Radon mitigation & testing in New Boston, NH

Making sense of your radon test result in New Boston: short-term vs long-term tests

Got a radon number back for your New Boston home and not sure what to do with it? The answer depends on what kind of test you ran. NH DHHS says radon exposure in New Hampshire is greater than the national average because of our granite bedrock, so it is worth getting the test right. (NH DHHS)

Short-term or long-term test?

The EPA says short-term tests stay in the home for two to 90 days, depending on the device, and long-term tests stay for more than 90 days. Because radon varies day to day and season to season, a short-term test is less likely than a long-term test to tell you your year-round average. (EPA)

Run a fair short-term test

• Keep windows and outside doors closed as much as possible during the test. For a 2- or 3-day test, close them at least 12 hours before you start, too. (EPA)
• Heating and air conditioning fans that recirculate air can run, but not fans or machines that bring in outside air. (EPA)
• Skip 2- or 3-day tests during unusually severe storms or unusually high winds. (EPA)
• Place the kit in the lowest lived-in level, in a room you use regularly (not the kitchen or bathroom), at least 20 inches off the floor and away from drafts, high heat, high humidity and exterior walls. (EPA)

NH residents can order a free state test kit. (NHDES)

What to do with the number

• If a first short-term result is 4 pCi/L or higher, the EPA says to follow up with either a long-term test (for a better picture of your year-round average) or a second short-term test (if you need results quickly). (EPA)
• If the first short-term result is more than twice the 4 pCi/L action level, the EPA says to take a second short-term test right away. (EPA)
• Fix the home if a long-term follow-up is 4 pCi/L or more, or consider fixing it if the average of two short-term tests is 4 pCi/L or higher. (EPA)
• Below 4? The EPA says no level of radon is safe, and that most homes today can be brought down to 2 pCi/L or below. If you start using a lower level, such as a basement, retest on that level. (EPA)

Choosing who does the work

NH requires radon-in-air mitigation designers and installers to be nationally certified. (NHDES) You can check names in the NRPP directory. Retest after any fix. (EPA)

Private wells

NHDES says radon is common in water from bedrock (drilled) wells, while dug wells and point wells tend to have little or none. If your New Boston home has a drilled well, NHDES recommends testing the water for radon at least twice, about a month apart, and recommends treatment at 10,000 pCi/L or more (possibly between 2,000 and 10,000 pCi/L if indoor air is 4 pCi/L or higher). (NHDES) See our guide to radon in well water in NH.

Nearby

See Mont Vernon, Amherst and Bedford.

Well pump or pressure trouble? Our sister referral site, NH Well Pump Help, connects New Boston homeowners with local well pump pros.