Home inspector radon reduction and radon-resistant features practice questions

1. In a state without regulations covering radon mitigation, what does EPA recommend a radon mitigation system conform to?

• A. The radon fan manufacturer's installation leaflet
• B. EPA's most current voluntary consensus-based standards
• C. The home inspector's written report
• D. The buyer's mortgage lender's requirements

2. A homeowner plans to have the same firm do the radon testing and install the mitigation system. What does the Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide say about this?

• A. EPA forbids one firm from doing both jobs
• B. There is no concern if the firm is certified in the state
• C. The buyer must pay for the testing separately
• D. A potential conflict of interest exists, and some states may require the homeowner to sign a waiver

3. What does EPA recommend the mitigation contractor do before beginning any radon-reduction work?

• A. Review the radon measurement results
• B. Install a second vent fan as a backup
• C. Obtain written approval from EPA
• D. Replace the home's combustion appliances

4. Before any radon reduction work starts, what does the Consumer's Guide say you should make sure of in the contract?

• A. That it is signed by the home's next buyer
• B. That it waives the contractor's liability insurance
• C. That everything in it matches the original proposal
• D. That it is filed with the state radon office

5. A homeowner may later sell the house. Which item does the Consumer's Guide list as important information that should appear in the radon reduction contract?

• A. A promise that the buyer will keep the fan running
• B. The name of the buyer's real estate agent
• C. A declaration stating whether any warranties or guarantees are transferable if you sell your home
• D. A copy of the seller's lead-based paint disclosure

6. According to the Consumer's Guide, what do the diagnostic tests a contractor may charge for help determine?

• A. The home's market value
• B. What type of radon reduction system should be used
• C. Whether the seller must disclose radon to buyers
• D. Whether the home qualifies for a tax credit

7. Which kind of radon reduction method does EPA generally recommend?

• A. Methods that prevent the entry of radon
• B. Methods that reduce radon only after it has entered the home
• C. Sealing cracks as the only step
• D. Opening lower-floor windows as a permanent fix

8. A contractor bidding on active subslab suction for a basement home says several suction pipes are always required. What does the Consumer's Guide say decides the number and location of suction pipes?

• A. One pipe is always needed for each room above the slab
• B. Four pipes are always needed, one at each corner of the slab
• C. Only the size of the lot the home sits on
• D. How easily air can move in the crushed rock or soil under the slab and the strength of the radon source; often, only a single suction point is needed

9. What does passive subslab suction rely on, instead of a fan, to draw radon up from below the home?

• A. A heat recovery ventilator
• B. A sump pump
• C. Open basement windows
• D. Natural pressure differentials and air currents

10. A homeowner caulked every visible crack in the basement floor years ago and asks why EPA does not count sealing alone as a radon fix. Which reason does the Consumer's Guide give?

• A. It is difficult to identify and permanently seal the places where radon is entering, and normal settling of the home opens new entry routes and reopens old ones
• B. Sealing increases the loss of conditioned air from the home
• C. Sealing makes other radon reduction techniques less effective
• D. Sealing can be used only in homes with crawlspaces

11. A contractor proposes to reduce radon in a crawlspace home by drawing air directly from the crawlspace with a fan, without covering the earth floor. What does the Consumer's Guide say about this technique?

• A. It is the most effective way to reduce radon levels in crawlspace homes
• B. It generally does not work as well as submembrane suction and requires special attention to combustion appliance backdrafting and sealing the crawlspace from other portions of the home
• C. It lowers energy costs because it keeps conditioned air in the home
• D. It works without a fan, using only natural air currents

12. When does the Consumer's Guide say house or room pressurization should be considered?

• A. As the first choice in every home
• B. Only in crawlspace homes
• C. Only after the other, more-common techniques have not sufficiently reduced radon
• D. Only while the home is listed for sale

13. The Consumer's Guide says a radon system's exhaust fan must not be located in or below a livable area. Where does it say, for instance, the fan should be installed?

• A. In a finished basement used as living space
• B. In the main living area of the home
• C. In a bedroom closet
• D. In unconditioned space

14. A contractor turns on the fan of a new active radon reduction system at noon, and the homeowner wants to start the post-mitigation test an hour later. What does the Consumer's Guide say about when that test should be done?

• A. Within 30 days of system installation, but no sooner than 24 hours after the system is in operation with the fan on
• B. As soon as the fan is on, since the system works right away
• C. Only after the system has run for a full heating season
• D. Only if the contractor's own test shows a high level

15. A contractor is installing an active radon reduction system. Under the Consumer's Guide's list of basic installation requirements, where must the system failure warning device be placed?

• A. Inside the vent pipe, out of sight
• B. Where it can be seen or heard easily
• C. Inside a wall cavity behind the drywall
• D. Under the sealed sump cover

16. A homeowner with an active radon reduction system wants to save electricity. What does the Consumer's Guide say about the fan?

• A. It may be switched off during summer months
• B. It should be run only at night
• C. It should NEVER be turned off; it must run continuously for the system to work correctly
• D. It may be turned off once a test shows a low level

17. What does the Consumer's Guide say a seller should do when the home has a radon reduction system?

• A. Inform potential buyers and supply them with information about the system's operation and maintenance
• B. Remove the system before closing
• C. Turn the fan off during the buyer's inspection
• D. Have the system certified by EPA

18. A new home built with passive radon-resistant features tests at 4 pCi/L or more after occupancy. What does the Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide say can be done?

• A. The gravel layer must be replaced
• B. A vent fan can easily be added to the passive system to make it an active system
• C. The plastic sheeting must be removed
• D. Nothing, because passive systems cannot be upgraded

19. In which homes does the Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide say the gas-permeable layer of a radon-resistant home is used?

• A. Only in homes with crawlspace foundations
• B. Only in homes over three stories
• C. Only in homes with private wells
• D. Only in homes with basement and slab-on-grade foundations

20. What does the Consumer's Guide say about point-of-use radon treatment devices?

• A. They treat all water entering the home's distribution system
• B. They are effective in reducing the risk from breathing radon released into the air from all water used in the home
• C. They only treat a small portion of the water you use and are not effective in reducing the risk from breathing radon released into the air from all water used in the home
• D. They are the only treatment EPA recognizes for private wells