Safety Siren Pro Series HS71512 3 Radon Gas Detector
by Pro Series
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Safety Siren Pro Series HS71512 3 Radon Gas Detector
Customer Review: Excellent product for short and long term testing
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this device 2 1/2 months ago so that I could have an idea of what my long term readings are and how it changes week to week.
I was hesitant to purchase this product because I have read a number of reviews and comments about this device not being approved for sale in one or two states. However, I saw that this product was tested by a leading consumer magazine which gave this device a good rating. I believe that in order to get a good rating, the readings have to be within 20% of the actual level.
My belief is that my device gives readings somewhat higher than the actual level. Perhaps short term carbon testers give readings lower than the actual level. From what I read from the leading consumer magazine is that short term carbon tests from certain companies give poor readings, up to 40% off from the true level. The carbon tester I used was rated good, within 20%.
I used the carbon tester before the unit arrived to take some measurements. Based on the results, I feel my unit is giving me a reasonable reading (albeit somewhat higher). I also believe that my unit is very consistent in its readings so that the day to day changes are a true reflection of the change in radon levels.
This device measures average radon levels for the past week and also measures average radon levels since it was last reset. Since it provides an average reading over the last 7 days, any change I make to affect the radon level won't be completely accounted for until 7 days have gone by. However, if my readings are slowly dropping, then I think it is safe to assume that radon levels are lower than the current reading and vice versa.
I think the quality of the plastic covering the display could be substantially better. It is very thin, almost like cellophane. I would like to see a thicker piece of plastic. Nevertheless, the display is crisp and very bright (easy to read). It is always lit which I like. The unit comes with a UL listed power supply which is a big plus because I could not find anyone else that mentioned if the power supply was UL listed or not.
I would like to see a battery backup which it does not have. Unplugging it for a very brief period of time does not seem to reset it (a few seconds). However, I had two power surges (they were substantial) that made the device list an error code. Unplugging and re-plugging the device fixed the problem each time but this brought up another issue. The long term readings are probably only as good as the unit gets good power. I don't think I would be able to get a 6 month or 1 year average reading as I don't think my power is that reliable. If I want a 1 year average, I probably would have to purchase a long term test kit, but it would be frustrating to wait a whole year with no feedback. Even though I purchased this for long term testing, I still OK with it because I know what my long term reading is to date and can average it in to whatever it displays if I reset the unit.
Next year in February, I plan to purchase another charcoal kit and test the device. As long as the readings are less than 40% different, I will be happy; otherwise I will send the device back to be re-calibrated which is cheaper than buying a new one.
Despite the drawbacks, I give it 5 stars because it does what it was designed to do and I think it is the only game in town for an affordable electronic radon testing device. It measures down to 0.1 pCi/L.
I do suggest that if you buy this device that you also check it with a carbon device to make sure it is giving a reasonable reading. Please note that the short term carbon testers can be very inaccurate, so purchase one that has results that are within 20% of the real amounts. To find a good carbon testing kit, check with a leading consumer magazine.
Customer Review: Important safety device
Summary: 5 Stars
If your home includes a basement, and you live in an area of the country where in-ground radon gas is common, the Series 3 Safety Siren Radon detector is a good investment in your health. The device is easy to use, and easy to understand. It could save you and your family from developing lung cancer from long-term exposure to the decay of radon gas in your home.
I've been using the Safety Siren devices for years now, since I discovered my new home had a radon problem, and I have wanted to monitor the success of mitigation efforts. I recently replaced a Series 2 device with the Series 3 device because the Series 3 provides readings in tenths, rather than just in whole numbers. This feature makes the device much more useful to someone who has a radon problem, since you can experiment with various strategies for reducing radon concentrations, and you can see in one day what changes in concentration are occurring as a result of your efforts. The "short-term" reading provided by the device is a running average over the last seven days. But when the readings are provided in tenths rather than whole numbers, that reveals even small changes in the average, and so trends can be much more quickly discovered.
I think it's a good idea to plug the device into a surge protector that will clean up the power coming in. It also needs to be kept away from sources of electrical "noise"; too much noise, and you'll get error messages from the device. So, read the little instruction manual that comes with it.
My only gripe about this device is that the manual does not make it clear that when the long-term radon reading is four or higher (which is considered to be too high to be safe), the only way to see the short-term reading is to press the menu button. The short-term reading will not stay on the display when the button is released -- the displayed reading immediately reverts to long-term. This does prevent people from thinking they have no problem with radon merely because they get a low short-term reading, but it could have been explained better in the manual.
Customer Review: Excellent, simple radon detector
Summary: 5 Stars
We purchased two of these units because the house we were testing indicated a very high radon level, and we wanted a second unit as a check on the first. In side-by-side comparison, both units indicated almost the same levels. We have been using them now for about eight months, in areas with radon levels from 1.0 pC/l to over 40 pC/l.
This unit appears to be the least expensive continuous-reading radon detector on the market. It is small, and it has no special installation requirements. Just place the unit where you want to test the radon level, and plug it in. The unit begins to indicate the radon level after 48 hours of operation.
The unit has a single display, which reads in picocuries per liter, the standard unit for measuring radon level. It has a single menu button, which performs various functions. The button toggles between two time periods, a short period that averages the previous seven days, and a long period that averages the total time since the unit was last reset by the user. The instructions are clear, and there is not much of a learning curve.
The unit has one annoying quirk. If the radon level exceeds 4.0 pC/l, the display will lock into long-term mode, making it impossible to observe the short-term effect of changing conditions, such as weather, opening windows, etc., without repeatedly resetting the unit. But, a call to the manufacturer revealed that pressing briefly on the menu button allows you to get a quick glance at the seven-day average.
In summary, this unit appears to be the only good choice within its price range. If you suspect a radon problem, the danger justifies getting a continuous-reading detector, such as this one, rather than a cheap one-shot test kit.
Customer Review: A great product for testing radon!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was using mailable charcoal radon testors that our city sells. I noticed the radon levels creeping above 10 pico-liries since last year. My home has a radon passive system installed by the home bulder, but decided to add a radon fan to reduce the levels below the recommended 4 pl amount by the EPA.
I purchased the Safety Siren electronic radon detector over a month ago and have been testing different rooms in the basement and on the main floor. The electronic detector indicated higher levels than the charcoal detectors, which made my decision to add the fan and reduce the radon levels in my home. The detector gives readings after two days of monitoring and gives an audible alarm besides giving the actual measured amount.
I live in Colorado that has a high radon gas area. Radon gas is nothing to fool with as it causes lung cancer, especially if you're a smoker. I never smoked, but I want to be safe knowing the dangers of radon gas. We lost one neighbor recently to lung cancer who smoked, so that is a warning for us all!
I feel this detector is worth the money as a great monitor and warning device like a fire or carbon monoxide detector. Even though it costs more than fire or carbon monoxide detectors, this detector ie worth the cost in saving lives in the long run. Amazon offers the lowest price compared to other retailers. I called Safety Siren's tech support after two weeks to confirm the detector operation, who was very quick, knowledgable and certainly helpful.
Customer Review: Great for monitoring trends
Summary: 5 Stars
I just ran a 48-hour charcoal test on a whim, and a relatively high reading convinced me to buy a Safety Siren Pro 3. That was a year ago, and a year later I can say the Safety Siren is a very valuable tool. After about a year of testing with the Safety Siren I had a pretty good track record and learned my radon level was a bit high. On several occasions I ran the Safety Siren side-by-side with the charcoal test, and realizing that the Safety Siren averages over 7 days, not two, I can confirm its pretty accurate. If anything, the Safety Siren was reading about 20% too high, which is within its accuracy rating of 25%. This is also the accuracy rating of most charcoal tests.
Since these tests I bought a second Safety Siren and the two read very consistent between them. I've also had a mitigation system installed, the the Safety Siren confirmed within days that it was working.
For anyone testing for radon, realize that radon levels in your home vary greatly day to day. You can easily have a 8 or 10 reading with a 48-hour charcoal test when your average home levels are low if you happen to pick the wrong two days to test. The opposite is also true.
If nothing else, the Safety Siren lets you clearly see the radon peaks and valleys in your house so you know the best 48-hours to run your charcoal tests. Even better, run your Safety Siren for 6 months or longer, or run longer tests to get more accurate figures before jumping to mitigation.