First Alert Radon Gas Test Kit, RD1

Chances are if you are reading reviews for a carbon-based Radon test kit, you already have a general idea of how they work and what they test for. This test kit comes in a small box, it contains a sealed tray of a charcoal-like substance that you sit in the spot where you want to run the test for 48-72 hours. After that time, you put the kit back into the included envelope along with a completed information card, seal it up, and mail it away for testing to a lab. Simple enough.To sum it all up, I was very satisfied with this product from start to finish. Here is my review, focusing on a few key areas that I feel need to be addressed based on reading the product information and other customer reviews:Ease of Use:I found this kit to be as simple to use as it could possibly have been. The only contents of the box are exactly what is necessary. The instructions are short, but thorough enough that they provide you with everything needed to maximize your chances of a successful and accurate test. It goes over the basics of how to use the kit, recommended places to place it, conditions your house needs to be in, etc. Once you've run it for 48-72 hours, you just record the necessary information on the info card, drop it in the envelope, and off it goes to the lab.Hidden/Additional Fees:The price of this kit includes the lab analysis and results reporting, so there are no "hidden" fees. However, the kit gives you the option to pay an additional $10 for "rush processing". I did not opt for this, so I can't comment on how much faster the results would have been, but I assume this would be useful for things like real estate transactions. This test was only for my own information in a house I already own, so speed of results wasn't a top priority for me. The only other potential "hidden" fee is the cost of postage to return the kit. The return envelope states that you must attached 5 first-class postage stamps. So that's a little over $2 of postage required to send the kit in for testing. Not going to break the bank, but I felt it was worth mentioning.Speed of Receiving Results:This is the main area I wanted to focus my review on. There are many other reviews that are complaining about how they sent away their kit and never heard back again, or had a very difficult time interfacing with the lab to get their final results. Like I mentioned above, I sent my kit back without opting for the rush processing service. My test finished on Sunday, January 13th. It was sealed in an envelope and dropped in the mail on the morning of Monday, January 14th. Standard first-class mail. I received my results back in the form of an email with a PDF attachment today, Monday January 21st. Seven days total for results, including the time it spent going from Maryland to Texas in the mail! I couldn't believe it when I received the email. Many others complained of it taking 2-4 weeks to get results, or never hearing back at all. I can only speak for my one experience, but I was extremely satisfied with the speed.Accuracy of Results:I chose to use this carbon-based test kit as a supplement to another kit I had purchased, the Safety Siren Pro Series HS71512 3 Radon Gas Detector. The Safety Siren Pro kit is significantly more expensive, but gives a short term (2 day average) reading as well as a long term (7 day average) reading. I placed both a few feet apart when I ran the test. My Safety Siren digital reader showed a result of .8 pci average over a 7 day test, and the results I received back from this First Alert test kit had a reading of .7 pci. This is extremely close, and made me feel confident that both kits are likely to be accurate.All in all, I rate this product a full five stars based on my experience, and I would have no issue recommending this kit to anyone else looking for a short term radon reading. Follow the simple directions, and you'll be satisfied.

The instructions are straightforward. I put the 2 test kits near each other, as directed. The results were 1.6 and 1.8 picocuries per Liter, which are typical of my geographic area. The agreement of those results, if reliable, show that the kits will give reliable results, as well. I used UPS for return of the test kits after sampling.Many will probably not understand the decay chain of Radon but two things jump out at me. The test kit samples radon as a gas, but when radon decays it decays to a non-gas form. So, it may be more difficult for a person to breathe out the decay product. Then, The decay chain emits 4 alpha particles, which by way of comparison, you might say, is having somebody shoot you with one bullet but you get hit 4 times. I think the Wikipedia article says that Radon is a very dangerous substance - with good reason.

The instructions were clear and thorough. The test we did was accurate and we did receive results right away. It gave us a peace of mind. The shipping took a bit to get to the lab so I was concerned with timing on the results. I was a bit disappointed that we also had to pay for shipping which the cheapest option was $12. I wanted a one stop shop rather than pay for the kit and for shipping. The results were clear and detailed. They gave next steps in the event radon was detected. They explained the numbers and data and its nice to include for buyers if you’re selling your house

Easy to use radon test kit for home use. The instructions are clear and thorough. It's very simple - follow the instructions, mail in the test, and results will be returned. I was pleased with this kit.

Quick and easy to use with no extra hidden fees (other than shipping it in to the lab).

Using this kit was very easy. The charcoal canister is put out for 2-4 days, and then shipped to the lab inside a plastic envelope. We shipped via UPS and they said a box was required. UPS charged us $3.50 for the type of cardboard box we throw in the recycling bin regularly! This means that return shipping via UPS or FedEx is a major part of the overall testing cost. Provide your own box to save money. The test lab does offer a different way to order the kit where the return shipping is paid in advance for a lower overall cost.My Airthings View Plus shows a weekly average of 1 pCiL and a peak reading of 1.9 pCi/L. The First Alert charcoal canister was placed next to it for 3 days. The report from Alpha Energy Laboratories says 2.8 pCi/L. I studied EPA reports from 1991, and 2020, as well as reports prepared by the State of Texas, and Dallas County, and only 3% of the residences in my area might encounter as high 2.8 pCi/L, and that would be during winter. The results from the Airthings View Plus are more in-line with expected values. Therefore, I am removing two stars from my original review because I do not trust the results.

easy to use, suggest on line registration, quick and easy

This is NOT a home test that you can read the results yourself. It needs to be shipped back to the company for lab results. They do not include shipping to the lab, and their "discount" shipping price was $12 and up to $35 for faster processing. I ended up having to go to the post office and purchase two day priority mail package with tracking which was a waste of time and money. I see the first reviewer states that you can affix $2 worth of stamps and this is NOT accurate as it's a review from 2013.