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Borrowing or renting a radon detector
Short answer
Many homeowners can borrow a digital radon monitor free from a public library or a state Extension office, usually for two weeks or a few weeks, which is enough for a first look but not the 3 months C-NRPP advises before deciding. Monthly rentals, such as Airthings' Corentium Pro program, are for radon professionals.
Key takeaways
- Many homeowners can borrow a digital radon monitor for free, from a public library or a state Extension office, instead of buying one.
- Loans are short, often two weeks or a few weeks. That is enough for a first look, not for the 3 months C-NRPP advises before deciding to fix a home.
- Renting a monitor is mostly a service for radon professionals: Airthings rents its Corentium Pro, with calibration included, to testers in the US.
- A borrowed or rented device does not make your own test count for a home sale; that is a certified tester's job under your state's rules.
- Whatever you borrow, read the average, not the latest reading, and follow up a high result.
Borrowing or renting a radon detector in short
A digital radon monitor can be borrowed like a library book in a growing number of places, and professional monitors can be rented by the month. This page explains who lends and rents radon detectors, what each program says about how it works, and what a short loan can and cannot tell you. The programs are described from their own pages. None is ranked, and what is available depends on where you live.
| Option | Who it is for | Typical length | Cost to you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library lending | Library patrons | A few weeks, set by the library | Free, by the programs' own account |
| State or Extension lending | Residents of that state | Up to two weeks in Nevada | No fees or deposits in Nevada |
| Professional rental | Radon testers and home inspectors | Monthly, with or without a commitment | A monthly fee per device |
Borrowing from a library
Ecosense runs a Digital Radon Detector Library Lending Program in partnership with the non-profit Citizens for Radioactive Radon Reduction (CR3). Libraries add its EcoBlu plug-in detectors to their technology lending collections, and Ecosense describes the result as making borrowing a radon detector as easy as checking out a book, with free access for patrons. Its page lists recent additions in Alabama, Alaska, Ohio, Utah and Pennsylvania, and California libraries lending EcoBlu monitors through the California Department of Public Health.
Ecosense's description of a loan is simple. You check out a detector, typically for a few weeks, take it home and plug it into an outlet on your lowest livable floor, let it measure continuously, and return it at the end of the loan. Exact procedures vary by library. The EcoBlu itself plugs in, needs no smartphone, Wi-Fi or batteries, and shows its first reading in 10 minutes, with 24-hour, 7-day and 30-day averages on the device.
Step 1 of 4:
Ask your library
Search its catalog for a radon detector or monitor, or ask at the desk; Ecosense says libraries can join its program by applying through its page.
Step 2 of 4:
Place it well
The lowest lived-in level, in a room used regularly but not the kitchen or bathroom, at least 20 inches above the floor.
Step 3 of 4:
Leave it alone
Keep it plugged in for the whole loan, so its averages cover as many days as possible.
Step 4 of 4:
Write down the average
Note the longest average it shows before you return it; the next borrower's test starts fresh.
Borrowing from a state or Extension program
Some state radon programs lend monitors directly. The Nevada Radon Education Program, run by University of Nevada, Reno Extension, has a statewide Radon Monitor Lending Program: each of Nevada's 17 county Extension offices, plus a campus and a hospital pick-up location, has Blue Echo digital radon monitors that residents can borrow. The program says monitors may be borrowed for up to two weeks, with no fees or deposits, need no Wi-Fi, and that you should set the device to show the average radon level, the most important number to note.
In Georgia, a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension radon educator partnered with the Georgia Public Library System to launch a Radon Monitor Loan Program, planned so that residents check out a reusable monitor at a local library, test their home and bring it back for the next person. The advice given there is to put the monitor in your home, reset it and let it run for at least two weeks.
| State | Program | Where to borrow | Loan, as the program states it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Radon Monitor Loan Program (University of Georgia Extension with the Georgia Public Library System) | Local libraries | Run it for at least two weeks |
| Nevada | Radon Monitor Lending Program (Nevada Radon Education Program) | 17 county Extension offices, a campus and a hospital location | Up to two weeks; no fees or deposits |
| Several states | Ecosense Digital Radon Detector Library Lending Program, with CR3 | Participating public libraries | Typically a few weeks |
If your state is not listed, ask your state radon program what it lends or hands out. The free and low-cost test kit offers we have found, state by state, are on free radon test kits.
What a short loan can and cannot tell you
A borrowed monitor is a short test. The EPA says remain in your home for two days to 90 days, and that a is more likely to tell you your home's year-round average. After a short-term result of 4 or more, it says to follow up with either a long-term test or a second short-term test. C-NRPP's advice for any consumer monitor goes further: leave it in place for at least 3 months, preferably during the heating season, and decide on the long-term average; with less than 91 days of data, follow up with a long-term test.
So use a loan for what it does well. Two weeks shows whether your home is clearly low, clearly high, or somewhere that needs a longer look. It also shows how much the level moves from day to day, which is why both the Nevada program and Ecosense point you to the average rather than the latest reading. A borrowed monitor is a good first step before buying a kit or a monitor, and a useful check in a second room or season.
| After the loan, the average is | What the EPA says | A sensible next step |
|---|---|---|
| 4 pCi/L or more | Follow up with either a long-term test or a second short-term test; fix the home at 4 pCi/L or more | Test again, then talk to a mitigation professional |
| Between 2 and 4 pCi/L | Consider fixing the home | A long-term test or a monitor through a heating season |
| Below 2 pCi/L | Below the range where the EPA says to consider fixing | Retest in another season or after changes to the home |
Renting a monitor as a professional
Renting is mainly a service for people who test other people's homes. Airthings rents its Corentium Pro in the US to radon professionals, by the month, with or without a commitment and priced per device. It says calibration is included, that devices come with its app and Pro Dashboard, that it sends calibration reminders and replaces devices when needed, and that at the end of a term you can return the device or renew.
That calibration matters because a professional device must keep it current: Airthings says the Corentium Pro's calibration certificate is valid for one year and that most jurisdictions require annual calibration for professional use. Renting does not change who may run an official test. Airthings says the device has to be used under the radon testing protocols required where the test takes place, so check your state's rules for who may run one. How professional monitors differ from household ones is on professional radon monitors.
- Continuous radon monitor (CRM)
- An electronic radon monitor that records radon hour by hour for a set test, used by professionals for real-estate and follow-up tests and kept on a yearly calibration cycle.
Borrow, rent or buy
| If you want | Consider |
|---|---|
| A free first look at your home's radon | A library or Extension loan |
| A result you can act on with confidence | A long-term test kit, or your own monitor for at least 3 months |
| A test for a home sale | A certified radon measurement professional |
| Monitors for a testing business without buying them | A professional rental with calibration included |
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If a loan shows your home is high, the next steps are the same as for any test: a follow-up test, then a system if the level is confirmed. Kits for a longer test are on long-term radon test kits, monitors you can keep are on continuous radon monitors, and certified testers are in radon measurement professionals.
Questions about borrowing or renting a radon detector
Can I borrow a radon detector from the library?
In many places, yes. Ecosense's library program puts EcoBlu detectors in public libraries' lending collections in several states, and Georgia's Radon Monitor Loan Program works through the Georgia Public Library System. Ask your library whether it lends one.
Is borrowing a radon monitor free?
The programs described here say so: Ecosense describes free access for library patrons, and Nevada's program lends monitors with no fees or deposits.
How long can I keep a borrowed radon monitor?
It depends on the lender. Nevada allows up to two weeks, Ecosense says loans typically last a few weeks, and Georgia's program advises running the monitor for at least two weeks.
Is two weeks long enough?
For a first look, yes; for a decision, not always. C-NRPP advises at least 3 months with a consumer monitor, and the EPA says to follow up a short-term result of 4 pCi/L or more.
Can I rent a radon monitor?
Rentals are mainly for professionals. Airthings rents the Corentium Pro in the US to radon professionals by the month, with calibration included. Homeowners are usually better served by a library or Extension loan, a test kit, or a monitor of their own.
Can I use a borrowed monitor for a home sale?
Not as an official test. C-NRPP says consumer monitors cannot be professionally calibrated and are not approved for professional use, so follow your state's rules, usually through a certified tester.
Which number should I write down?
The average over the longest period the monitor shows. Nevada's program says the average is the most important number to note.
What if my library does not lend radon detectors?
Ask your state radon program what it lends or hands out, and see free radon test kits. Ecosense says libraries can apply to join its program through its page.