Five ways to get a radon test this November

November is Radon Action Month in Canada. Radon has no smell, taste or colour, so a test is the only way to know your level. See what radon is and why a test matters.

In 2021, 9% of households outside apartment buildings had ever tested for radon. The test runs through the heating season, so start this month. There are five ways to get a test:

• Borrow a detector from your library.
• Pick up a free test kit.
• Join a community challenge.
• Buy a long-term test kit.
• Hire a C-NRPP certified professional.

Borrow a detector from your library

Many libraries and lung associations lend radon detectors. We list 124 current programs that lend detectors or give out test kits. They are run by libraries, health units, towns and lung associations, and we sort them by town. Loan length and cost differ from one program to the next, so check the details before you go. Here are some of the programs:

• British Columbia: the BC Lung Foundation lends free detectors for 4 weeks through libraries in six BC regions.
• Alberta: Alberta Lung has free radon screening kits you can check out at public libraries and community leagues, and recommends a 3-month test after.
• Manitoba: the Manitoba Lung Association rents radon detectors through partner libraries across Manitoba.
• Ontario: Chatham-Kent Public Library lends detectors free to adult cardholders for 35 days, from 1 October to 31 March.
• Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island: LungNSPEI lends detectors through public libraries.

This route suits you if you want a first look before you buy anything. A loan of a few weeks is shorter than 91 days, so plan a long-term test after it. Look up your town to see the programs we list near you.

Pick up a free test kit

New Brunswick gives out free long-term radon test kits at public libraries from 15 October 2026 to 28 February 2027. This is its second year; 11,996 kits went out last year. Because these are long-term kits, you can run the test for the full 91 days or more. Pick one up early so the test runs through the heating season. If you live in New Brunswick, ask at your public library.

Join a community challenge

Take Action on Radon runs the 100 Radon Test Kit Challenge and lists the communities taking part for 2026/2027. Check the list to see if your community is on it. If it is not, look at the other four ways in this post. Whichever way you test, the test still needs to run for at least 91 days in the heating season. See which communities are in the challenge this year.

Buy a long-term test kit

You can buy a test kit and run it yourself. Pick a long-term kit that runs for at least 91 days, the length Health Canada recommends. Start it this month so it runs through the heating season. This route suits you if you want to run the full test on your own schedule. See which kits and monitors C-NRPP has tested.

Hire a C-NRPP certified professional

Radon certification is voluntary in Canada. Health Canada recommends a C-NRPP certified professional, so ask any tester you call whether they hold that certification before you book. Book a professional if you would rather someone else ran the test. You still need a test of at least 91 days in the heating season, so book this month. Find a C-NRPP certified professional near you.

Know what to do with your result

When the long-term test is done, compare your number with Canada's guideline of 200 Bq/m³, which is for the yearly average. If your level is above 200 Bq/m³, Health Canada says to act within one year, and sooner the higher the level. Keep your result with the date you tested. See what your number means and what to do next.