Where can I get a gaussmeter locally? (Measures EMF) (Micro: for sale, power lines)

[redandorangeskittles]

I have a home I am looking at to purchase that is near some power lines and was wondering about the level of electromagnetic waves in and near the house.

Any suggestions without me having to order it from a big box store online?

Thanks

[VickiR]

Years ago, I had a home listed for sale and the buyer tried to find a Home Inspector that would check into this. He never found one but it was my understanding that he did purchase something like you are talking about, from Home Depot. The buyer's agent later told us that the machine showed the most radiation in front of the microwave!!!

Vicki

[redandorangeskittles]

Thank you so much, Vicki! That makes sense and I will look into it.

[don6170]

Originally Posted by VickiR

The buyer's agent later told us that the machine showed the most radiation in front of the microwave!!!

Yep. The same is true with the tin-foil-hat folks worried about Smart Meters giving them cancer.

At the home in question, get a fluorescent light (just the tube). Walk around in the back yard and see if it will light.

[NewbieRdu]

How many hours do people spend 6-24inches from a (running) microwave vs the hours spent living/sleeping in their homes, especially if they work from home?

Gaussmeters vary widely in quality and precision. Call the utility company and see if they will perform this measurement for free(many do). You can get a rough idea from publicly available measurement charts like this one http://www.emwatch.com/Typical_mG.htm . Rule of thumb, less than 100 ft you will see a significant increase, more than 500 will have no impact except for maybe aesthetics. In between can vary widely based on many factors. If you are second guessing the purchase because of proximty of the lines for whatever reason, so will a percentage of people when you decide to sell.

[VickiR]

Originally Posted by NewbieRdu

How many hours do people spend 6-24inches from a (running) microwave vs the hours spent living/sleeping in their homes, especially if they work from home?

Gaussmeters vary widely in quality and precision. Call the utility company and see if they will perform this measurement for free(many do). You can get a rough idea from publicly available measurement charts like this one EMF Table|Electromagnetic Radiation Table . Rule of thumb, less than 100 ft you will see a significant increase, more than 500 will have no impact except for maybe aesthetics. In between can vary widely based on many factors. If you are second guessing the purchase because of proximty of the lines for whatever reason, so will a percentage of people when you decide to sell.

I'm more likely to spend 6-24 inches from my microwave waiting for my morning coffee than I am to spend 6-24 inches staring at the utility poles!!!

Since I'm on a corner lot, there is a utility pole close to my home. THAT could explain why I'm the way I am...too much positive vibes!!!

Vicki

[redandorangeskittles]

Thank you for all the feedback. I do work from home and the lines are substantial in size and are about 400ish feet from the house. There are other houses much closer. I understand that I get radiation and EMF from other things all the time, it's just another factor to look at when trying to evaluate a home purchase.

[CHTransplant]

A bigger factor to consider is the impact on resale. If and when it comes time to sell, a lot of buyers won't consider a house near power lines. That could impact time to sell or price (or both).

[sacredgrooves]

I agree on resale. We used to use a gaussmeter for inspections, but stopped doing that probably twenty years ago. Microwaves were still somewhat problematic in that era, but much has been improved with modern appliances and the issue is almost irrelevant now. Powerlines on the other hand....due to the liability, I would not touch that testing with a 10' foot pole (especially a metal pole! lol)
If you do want a gaussmeter, Home Inspection Equipment | Professional Equipment is a great place to find all the cool tools and meters. They also go by the name of magnetometer.

[chiledog]

I used this one:

Amazon.com: Lutron 822-A Fully Digital EMF Meter (Wide Range, High Resolution): Home Improvement

It worked pretty well, but you need to rotate to get the different axis.

One thing to remember, EMF falls off pretty quickly (distance squared). If you are greater than 10 feet from distribution lines and 50 feet from transmission lines you are likely OK.

Also, there is no proof that EMF is bad for you. So, it is up to you. The house we were looking was about 40ft from a distribution looking power line. We called duke power up and the line was actually a transmission line that was going to be replaced with metal towers (instead of the small wooden poles). We decided to not buy the house.