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" (2.7<), "hmmm" (4<) or "Holy Marie Curie" (officialy set by NIST as >20).  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-

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

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