About Us
Here at Alpha Energy Laboratories we are dedicated to providing both our clients and the general public with the crucial information required to effectively safeguard your home and your family from the effects of radon gas. By utilizing only professional quality testing units and laboratory facilities, our clients are able to obtain accurate and dependable radon monitoring levels from a single test unit. Our test kits and laboratories are approved or certified in every state in the U.S., meeting or exceeding all EPA standards.
How our Short Term Radon Test Works
Step 1) Collect radon gas in your home
- Remove the radon sampler from the plastic bag to expose it to the air in your home.
- The charcoal in the sampler will adsorb radon gas.
- The test needs at least 48 hours and no more than 7 days (168 hours) to collect the radon gas.
Step 2) Seal the test
- At the end of the testing period, seal the test in the airtight return mailer included with your test.
- This stops the collection of radon gas and ends your test.
Step 3) Ship to the lab
- Ship your test kit to the lab for analysis.
- Shipping is time sensitive – ensure your test reaches our lab within 10 days of the end of the test (sooner if possible).
- Radon gas undergoes radioactive decay, meaning it disappears over time. The faster your test arrives in the lab, the more accurate your results will be.
Step 4) Lab Analysis & Reporting
- Once received, our lab will immediately start the analysis process of your test.
- For standard turnaround tests, reports are typically complete 3-5 business days after receipt.
- For Lab Rush Service tests, your report is guaranteed by the same business day (if received by 10am, otherwise next business day).
How our Long Term Radon Test Works
Step 1) Collect radon gas in your home
- Remove the radon sampler from the plastic bag to expose it to the air in your home.
- Long term tests contain a special type of plastic “chip” that detects the presence of radon. Unlike a short term test, a long term test doesn’t capture radon. It merely measures the presence of radon.
- When radon decays, it releases small particles called Alpha particles. These particles damage the plastic chip and leave behind “tracks” – hence why long terms are often called “Alpha Track” tests.
Step 2) Seal the test
- At the end of the testing period, seal the test in the airtight return mailer included with your test.
- This stops the collection of radon gas and ends your test.
Step 3) Ship to the lab
- Ship your test kit to the lab for analysis.
- For long term tests, shipping is not time sensitive since the test does not collect radon itself.
Step 4) Lab Analysis & Reporting
- Once received, our lab will immediately start the analysis process of your test.
- For standard turnaround tests, reports are typically complete 3-5 business days after receipt.
- For Lab Rush Service tests, your report is guaranteed by the same business day (if received by 10am, otherwise next business day).
How our Visible Mold Test Works
Step 1) Collect a sample of suspected mold in your home.
- Our test contains two different sampling methods – a Lift Tape or a Bulk Bag.
- The Lift Tape can be used to collect mold spores from the surface of any object you wish to test for mold.
- The Bulk Bag can be used to send a sample of material you wish tested for mold, for example, drywall or insulation.
Step 2) Ship to the lab
- Ship your samples, information form, and payment to the lab.
- Because our mold test kits are flexible and can sample up to 10 samples, lab fees are not prepaid. This way you can use as many or as few samples as you wish. Our goal is to be as cost-effective as possible.
Step 3) Lab Analysis & Reporting
- Once received in our lab, we will log in your sample(s) and process payment for the analysis fee(s).
- Samples then begin analysis on the same day they arrive in the lab (if received by 10am).
- For standard turnaround tests, reports are typically complete 5-7 business days after receipt.
- For Lab Rush Service tests, your report is guaranteed by the end of the next business day (if received by 10am, otherwise next business day).
About Our Customer Service and Representatives
One of the best aspects of our business is our customer service. Each of our friendly service representatives has undergone training and received radon technician certification, and is able to offer assistance about radon gas, proper testing procedures, and our laboratory processes. In addition, our representatives also possess knowledge about how to interpret results and will offer guidance on what steps to take after testing.
We are happy to offer assistance via email or phone Monday through Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm Central Time. If we are not able to take your call, you can always leave a message for us and one of our representatives will follow-up within the next business day. We also strive to respond to all our emails within a few business hours. All of our representatives check phone and email messages throughout the day so that we can get back to you in a timely manner.
Our website also has many tools that can provide assistance. You can look up your kit’s lab tracking status and report, view answers to common questions about our products and processes, and even learn a bit more about radon, all online for you to access 24/7. You can even opt to register your kit’s information online to cut down on processing time.
Why We Are Your Best Choice
How Our Laboratory Operates
Step 1: Gamma Counting
Upon arrival to our labs, your kit begins the analysis process. The day it is delivered, we run the initial and most time-sensitive portion, gamma counting. Your sealed radon sampler is placed in one of our particle detectors for analysis. Your sampler remains sealed to avoid cross-contamination with other kits we’ve received, and to also ensure another layer of information protection while being processed. During this stage of analysis, the particle detectors will get a “count” of the radon particles and “leftovers” of radon particles that are in your sampler. In a sense, our detectors are measuring how much radon activity your kit experienced during its exposure.
Step 2: Moisture Analysis
The second phase of testing is the moisture analysis, where we measure how much moisture your sampler absorbed during exposure. Charcoal naturally absorbs moisture as well as radon, but there could be a problem if too much moisture was absorbed. During this stage of testing, we take a weight of your sampler and compare it to its original manufacturing moisture weight; this helps us gauge the amount of moisture absorbed. One of the features of our kit is that we include a high amount of charcoal in the radon sampler, which decreases the chances of a kit experiencing any errors due to moisture.
The other part of this step includes checking your sampler for any other problems, such as damages that would invalidate your kit or could potentially cause problems during analysis. It’s not uncommon for samplers to have a few minor “scrapes and bruises” after shipping, but some can present challenges during our testing processes or invalidate a kit entirely.
Step 3: Final Calculations and Reporting
The final stage of testing is our calculations and reporting portion, where we take all your kit’s data and calculate your results. After running our calculations with the testing information provided and the data collected during analysis, a full report will be sent to you detailing your radon levels and what they mean. We believe that it’s best to give our customers as much relevant information as possible, so we will also provide you with any additional recommended steps you should take based off your results and any notes detailing if we discovered any problems that could have affected your results. Our goal is to keep you as informed as possible.