Diagnostics

Dylos 1100 Pro Particle Counter. This is the only one that measures below 2.5 microns. The “small” range is only available on the pro model. It is 0.5-2.5 microns. No wifi connection, only downloadable onto a PC. A battery powered version is also available. See my complete review on IAQ monitors.

First Alert RD1 Radon Gas Test Kit. If you live in an area with high radon levels, it’s a good idea to buy one of these inexpensive kits and check if it’s a problem in your home. It’s a 2-3 day test and includes the lab fee, you just mail it in. Levels vary from day to day and season to season, so don’t assume just because the levels are low for this short test that levels are healthy, but at least you’ll have some data. If levels are elevated, it’s a good idea to buy a better monitor and consider a fresh air system to manage them.

Flir One Pro (Gen 3). Higher resolution and more features in the app. I own one. I still like my Gen 1 better, it’s easy to get your hand in the way of the lens of this version, and the battery life is mediocre. It’s still it’s a pretty good IR camera for 1/10 of what you needed to spend 5 years ago for similar features.

Pinless moisture meter. You can check how wet concrete, wood, or drywall is with this tool. I use them on energy audits when I suspect a wet basement. Look for the damp spots. Infrared can help you narrow down first, like Flir One. Available at big boxes.

Kidde Nighthawk. A pretty good carbon monoxide detector. Digital display. Have one on each floor of your home. Replace every 5 years. Not a true low level monitor (which are very hard to find like CO Experts.)

Kill A Watt electricity usage monitor. Plug this into an outlet, then plug an appliance in. It will tell you how much juice it uses. No memory in this one, the 4460 model has memory. Consider Wemo Insight switch as well. 

Radon detector, does short and long term averages. Better than one time tests. Does not log data, though, so you have to write down readings if you want to track.

EMF Detector – Triaxial 3 Axis – TETM-192 – Sper Scientific. If you are experiencing poor sleep, it may be worth checking for strong electromagnetic fields. You can also buy a less expensive Gaussmaster, but this triaxial one will find the highest reading automatically at any spot where the Gaussmaster requires you to move it around to figure that out.

WeMo switches are old school timer switches on steroids. They are Wifi connected, you can turn them off from your phone and do custom schedules. Foobot and Awair can turn an air filter or other device on when a threshold is broken. Other models track energy use or replace light switches.