3 Cassette Refill with Lab Fees Included (Air Pump not Included)

Works well. I was unaware as to how to use this thing before i purchased it but it's very easy to use once setup. You basically just need to install one of the sealed pucks into the pump and let it run for a bit. Once it's done, you just pop it in an envelope and send it off to get processed. I haven't gotten around to using the service so I can't comment on the accuracy or turnaround time but they seem legit. The cassettes (pucks) are only good for about a year. This can be helpful when testing things like a lab hood or laminar flow box/hood to make sure you're really getting clean air. I'll be interested to see if the lab results come out with the same results as any of my plates I intend on leaving out in the same location. The one negative to this style of detection is the overall size; its big enough that it might not be easy to get a good reading in smaller areas. It might be a bit too big to plop in front of a flow hood and the shape might disturb too much air. I might end up just using a naked puck to put in front of my hood to see if it comes back with anything. If I were to get this kit again, I'd probably just go with the blank cassettes to try the service. All in all, its an expensive kit but it seems to contain everything one would need for clinical mold analysis. Great for testing clean rooms or for general mycology use.

I live in a flood plain that keeps my foundation and poured basement damp. I vent air from the basement year round to help keep the air fresh (it also helps remove any radon that might accumulate). But if I place anything “soft” directly on the basement floor (such as a cardboard box or rug) that blocks air circulation, white mold will grow on the damp cement underneath the soft object. So I have always been concerned about possible mold spores in my home. This product was perfect for putting my mind at ease – especially when my basement turned out to have the lowest levels of fungi by far among the three rooms I tested.Testing is super easy and super quick. You simply need to assemble the pump with the air tube and air tube anchor: a 2 minutes process tops. Peel back both seal labels from the bottom and top of one air collection cassette. Then attach the cassette to the air tube. Run the vacuum pump for 5 minutes in the room you want to test. After 5 minutes, remove the air cassette from the tube and seal both ends closed with the labels you peeled back to open it. That’s it… the test is done. Repeat this as needed in other rooms with additional air cassettes.This testing process is ideal if you are worried about mold in your own home or in a home you are considering purchasing. You can quickly take air samples in the rooms of your choice with no more work than flipping on the vacuum pump for 5 minutes in each room (you just need an accessible AC outlet). For potential home purchase, testing can be easily accomplished during any realtor showing or during inspection. Cheaper mold tests require taking physical samples from surfaces and then waiting several days to see what grows in the petri dishes. Petri dish results can also be ambiguous, especially if your samples were accidentally contaminated.This mold testing process seems much more accurate. But, yes, you do need to wait between one and two weeks for the results, so plan ahead to complete the testing for a home you are considering purchasing. Once you have collected your air samples, the company will email you a prepaid USPS label. You simply need to box up the air cassettes, attach the label, and drop off the package at any post office or simply give it to your mail carrier. From the date I mailed my samples, it took 9 days until I received the results in my email.Note: the instructions strongly recommend that you use one of the air cassettes to take an outdoor sample. This will help you compare the general levels of fungi and mold in your outside environment relative to those levels in your home. If the levels in your home are higher than your outside environment, this would suggest there is some source of moisture in your house causing mold and fungi to populate inside. In my case, my outdoor reading was higher than all three of my indoor readings, suggesting the mold levels in my house are lower (healthier) than the ambient levels in my outdoor environment. So when purchasing a kit with multiple air cassettes, keep in mind that you will need to use one cassette to test the outdoors and have only the remaining cassettes to test indoor rooms.Also note: there are some steps (described in the instructions) that you should take to assure your results are accurate. For example, for 2 to 3 days before testing, you should keep all windows and doors closed as much as possible and turn off any air filters or air purifiers (but not your heat or AC). You should also avoid any yardwork in those days (such as raking or mowing) which can stir up mold spores. And finally, you should test on a dry day when there’s been no rain or snow. So you do need to do a bit of planning to pick your best testing day.The results are comprehensive. See a photo of some of my results: 25 different types of spores are individually identified. No information is provided about all the different spores. But a quick internet search can help provide any information you need. For example, the dreaded “black mold” that can cause significant health problems is a member of the Stachybotrys family, which is separately identified in the results. Once you get your results, you can search on those spores with positive counts to determine which ones might contribute to allergies or other health issues.All in all, I think this testing process can provide you great peace of mind, or help you easily identify the location of potential issues. My only confusion has to do with the available testing options. I ordered the kit that includes the air pump and 4 air cassettes (with lab analysis). This allowed me to test the outside (as a control) and 3 of my rooms. I was hoping to purchase additional air cassettes to retest in the future (since I now own the vacuum pump), but the pricing makes little sense.Currently, the price of just 3 air cassettes with lab analysis is nearly as much as the cost of the kit I ordered, which includes a fourth air cassette AND the vacuum pump (where the vacuum pump is currently priced separately at $165). Even more confusing, the cost of just the 3 additional air cassettes with lab analysis is currently $10 MORE than the kit which includes those same 3 air cassettes with lab analysis AND the $165 vacuum pump: so you actually save $10 by buying the kit with the $165 vacuum pump!). So the price for extra cassettes (with lab analysis) seems mispriced.One last confusion for me: there are cheaper options to purchase packs of 10 or 50 extra air cassettes but without any lab analysis. How do you use these cassettes without any option for lab analysis? Perhaps there is bulk lab pricing available?? So my first recommendation: carefully compare the available options: the kits that include the vacuum pump seem to be the best value (even when purchasing extra air cassettes and even though you won’t need any additional pumps). Secondly: you can reach out directly to the company (you will need to do so to submit your air cassettes for lab testing). They have a support email (which is very responsive) that could help you choose the right product. You can find the support email address on the company’s website.The confusion over the pricing of extra air cassettes doesn’t diminish what I think is an otherwise excellent product for testing for molds and fungi in your home (or elsewhere as needed) – hence, my 5-star rating.

Quality mold tested, cokes with vacuum pump to help draw air in. Comes either case good instructions. Quick readings and easy to use. Hugh priced but good quality. Accurate measurements.

This seems okay but unfortunately I haven’t used it yet. We’re waiting until July/August for when the heat and humidity peaks here in North Carolina, see if there’s any mold that has developed. I’ll update when we do. My husband did look at it though, said it’s a good one.

Really glad I got this. It was exactly what I needed for our new basement. I have zero experience with this kind of thing, but found it easy to use and accurate. Could not be more pleased.

I've been wanting to test my RV for mold as it can tend to grow in various places that can be difficult to see, especially over a damp winter. It seems important to me to have a standardized sample size for such a test and just putting out a little dish like many tests didn't seem a reliable way to test. I love that this test comes with an air pump that will take in the same 5-minute sample with each test. This samples a larger amount of air than some tests and the way the testing cassettes are well sealed immediately before and after the test means it won't pick up any false positives from the environment outside the test area. It's very simple and easy to use and feels more accurate than others. It costs more too, but I'd rather spend a bit more for results I trust. Overall it's an easy to use mold test and I'm glad I chose it.

I saw some dark looking "dirt" near our AC vent upstairs in the media room and told my husband I was afraid it was black mold. He laughed and said no, it's not, it's just dirt from the AC coming out where the air blows and we can wash it off. I told him I'm not touching it and he'd better get a mold remediator in ASAP. Our compromise was to get this mold test kit that, presumably, is much less expensive than a remediator. So, when it arrived, Vinny went on up and took a sample as directed. He said it wasn't rocket science, but he did read and follow the instructions. Sent the sample off. Still awaiting results. But, I feel better knowing that we are taking steps to remedy the situation. I really hope Vinny is right. If not, we've got 2 more tests for other rooms remaining.