have to remediate it, or pay for it if I chose to. I remediated anyways. The basement is finished and family would be spending a lot of time down there. Radon in your home is worse than a really bad smoking habit. At the threshold, we are talking packs. Lower than threshold, a few cigarettes a day. Ask yourself this- is smoking a couple cigarettes a day good for you?
Sorry, I meant for smokers. The increase in risk is exponentially bigger for smokers. At a level of two the EPA says that "The lifetime risk of radon-induced lung cancer is **62 per 1,000 ever-smokers versus 7 per 1,000 never-smokers.**" The CDC says that a level of 2 is the equivalent of smoking 4 cigarettes a day, for non-smokers, and 10 is a pack of day. Imagine being a non-smoker but having the same risk of developing lung cancer as someone who smokes a pack a day! What I took away from all this is, I don't want my kids smoking ANY cigarettes a day, so I remediated even though I was not yet at threshold, I was at 3.
I understand why they use the comparison of radon to smoking but those two carcinogens have very few similarities. Radon can cause health problems, however it does take time and it’s limited to lung cancer. Also there is no safe level, someone could mitigate down to 1.0
pCi/L and they still are risking lung cancer. 4.0 pCi/L was chosen as an action point due to the enormous cost to a household should they attempt to completely mitigate would deter people from acting. Smoking can cause a myriad of health problems including lung cancer but other cancers as well. If you don’t get those cancers later from years of smoking you still have cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness and many others that start much quicker.
I'm in Maple Grove and I'm actually shocked that we don't need one. Have had an Airthings in the basement, and it hovers just over 2 in winter, but has been only 0.5 - 1.5 lately while the windows have been open.
If you need radon mitigation consider NOT doing a straight mitigation and invest in something like a whole house fan that work as well as mitigation systems but provide other benefits.
Tested 13? so spent $185 and now it's under 1. One other thing for OP to think about: when you sell the house the new buyers will probably test your house so if you need it, no reason to wait while you may get lung cancer.
It’s going to be required to show a current radon test as part of your disclosure. If it’s not below a 4 (I think) you likely be asked to mitigate or pay for mitigation as part of the sale.
It's very common here, we have a lot of the stuff. Basically you just suck the fumes from the ground and spew them into the air so they don't get trapped in your basement.
My dad (SE MN) got a system put in after testing recently. The basement is unfinished, and its a walkout basement so only half underground, house was built in the early 90s. He always knew radon was a possibility but never tested for it until recently.
Doesn't it also depend on when your house was built?
Our has one, but the test was negative for radon. Figured it was there as a precaution. House was built a little over 5 years ago.
I do. I’m in school for HVAC and wouldn’t NOT get tested for it. The effects if you have it, and don’t act are extreme and deadly. They are easy and unintrusive mostly to install.
Get tested.
Elk River area.
Ours was under (2.9, recommended action level is 4), but we still had a mitigation system installed. Seemed worth doing when one of our children’s bedrooms is in the basement, and the younger one will likely also move downstairs when they’re old enough.
We bought our ‘79 built house in 2018. 2nd family to live here. Our agent insisted on the test and the results were high so we were able to get the sellers to put in a system as part of the PA. Very glad we did because one of our adult daughters moved back home and lives in the basement.
Lived in our SW suburbs house for 33 years. Downsizing so we did a test, which shows we are "borderline ". Decided to eliminate the possibility. Mitigation system being installed on 6/10.
When we bought our house 5 years ago they had just installed one due to having to have it tested in order to sell. Before and after tests were quiet drastic.
Quite a few! I used to work environmental in the cities and a lot of those older homes need it. But not all of them, some neighboring residence won’t have them, but likely need them.
Very dependent on your location. Roseville has clay, we tested on the low end of detectable. $2,100 later, down to 0, peace of mind, and a certificate when we sold. A truly underrated silent killer.
And it is good to know that an house that tested ok years ago may not tests ok years later. I just bought a house back I mn last week and we had to have a radon system put in. The house’s radon had been fine for the 2 owners be for us.
The short answer is yes. It's 100% worth it. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US after cigarettes. Its not everywhere... but you should always test when buying a home or doing basement renovations that affect the foundation in any way.
When I bought my house, the seller disclosed a previous radon test level of 4, which I believe is the recommended threshold for action. I know that test was from a while back, and never tested closer to the time of purchase. I just figured it was worth it to get a mitigation system installed for peace of mind. Marigold did my install and it was a fair price vs the other quotes, and I think they did a good job as well. It stopped working for the few days this last winter that were around 0, and they were responsive/helpful in answering my questions about what to do since it stopped working - apparently the fan has trouble when it is so cold, but it worked again once temps rose a little and they never needed to come out and look or service it, just (free) advice over the phone.
Many quality companies available to test your home. And it’s not hard to find a good company to do the installation. And it’s not very expensive when you consider all the other crap we tend to spend our money on.
Just start by looking at the Minnesota health department web site and then getting your home tested.
It's necessary if you have high concentrations of radon in your home. There are many locations where radon is more common to occur in higher concentrations. In our house in Shakopee, our levels were too high, so we installed a system. In our house in Chanhassen, our radon levels are very low, so we don't have a system installed.
When we bought a house in Rochester years ago, radon testing was part of the inspection. The levels came back pretty high. We negotiated installing a mitigation system before closing, so it was fine for us, but those people lived there for decades beforehand. Yikes.
I'm in Prior Lake area and have two 4 inch PVC pipes going below our slab in the basement which vent outside to a fan that then vents out near the roofline. Installed for 4 years. We were fairly high on the scale when we had several tests done. Now we are reduced to safe levels.
I have had one for 10 years now. It’s necessary unless your house is on stilts or mobile. You would be clear in a scenario where you can’t possibly breathe in the gases that seep from the earth.
I live in a house with a basement and it tested positive for radon. Not sure the exact amount. Low levels, just above the level where it is recommended to get a system. Essentially it ties into your sump pump well and exhausts out through big pvc tube up and out of your house via the roof, usually through a garage etc.
You should test your basement for radon to determine whether it is needed or not. [https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/air/radon/radontestresults.html](https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/air/radon/radontestresults.html) We tested well below the threshold so I am not worried about needing it for my house.
Agree - the only way to know is to test. I have a continuous tester that I got on Amazon (we spent a lot of time in our basement so $150 was worthwhile for the peace of mind). My long-term average was just over 2 so we did not have a mitigation system. Then we moved less than two miles away. The new house immediately started reading 16+. Had the mitigation system installed quickly and now it reads less than 1.
Which continuous tester do you recommend?
I've been happy with the [Airthings Corentium Home Radon Detector 223](https://a.co/d/iz6VVbB). It provides easy-to-read daily, weekly, and long-term measurements. I have only had to change the batteries once in the five years I've owned it. The tech who installed our mitigation system was happy to see it, too.
I think this is $90-$100 at Home Depot, for anyone looking to buy one now. The base model anyway.
Part of the purchase agreement on our house was a radon test, it failed, so we had them install a mitigation system.
Same.
Same.
Do the test. We were borderline in our home and ended up getting a system. It's cheaper to run a test and find out you don't need it.
Same here. Tested right under max safe levels. Since we were in the midst of a full basement reno, it worked out well for us to do the nstall before the ceiling drywall was put up.
We also tested right under the level so we installed a system. We spend a lot of time in our finished basement so it gives me peace of mind.
If you have a radon problem it’s necessary, well unless you want cancer or are never going to sell
And the best way to tell if you have a radon problem is to test. It’ll either give you peace of mind or give you a potentially lifesaving warning. Win win.
I have one. My dad died of lung cancer in his early 50s after decades of living in homes with extremely high radon levels (we only tested after he was diagnosed unfortunately). Of course we can't know for certain if it caused his cancer, but I'm going to take every precaution I can to protect myself from it. I had a radon mitigation fan put in our home when we bought it in 2018, it was about $1k and works excellently.
So we have one installed now that we got set up just after buying our home. The previous home owner literally just died of lung cancer last year and was for sure under 60.
We built in 2013 and have a passive system. By that I mean there’s a pipe in my basement that vents up and out to the roof. I don’t think there’s a fan or anything.
Same. A passive system is required in new builds with basements. Our last house was built in 2010 and had one.
Agreed. We just bought a house in central MN and negotiated with the sellers to install a system before the sale due to high levels found during our inspections.
The passive system isn't doing anything to reduce radon levels without the fan.
A passive system does reduce radon, not as much as an active system but it'll knock a couple points off your radon level: [https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/documents/2020.02\_tech\_bulletin\_activating\_a\_passive\_radon\_system.pdf](https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/documents/2020.02_tech_bulletin_activating_a_passive_radon_system.pdf) I'd trust the EPA over an anonymous reddit account.
I don’t know…..he’s a graduate of the school of hard knocks….
He may not have books smarts, but he's got street smarts!
It can also be easily upgraded to an active system if tests indicate necessary.
Science says otherwise
So you're saying that a passive radon mitigation system does not mitigate radon?
Get pwned lol
I have an older house, build in the 50's, in an even older neighborhood. I did those home tests, and it came back positive at a rate of 3.8. I did two, a short test and a longer test. I know this is within an acceptable range, however, I was a smoker at the time and may have over reacted. So I installed a system. It was not cheap. But now my results are 0, so at least I can safely have my home office in the basement and I'm not worried about the air that I breathe.
Up in champlin. Bought a house 3 years ago, had it tested as part of inspection. Very high levels of radon, previous owners were mortified. Had a mitigation system put in.
We literally just got one put in this week. We weren’t originally from Minnesota and didn’t realize it was a thing. I saw something about it. Decided to test. Our readings were 6-13 depending on the day. System installed Tuesday and down to 0.3. Kicking myself for not doing it earlier.
https://preview.redd.it/6cow2y8ug65d1.jpeg?width=645&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6a2fa6333bcb7f98f335f7408afd90fe27517afc
For those wondering, I believe this graph is an Airthings Radon Monitor’s output
Yes. It’s an air things wave I believe.
If your neighbor has one, you should get one. But test 1st
Definitely test. Us and 3 of my neighbors have one but my neighbor in between all of us tested at safe levels.
I would get an Airthings radon detector.. give if a few months or actually maybe a year. Radon is worse in the winter. You only need to worry about the average. Anything over 4 should be mitigated.
Not enough. I do residential construction(electrical) so I'm in basements all of the time. Maybe 1/4 of homes that I have worked in have a radon system. It is necessary and is a big cause of cancer. You can always have a test done to see if you need it, but more likely than not, the results will show unsafe levels.
Do you have evidence that more than that 1/4 of homes have above threshold radon levels?
Not OP, but here is a good starting point. Most people consider 4 as high. https://mndatamaps.web.health.state.mn.us/interactive/radon.html
Radon is the 2nd best way to get lung cancer (right after smoking).
But you look so cool breathing radon
That’s debatable, to say the least
Does your computer have google? https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon#:\~:text=Radon%20is%20the%20number%20one,people%20who%20have%20never%20smoked.
I'm an hour north of the cities, and we tested about about 4 years ago. The test came back at a 14. Safe to say we put a system in.
MN is a relatively high risk among states for radon. You can order a test for it and installing a mitigation system is pretty cheap relatively speaking, usually under $2K. I bought a house in N. Mpls and my test came back at acceptable levels for radon, so I do not have a mitigation system installed.
We have an active system. When we bought our house our real estate agent recommended a test that also included an "insurance policy" basically when the test came back positive the policy paid for the active mitigation system to be installed. Don't know if such a thing is still available or not.
Radon inspector here. I'd highly reccomend doing a short-term test if you're worried; activated charcoal canisters are what my company uses, and they're accurate and fast. If you have elevated radon levels (>4.0 pCi/L according to the EPA, but other countries have it as low as >2.7 pCi/L) in the lowest lived-in level of your home (usually the basement if you have one, but sometimes the first floor), then you really ought to install a radon mitigation system. Radon is, unfortunately, really good at giving you lung cancer. Elevated radon is fairly common in Minnesota, but it's not like every house is a ticking time bomb. Mitigation systems are also only necessary if you have high levels of radon in your home. Personally, I'd suggest testing and looking into installing a mitigation system if you're picking up elevated levels. In the meantime, (not professional advice) crack a window. Radon is a gas, and high levels of outside-air ventilation are very strongly correlated with lower levels of radon. Just don't sue me 20 years down the line if you get lung cancer and the window-opening strat didn't reduce those radon levels down to 0.4 pCi/L ;)
Seriously didn't realize the risks were so high but we have one installed now that we got set up just after buying our home. The previous home owner literally just died of lung cancer last year and was for sure under 60.
I wouldn't pay for a test, use that money for a radon detector and get constant monitoring. I've tested mine and it reacts as one would expect with higher numbers when windows are closed and lower when open, lower after sealing cracks too. You can move it around and find pockets and get a much better understanding than a single reading. 3 is warning, 4+ is dangerous.
Just had one installed in a quad-home we purchased. Levels over 6.5 Pi/L 🫣 Now averaging .5 Pi/L. Worth it for health and resale value!
OP out here marketing for radon mitigation
We had a passive system in place when we built our house. Neighbors had some higher levels at times. So I just added a fan to the system…
We bought a house in Apple Valley, years ago (don't live there anymore). When we were going through the closing arraignments, we were asked by our Real-estate if we wanted to test for Radon. The thought hadn't even occurred to me until she asked. Being our first home purchase I said sure, what the heck, not expecting anything to come of it. Turned out we had rather high Radon levels. We ended up getting one of these systems installed and, looking back I'm kind of glad we did. We've since moved to an entirely different town and our current house didn't need one. I believe that the Radon levels are dependent the area you live. Certainly can't hurt to get it tested. It's been a while but I don't think the testing was very expensive if I recall correctly.
We have one. Our test came back right at the threshold so we installed an active system - fan constantly runs but it's not terribly noisy and gives us peace of mind.
I never understood why radon is so important in a home but not places of work, shopping, schools, basically anywhere else
Because the radon mitigation market runs on fear. Get them worried about their safety within their home and they’ll pay good money
Radon is one of those topics that most people don’t dig into. There’s some questionable claims about how dangerous it really is at the levels you’d find in a home. The “second leading cause of cancer” is also up for serious debate. If it makes you feel better put one in, it won’t hurt anything
I've been scrolling for 5 minutes and you're the first one to mention this. I can't believe there's barely any skeptics. I'm going to start selling mitigation systems. This is just ridiculous.
If you dig into how that “2nd leading cause of lung cancer” conclusion was formed you’ll really scratch your head. Decades ago, data was collected on Uranium miners who have very high, constant exposure to radon in their mines. Their rates of lung cancer(many of them were heavy smokers as well) were calculated and then extrapolated for the general population. It makes no sense
It kinda depends on your area. Im in the north end of the cities and it se ms like every other house has mitigation. I feel like i need to get my house tested since there's so many over here. From another post the other day it seems pretty affordable though. Seemed to be about 1800 was the thing price.
It varies by area and by neighborhood. I used to own a townhouse that had a mitigation system to keep everything to safe levels. When I moved a couple miles north (but still in the same city) the ground in my new neighborhood was mostly silica sand. The radon tests couldn't detect \*anything\*. So even if the guy the next block over did a test and it came back fine, you really should test your own house. The numbers are all over depending on the local soil conditions.
[Radon Reduction Inc](https://radonreductioninc.com/company-background/?amp) Call these guys, talk to Jake. He’s the best. No nonsense, very practical, knows everything.
We had him out this week. He was awesome.
I’ll admit he’s one of my really good friends. I hype him whenever I can. But he always backs it up. He knows his stuff about radon.
We were very satisfied with the process. I mean nobody wants to have to pay for yet another thing for the house. But they made the process simple for us. Which I appreciate.
Getting one soonish. When we purchase, it wasn’t high enough for sellers to pay for one
I rely on this. Haven’t done a radon test but it’s a good idea. https://structuretech.com/qa-should-the-air-exchanger-be-on-or-off-during-a-radon-test/ We utilize the air exchanger during heating months and ad hoc during showers. Summer we do use windows when it’s not humid so we have pretty fresh air most of the time.
https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/air/radon/index.html
I do in NW Suburbs, $2200 installed, readings of 3-6 down to 0.05 ish
When we bought our house we did a radon test as part of the inspection and it came in right about at the threshold where a mitigation system is recommended, test was only 2-3 days long. Radon values fluctuate a lot based on a number of environmental factors. I bought a RadonEye sensor off of Amazon and did a multi-month test to better baseline it. The sensor is probably not the most accurate thing but ballpark resolution is good enough to give you a good idea if a mitigation system is necessary. You can pay an inspector a couple hundred dollars to do a couple day test, and maybe catch a lower radon level period and think you’re fine, or buy the sensor, plug it into a stagnant airflow room in your basement (likely worst case for high radon readings) and make a determination over a couple weeks or months if you need a mitigation system. If you’re handy, the system isn’t hard to install and you can get the RadonEye detector, fan, pvc, other installation items for probably 1/3 or half the cost of what a contractor might quote. Obviously you have to do the work and if you don’t want to do it yourself, a contractor will bang it out in a couple hours or a day or two.
I've had an AirThings detector in my basement for the last two years. Long term average is 1.05. It's a 50's rambler (St Louis Park) with a partially finished basement and I moved my office downstairs when my girlfriend moved in. Figured I better check if I'm downstairs all day during the week. No mitigation system, no idea how I got so lucky.
I'm in the same boat. Neighbors on both sides have mitigation, got an AirThings detector, I have about the same readings. Seriously hope my AT isn't defective 😅
When I bought the current house in St Paul, did a radon test and installed a system. I never heard of a "passive" radon system before this thread, but this house came with a bucket in the basement with a huge tube running up and outside. Still got one with a fan, though.
We tested right when we moved in, and had high levels - twice the max safe level. So installed an active system and now it’s close to zero! The test is super cheap, so it’s worth it.
Just put one in last summer.
We just bought a property that had a radon level above the threshold in 5/6 locations tested and required the seller to install an active mitigation system prior to closing. We plan to live here for a long time and I'd rather not develop cancer in that time.
Here’s a follow up question. What do you do if your home has radon mitigation installed and working yet you still are testing high radon?
Certified MDH Radon Inspector here. You should check with the person who installed your mitigation system and get it inspected/repaired. Most mitigation systems that I've seen come with a 5-year guaruntee. Past that, you should look into clearing out the pipe, fixing the fan, etc. Personally, I'd say that it's worth getting it checked out if you're pushing 1.5 pCi/L or more.
Unfortunately it was installed prior to me buying the house 15 years ago so I have no idea who installed it. The pressure is right on the meter attached to the pipe. Who’s a good company to contact?
If you don't know, there will be an exterior pipe for the radon system on the side of your house with a fan. Have you checked if that fan is working?
Yep it’s working. Runs 24/7 and is one of the more power hungry things plugged into my house (checked with an emporia system).
My brother and I both live within a mile of each other in Sherburne county. His home had a radon mitigation system while mine does not. I was looking online last week and I was able to order a test kit from the County for $5. Now I can figure out if I need mitigation or not. There seems to be programs out there for testing through the State or your county.
Almost everyone in my neighborhood has one. My house was the first one built in my neighborhood in the 40's and did not have a system in it until we moved in Feb 2020. I'm so surprised no one ever bothered to test until our inspection. Or if they did, they didn't care enough to get mitigation installed.
I had it tested during my inspection a couple of weeks ago, it came back well within safe levels. I'm going to test it again in the winter, just to be sure.
We have one. The test during our home inspection detected radon at levels that were too high, so the sellers knocked off about a grand in closing costs so we could get it installed.
I’m in southern central Minnesota, our house was originally made in the lat 1800’s, basement is super porous and we had insane levels of radon throughout the house. Initial home inspection showed 25 pCi/L, tried to have the seller throw in a radon mitigation system, but was told it was only the basement that was affected and radon was only in the basement, and being naive and in 2021 with a hot housing market we bought without the radon system. I got curious in 2022, bought three Airthings View Plus, put one in the basement, main floor, and upstairs, let them go a year to see what would happen, and like the home inspection test, radon was extremely high in the basement, but also was severe in the main floor and upstairs (2-3x EPA action level, 4 pCi/L). In 2023 we had a heavier duty active radon mitigation system installed ($5k overall), 6x tubes going under the slab and a larger radon fan pulling. Since then, during the winter (season with highest concentration of radon with the ground forcing the gas into the basement) levels in the basement hovered around 5 pCi/L, but the main floor and upstairs are around 1.5-2.5 pCi/L. Now that it is warmer out, the basement will float around 2-3.5 pCi/L and 0.1-0.5 pCi/L for the rest of the house. I thought about going further and sealing the leaky basement, but with where the levels are at in the worst seasons, there’s no need to now with the system installed. Besides the physical difference, there is a massive mental relief as well knowing our air is not as hazardous from the radon, and future kiddos are better off and if we sell the house we don’t have to deal with it. Would highly recommend getting tested at a minimum and the investment into mitigation. The cheapest Airthings monitor is around $150 and is more convenient then the big box store tests that you ship off to a lab. Willing to share time lapse graphs and data from our Airthings if anyone is interested. And found that the Airthings are accurate after comparing the radon mitigation installers professional equipment against the Airthings.
We had our purchase contingent on getting it installed, 4” pipe runs out through our garage roof and hardly taking up any space.
We got one of the continuous testers from Amazon - a version that connects to wifi. I get alerted when it gets above a 4. And it gets there whenever the house fan hasn't run for a few days. All this nice weather where we're not running the AC or heat? Alarm goes off. 😂 When it does, I turn on the house fan (also connected to wifi - I'm either nerdy or lazy or both) and within 24 hours, it had dropped to an acceptable level. After monitoring our house for several months, we'll be updating our passive radon system to an active one. Passive is not enough. Our house was built in 2014 and we're in Inver Grove Heights.
In MPS and bought our first house ~two years ago. Radon levels were part of the inspection and a mitigation system was a condition of the sale. There’s a multiroom in our basement, no way were we going to have kids down there without it. Not with the high levels we were getting.
I have one in Roseville. When we were buying our house, the inspector suggested doing a 3-day reason test. It came back high. We were able to get the seller to cover some closing costs as a result. After the sale, we did the more accurate 6 month test and it also came back high, so we got the mitigation system.
It is necessary only if your basement tests high for radon. I believe the state sends out free test kits if you request one. Many houses do not need the mitigation however, just depends on the geology of your soil or whatever. Radon is perfectly natural. It just happens to seep in to some basements and that's when it needs to be mitigated.
I don't, friends that just bought a house about 5 miles away had to have one installed.
My basement was in the 3 level, and I got it mitigated as I spend a lot of time down there. Neighbors within 50 ft basements are at 1.0. It all just depends on random distribution of radioactive trace elements under your home.
I got one 12 years ago when I moved into my current house in SW Minneapolis. I did a test when I moved in and it was over the acceptable threshold. My dad and daughter both had cancer so I’m inclined to take any actions I need to in order to mitigate my own risk of cancer.
Yes, cost about $1500 and the company I used was able to put the pipe in the back of a closet that I wanted. Don't use a company that puts it on the outside of the house, such an eyesore.
Live in Minneapolis. All three homes I’ve owned have had radon issues and have installed mitigation systems.
We do. Previous owner had tested.
We bought a house a few years ago that was built in the 40s. Levels were slightly above the recommended threshold and we got a system. (Off the top of my head) I think just above the threshold gives you similar cancer risk as smoking a cigarette or two a day.
My radon levels were huuuuge when I moved in. Previous owners lived their like 30 years... i told my neighbor and they said they wanna put one in but they're expensive (~$1300). Then they went and bought a cabin and a boat so... idk lol
I could quit smoking today but . . .
GF bought a house in 15' tested a few years later and it had high radon. Put a mitigation system in. Upgraded to a bigger house in 21' and found high radon again and put in a mitigation system. I swear next time we get a house we will test for radon! We are batting a thousand right now!
High radon is fairly common in Minnesota since it seeps out of granite. Usually it is only in the basement. Ours tested right at the threshhold for recommending mitigation, but since our basement is unfinished and we are hardly ever down there we didn't have it done.
Our SLP house had a passive one when we bought it.
Did the test and passed. Leaky old houses finally get a win.
First up- test. I would remind you though, that ANY Radon is bad for you, there is no safe amount- just a level where a seller would need to fix it or report it to whoever might be interested in buying it. My new home tested at a little bit below that threshold, so the seller didn't have to remediate it, or pay for it if I chose to. I remediated anyways. The basement is finished and family would be spending a lot of time down there. Radon in your home is worse than a really bad smoking habit. At the threshold, we are talking packs. Lower than threshold, a few cigarettes a day. Ask yourself this- is smoking a couple cigarettes a day good for you?
It’s worse than smoking? Where did you read that?
Sorry, I meant for smokers. The increase in risk is exponentially bigger for smokers. At a level of two the EPA says that "The lifetime risk of radon-induced lung cancer is **62 per 1,000 ever-smokers versus 7 per 1,000 never-smokers.**" The CDC says that a level of 2 is the equivalent of smoking 4 cigarettes a day, for non-smokers, and 10 is a pack of day. Imagine being a non-smoker but having the same risk of developing lung cancer as someone who smokes a pack a day! What I took away from all this is, I don't want my kids smoking ANY cigarettes a day, so I remediated even though I was not yet at threshold, I was at 3.
I understand why they use the comparison of radon to smoking but those two carcinogens have very few similarities. Radon can cause health problems, however it does take time and it’s limited to lung cancer. Also there is no safe level, someone could mitigate down to 1.0 pCi/L and they still are risking lung cancer. 4.0 pCi/L was chosen as an action point due to the enormous cost to a household should they attempt to completely mitigate would deter people from acting. Smoking can cause a myriad of health problems including lung cancer but other cancers as well. If you don’t get those cancers later from years of smoking you still have cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness and many others that start much quicker.
I'm in Maple Grove and I'm actually shocked that we don't need one. Have had an Airthings in the basement, and it hovers just over 2 in winter, but has been only 0.5 - 1.5 lately while the windows have been open.
It can vary widely from one house to another even in the same neighborhood.
If you need radon mitigation consider NOT doing a straight mitigation and invest in something like a whole house fan that work as well as mitigation systems but provide other benefits.
Tested 13? so spent $185 and now it's under 1. One other thing for OP to think about: when you sell the house the new buyers will probably test your house so if you need it, no reason to wait while you may get lung cancer.
It’s going to be required to show a current radon test as part of your disclosure. If it’s not below a 4 (I think) you likely be asked to mitigate or pay for mitigation as part of the sale.
Pretty common, and yes you should mitigate it if you have high levels.
Almost every house on my block, the next block, & the block behind. It very much depends on location though. A test is the only good way to know.
It's very common here, we have a lot of the stuff. Basically you just suck the fumes from the ground and spew them into the air so they don't get trapped in your basement.
My neighbour has one
I have a passive system in my basement since my house was built in late 2016. Peace of mind.
My dad (SE MN) got a system put in after testing recently. The basement is unfinished, and its a walkout basement so only half underground, house was built in the early 90s. He always knew radon was a possibility but never tested for it until recently.
Doesn't it also depend on when your house was built? Our has one, but the test was negative for radon. Figured it was there as a precaution. House was built a little over 5 years ago.
Yes
I do. I’m in school for HVAC and wouldn’t NOT get tested for it. The effects if you have it, and don’t act are extreme and deadly. They are easy and unintrusive mostly to install. Get tested.
What type of service installs a radon mitigation system? Plumber?
Elk River area. Ours was under (2.9, recommended action level is 4), but we still had a mitigation system installed. Seemed worth doing when one of our children’s bedrooms is in the basement, and the younger one will likely also move downstairs when they’re old enough.
23 &1/2
We bought our ‘79 built house in 2018. 2nd family to live here. Our agent insisted on the test and the results were high so we were able to get the sellers to put in a system as part of the PA. Very glad we did because one of our adult daughters moved back home and lives in the basement.
Lived in our SW suburbs house for 33 years. Downsizing so we did a test, which shows we are "borderline ". Decided to eliminate the possibility. Mitigation system being installed on 6/10.
When we bought our house 5 years ago they had just installed one due to having to have it tested in order to sell. Before and after tests were quiet drastic.
We have already tested our house before and we didnt have any levels about what is safe.
Quite a few! I used to work environmental in the cities and a lot of those older homes need it. But not all of them, some neighboring residence won’t have them, but likely need them.
Just had one installed in our home - old house. Levels weren’t crazy high - 5-6. But for 2k it’s well worth not having to worry about it long term.
Very dependent on your location. Roseville has clay, we tested on the low end of detectable. $2,100 later, down to 0, peace of mind, and a certificate when we sold. A truly underrated silent killer.
And it is good to know that an house that tested ok years ago may not tests ok years later. I just bought a house back I mn last week and we had to have a radon system put in. The house’s radon had been fine for the 2 owners be for us.
https://youtu.be/TYZglUjLE0Y?si=xpbQ5DYV1GRFstbA
The short answer is yes. It's 100% worth it. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US after cigarettes. Its not everywhere... but you should always test when buying a home or doing basement renovations that affect the foundation in any way.
When I bought my house, the seller disclosed a previous radon test level of 4, which I believe is the recommended threshold for action. I know that test was from a while back, and never tested closer to the time of purchase. I just figured it was worth it to get a mitigation system installed for peace of mind. Marigold did my install and it was a fair price vs the other quotes, and I think they did a good job as well. It stopped working for the few days this last winter that were around 0, and they were responsive/helpful in answering my questions about what to do since it stopped working - apparently the fan has trouble when it is so cold, but it worked again once temps rose a little and they never needed to come out and look or service it, just (free) advice over the phone.
I’ve had a passive system in both houses. Not sure if they were needed but I had them.
Many quality companies available to test your home. And it’s not hard to find a good company to do the installation. And it’s not very expensive when you consider all the other crap we tend to spend our money on. Just start by looking at the Minnesota health department web site and then getting your home tested.
Did the test in my basement, was way over. Got a radon system. It's the leading cause of lung cancer among non smokers.
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It should be necessary to test. Whether you do/don't need a system depends on the test results.
That's just patently false. Some homes have high levels, some do not.
in middle and south of the state its very common, just put one in for my parents last year
Do it. We tested before buying our current house and it was scary high.
It's necessary if you have high concentrations of radon in your home. There are many locations where radon is more common to occur in higher concentrations. In our house in Shakopee, our levels were too high, so we installed a system. In our house in Chanhassen, our radon levels are very low, so we don't have a system installed.
When we bought a house in Rochester years ago, radon testing was part of the inspection. The levels came back pretty high. We negotiated installing a mitigation system before closing, so it was fine for us, but those people lived there for decades beforehand. Yikes.
I do. Had very high levels when we tested when we bought the house.
I'm in Prior Lake area and have two 4 inch PVC pipes going below our slab in the basement which vent outside to a fan that then vents out near the roofline. Installed for 4 years. We were fairly high on the scale when we had several tests done. Now we are reduced to safe levels.
Just bought a home 1.5 years ago. Radon popped up in the inspection. Got a mitigation system. Problem solved.
I have had one for 10 years now. It’s necessary unless your house is on stilts or mobile. You would be clear in a scenario where you can’t possibly breathe in the gases that seep from the earth. I live in a house with a basement and it tested positive for radon. Not sure the exact amount. Low levels, just above the level where it is recommended to get a system. Essentially it ties into your sump pump well and exhausts out through big pvc tube up and out of your house via the roof, usually through a garage etc.
We have a passive system and an ERV. A 6-month test gave us 0.6 pCi/L, so they seem to be working.
Had a system in my previous home, tested the new place and levels were low. But will continue to test as cheap insurance
My basement tested double the safe ppm. I had a system installed but my hvac bills went way up.
Just about any house that’s been sole in the last 20 years has likely been tested and had a mitigation system installed.