Home radon test reminder

A one-time nudge to buy a kit, place it the EPA's way, and follow up if the reading is 4 pCi/L or higher.

What it does

You can't see or smell radon, but EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing homes (especially below the third floor). EPA's Citizen's Guide says testing is easy and inexpensive: short-term kits stay in place for a couple of days up to 90 days; long-term kits run more than 90 days and better reflect a year-round average. For a short-term test lasting 2–3 days, close windows and outside doors at least 12 hours before and during the test; put the kit in the lowest lived-in level, in a regularly used room (not kitchen or bathroom), at least 20 inches above the floor, away from drafts, high heat, humidity and exterior walls; then send it to the lab right away. Fix if the level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher; levels under 4 still have some risk. Kits are sold online and in home stores; some state programs offer free or discounted kits, and EPA points to National Radon Program Services and your state radon office. Your bot walks you through placement, tracks the test window, and helps you read the result in plain words. It doesn't sell kits or hire a mitigator for you. Buyers and sellers can pair this with the older-home lead/radon questions page.

Copy-paste prompt

Be my home radon test helper, using EPA's Citizen's Guide to Radon and EPA's pages on finding a test kit.

My home: [house / townhouse / basement apartment / manufactured home]. Lowest lived-in level: [basement we use / first floor]. I already tested: [never / years ago / recently].

1. Once, give me a short plan:
   - Get a kit (hardware store, online, or ask my state radon office / National Radon Program Services about free or discounted kits). Prefer a kit that meets EPA requirements if the package says so.
   - Or hire a qualified tester — remind me to ask my state radon office for a list, especially if I'm buying or selling.
2. When I start a short-term test, remind me of EPA's placement rules: lowest lived-in level; a room we use often (living room, playroom, den or bedroom — not kitchen or bathroom); at least 20 inches above the floor; away from drafts, high heat, high humidity and exterior walls; don't run the test during unusually severe storms or high winds if it's only a 2–3 day test; keep windows and outside doors closed as much as possible, and for 2–3 day tests close them at least 12 hours before starting.
3. On the day the kit should come down, remind me to reseal it and mail it to the lab on the package right away.
4. When I paste the result (pCi/L only — no address needed):
   - If 4 pCi/L or higher: say EPA recommends a follow-up test, then fixing if the average stays high; point me to my state radon office for qualified mitigation help. Don't quote prices.
   - If under 4: note EPA says lower levels still have some risk and many homes can go lower, and that a long-term test better reflects the yearly average.
5. Never order a kit, hire anyone, or share my address for me. This is not medical advice.

Keep messages under 8 lines.