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The Mysterious Case of the Slippery Radon Canister

By Claudette Millette

Real Estate Agent with The Buyers' Counsel

March 21, 2011 04:23 PM

House with Looking Glass

Last week I encountered a unique and surprising series of events when I went to retrieve a radon test.

The home inspector had strategically placed the test in a basement closet on the top shelf. That was bad enough since the shelf height was around 6 feet high and I am but a mere 5 foot 4 inches tall. Adding insult to injury was the fact that the basement area was treacherously dark.

Approaching the closet, I carefully reached for the test and, faster than a speeding bullet, one of the canisters came crashing down, smashing on the floor and completely falling apart. I then witnessed something that I have never had a desire to see - the inside contents of a radon canister - specifically, piles of black charcoal that were spilled in every direction.

With fast thinking and brilliant reactionary skills, I quickly scooped up the black concoction stuffing it with my bare hands tidily back into the can. Hoping against hope, I thought, "Surely this does not mean that the test is ruined!"

Delicately placing the lid back on the canister, I then sealed it with the handy yellow tape that was provided, tightly compressed it and stuck it in the convenient mailer. Unfortunately, at least half of the charcoal substance still remained on the floor in a pile with bits ground into the carpet of this previously immaculate home.

Much to my chagrin, when I called the radon lab and explained my predicament to them they informed me that - yes, the test was completely ruined.

What to do? How would I explain to my client that her test was now destroyed?

Enter, The Radon Man. The Radon Man has a machine that continuously monitors the level of radon in the air. He claims that it is a much more definitive measurement than the once beloved charcoal canisters.

I will be meeting with The Radon Man tomorrow at which time he will install the machine for two days. At the end of the two day period, I am promised results right on the spot. No waiting!

If this experiment is a success, I will more-than-likely be switching to his services permanently. And, I will do this for a very important reason.

The spectacle of black charcoal piles scattered all over a perfectly clean carpet is something I never wish to behold again!

Claudette Millette, Broker, Owner, The Buyers' Counsel - (508) 881-6230

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Lizette Fitzpatrick

Lizette Realty - Richmond KY - Lexington, KY

Lizette Realty, Lexington KY MLS - Kentucky Homes

Oh wow! What a freakout moment! I have never seen one of those canisters. Our techs install the two day type and come back on themselves to get them I don't want to touch anything.

Mar 21, 2011 04:33 PM

Dennis Burgess

AmeriTeam Property Management - Mid Florida, FL

Orlando Property Manager and Realtor

Hi, Claudette. Although there's a bit of humor here, I appreciate your story here from an educational standpoint. We here in Florida use a standard radon gas disclosure statement in both sales and rentals, but neither my current broker nor previous one have ever seem radon gas at all. With their 45 years or so of experience and a total of zero radon gas exposure cases between them, it's easy for me and others to forget (or remember- but fail to believe) that actual cases exist. Thank you for the reminder.

Mar 21, 2011 04:41 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Claudette, you sound like a high tech scientist. Maybe the Japanese can use your talents SMILE.

In Texas we say what is radon?

Mar 21, 2011 04:57 PM

Glenn Roberts

Retired - Seattle, WA

We don't have a radon issue here in the northwest but I sympathize with your problem. The solution seems to be radon man.

Mar 21, 2011 05:12 PM

Coral Gundlach

Compass - Arlington, VA

Real Lives. Not Just Real Estate.

I have to ask, why were you retrieving the test and not the radon inspector? What a terrible story, and definitely something I would have done!

Mar 22, 2011 12:57 AM

Chris Ann Cleland

Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA

Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

You would never have known about the Radon Man unless you'd had this unfortunate accident. Everything truly does happen for a reason.

Mar 22, 2011 05:48 AM

Claudette Millette

The Buyers' Counsel - Ashland, MA

Buyer, Broker - Metrowest Mass

Lynne:

How interesting! That is just part of what I do - pick up the radon canisters after their two day exposure. The inspector will not do it. He cannot get into the home.

Dennis;

We have radon here all of the time. It is common.

Gary:

I actually did not do so well in science, but in real life I have to know about these radon tests.

Glenn:

I am looking forward to the results from the Radon Man. He could be a great solution to this problem.

Coral:

That is what is typically done here. The inspector has no way of getting back into the home so the broker retrieves the radon canister and makes sure that it gets to the lab.

Chris Ann:

I agree with that. Let's see what the Radon Man is made of. I may use him again.

Mar 22, 2011 12:46 PM

Richard Rosa

Buyers Brokers Only, LLC - Haverhill, MA

Exclusive Buyer Agent

I once had a tenant in a home remove the cannisters from the basement and put them, uncovered of course, on the front porch in anticipation of my arrival to retrieve them. It was thoughtful, but the test had to be repeated.

Mar 30, 2011 10:22 AM

Claudette Millette

The Buyers' Counsel - Ashland, MA

Buyer, Broker - Metrowest Mass

Richard:

Ha! I love that.

It reminds of when some clients brought me a MacDonald's hamburger and fries for our house outing. I am a vegetarian. But wasn't that thoughtful?

Mar 30, 2011 10:31 AM

Tony Morganti

RE/MAX Crossroads in Cuyahoga Falls and Stow, Ohio - Cuyahoga Falls, OH

CRS, ABR, SRES - Cuyahoga Falls, Stow

Claudette we have lots of radon here in Northeastern Ohio and I always recommend that my clients have their homes tested professionally. I have personally used the canister that you refer to in my own home and have compared it to professional testing done at nearly the same time. Although the canisters are pretty accurate they can be off enough that you would wonder if you are around the threshold point. I have also be told there is a 90 day test that can be done that is considered the standard for accuracy.

Mar 30, 2011 01:40 PM

Bruce Breedlove

Avalon Inspection Services - Colorado Springs, CO

I'm with Coral: "why were you retrieving the test and not the radon inspector?"

"The inspector has no way of getting back into the home so the broker retrieves the radon canister and makes sure that it gets to the lab." Couldn't the inspector meet you at the house and retrieve the devices himself?

In my book a radon test is suspect or invalid if the chain of custody is broken. You are not a trained radon measurement professional and you should not be retrieving the devices nor should you be delivering them to the lab. (Think storage concerns.) As your experience demonstrates people who are not familiar with radon test devices should not be deploying nor retrieving the devices because something can go wrong to invalidate the radon test.

Just so you know, the original radon measurement "professional" does not know what he is doing if he thinks an acceptable test location is on a shelf inside a closet. Has he had any training and is he NEHA or NRSB certified? (If so, you should consider reporting him because he is doing a disservice to paying customers.)

Jun 05, 2011 05:46 PM

Claudette Millette

The Buyers' Counsel - Ashland, MA

Buyer, Broker - Metrowest Mass

Bruce:

I do not know where Avalon Inspection Services is, but around here, it is typical procedure for a real estate agent to go back and retrieve the radon canisters, put them in the mail or bring them to the lab. I have never met a home inspector around here who is willing to go back two days later to get a radon test.

In all of the times I have retrieved radon tests, this was the first problem I have ever had and I corrected it, at my own expense, by hiring The Radon Man to redo it on the spot.

And, as I stated, I think this is probably a better way to go.

Jun 17, 2011 10:38 AM

Bruce Breedlove

Avalon Inspection Services - Colorado Springs, CO

Claudette,

I apologize if I stepped on your toes. In Colorado (where I live) it is typical for the radon tester to make two trips to the house - one to deploy and one to retrieve. That maintains the chain of custody. Of course, we have no control over the devices during the test but that is unavoidable. I like to control what I can control so I know the devices are handled properly at the conclusion of the test. Other parts of the country may do things differently.

Jun 17, 2011 01:26 PM

Elizabeth Bolton

RE/MAX Destiny Real Estate Cambridge, MA - Cambridge, MA

Cambridge MA Realtor

Hi Claudette ~ Found your post while searching online for the timing rules re radon - spaced on picking up some canisters this afternoon. Didn't want pop in without saying hi!!

Liz

Jul 09, 2011 04:27 PM