Tips for HomeBuyers:

1. If you are a home buyer, we strongly suggest that you select, install and pay for your own radon system rather than relying on the seller or a real estate agent to select the system that you will live with.
2. A person who is making a choice for himself or his family will rarely say, "Give me the cheapest parachute you've got" or "Oh, any brain surgeon will be fine." Yet that is the process we sometimes see in radon mitigation decisions when the seller or the seller's agent chooses the radon mitigator.
3. If you are buying a home that has an existing radon system, we suggest that you hire a qualified and impartial radon mitigation consultant to evaluate the system like Wayne Dean 239 272-7375. wayne@air-quality-engineering.com He will tell it like it is instead of wrongfully blaming mold problems on the scapegoat, the air conditioner.
4. Home inspectors may lack knowledge and training to perform radon mitigation system evaluations, and under Florida law, they are prohibited from doing so unless they are also Certified Radon Mitigation Specialists
5. Radon measurement firms have a strong temptation to refer radon mitigation work to radon mitigators who will "buy" referrals, and thereby "share the wealth"
6. Radon measurement technicians and specialists are expressly prohibited by the Florida Department of Health from rendering opinions regarding radon mitigation systems, however, despite that, some arrogantly do so and refer radon mitigation to the firm who will "share the wealth" most generously
7. Unlike any other home improvements, all of which are inspected by a government official for proper workmanship, function and performance, radon mitigation systems are never inspected by anyone unless a consultant is hired to inspect the installed system.
8. There is no continuing education requirement for radon mitigators to perform radon services in Florida, and as a result, most radon service providers are installing the same systems they saw someone else install fifteen years ago. And no one is checking the design or quality of their work at all. The systems they usually install are not described in any of the training materials provided by the Florida Department of Health. As nearly as we can tell, there has been no research performed nor published that finds an absence of short or long term moisture and mold problems
9. Many radon system designs and installations create new, "unforeseen" consequences, such as mold, high indoor particulate matter counts, high indoor humidity, comfort problems, air conditioner overload problems. Some of these problems are slow to appear, but when they do, they can be very troubling, expensive to repair, can create serious health problems for some individuals, and they are very difficult to ignore
10. Always test your new home for radon after you take occupancy. Test kits sold at home inprovement stores of online are reasonably reliable and accurate as well as reasonable in cost. It is not unusual that a radon system does not perform as described.
11. Always weekly test the home for relative humidity during the entire year. Many inaccurate thermohygrometers are on the market. RadonMan has tested many and has found reasonably accurate ones that are offered for $15.00
12. Obtain your own radon monitor and keep it operating all the time. An excellent consumer grade radon monitor with an alarm is available from Radonman for $129.99, which is less than the cost of a single radon test.  Professional grade instruments are only slightly more accurate and cost from $3000.00 to $5,000.00.

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