5 Ways to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

Finding ways to improve your indoor air quality (IAQ) has become a hot topic. More and more research is being done and studies are finding that when you improve your indoor air quality it can have some very beneficial results. Almost everyone can agree that better IAQ is good, but how do we get there? There are a lot of “solutions” on the market today. Some good, some not as good, and some that might be good but need more development. In this post, we are going to focus on the time-tested ways you can improve your IAQ. 

1. Ventilation

As a result of our daily living, contaminates build up in our homes. Each time we exhale we release CO2, when we cook all kinds of contaminates are released into the air, we use cleaning chemicals, and the list goes on. We can choose to stop breathing, cooking and cleaning, or have a strategy to combat these contaminates. A first line of defense is ventilation. It is a very simple concept – take the bad stuff and get it out of the home. Using a kitchen range hood that exhausts to the outdoors can be one of the most effective ways to instantly increase your IAQ. Add to that utilizing your bathroom exhaust fans and now that IAQ score is going to continue to rise. 

2. Dilutions / Fresh Air

Now that we know we have contaminates in the home, another effective way to combat them is diluting them by bringing fresh air into the home. There are many ways to accomplish this and it will look different depending on what area of the country you live. In mild climates, simply opening a window or door is an effective way to bring fresh air in – especially if you are utilizing your ventilation fans properly. The fans will draw the bad air out and the fresh air coming in will replace it. In areas that have more extreme temperatures a mechanical solution might be needed. This is basically a fan that brings air into the home. We have written many post about fresh air and you can learn more by reading through them. One large caution is in areas that frequently have forest fires or consistently bad outdoor air quality. In these cases, some type of filtration might be necessary for the air coming into the home. 

3. Filtration

For homes that have central heating/cooling systems, making sure your air filters are changed on a regular basis can have a big impact. Filters typically have a MERV rating. The higher the MERV rating the more pollutants it filters. A typical furnace filter is about a MERV8 which is effective for filtering out general pollutants including pollen and mold spores. A higher MERV rating will filter out more pollutants but be sure to consult your furnace manufacturer to see what it is rated for. You can read more about filters in our post – The Air Filter Debate – Is Too Much Too Much? The next time you check your filters (or your HVAC technician does), take a look at how dirty they are, and then realize that if the filters weren’t in place, you probably would be breathing that.

4. Remove

Ever walk into a laundry room and immediately are hit with a chemical smell that almost knocks you out? That is because the items you are storing in there are releasing contaminates that are just not good for you to be breathing. We already talked about using ventilation fans to take those contaminates out, but an even more effective solution is to store them outside of the living area if possible. We understand that it is not always possible or feasible to store these outside of the home but the more you can remove, the better your IAQ will be. 

5. Resist

Resist the temptation to utilize air fresheners and candles. These are effective at replacing the odors in the home with better smells but at what cost? No matter what type of candle you use, it will be releasing carcinogens of some type into the air. In the same way, almost all air fresheners (especially the more popular brands) are going to put chemicals into the air that are just not good for you. A good way to think about this is if you are trying produce the cleanest, purest air possible do you want to remove all the “bad” things or keep adding more things to it? Now before you go and tackle the next person in your house that tries to light a candle or excommunicate your kids because they sprayed an air freshener (okay that might be a little extreme), take a deep breath. If you are going to us candles make sure you are using them in a well-ventilated room (goes back to our first point) and use them for a limited time. Taking a bath with a candle or two lit in a bathroom with a properly functioning exhaust fan can be a good balance. 

For more information about how to improve your indoor air quality we suggest reading through the other Air King blog posts on related topics.

Monitoring Indoor Air Quality

We have talked at length in previous blogs about indoor air quality and how to improve it, but what about monitoring indoor air quality? As we are beginning to emerge from a long pandemic, we can hopefully retain some of the knowledge gained regarding indoor air quality. While testing for things like flu or COVID in the air is extremely difficult (although there has been some advancement in that area) there are ways to take an educated and fairly accurate guess. When dealing with viruses or something transmitted from person to person, monitoring the CO₂ levels of a room can be very effective. There are all types of CO₂ monitors but utilizing one that has a digital display of the CO₂ level of the room will be the most effective way to monitor it.

We all breathe, it's kind of important to stay alive. Part of breathing is exhaling. When we exhale we omit CO₂. A term that has gained popularity during COVID times is Viral Load. Most scientists agree that there needs to be a certain amount of virus present for it to be contagious (unfortunately at this time we are not sure exactly how much). That is why almost all virologist agree that properly ventilating a room is a very effective way of mitigating transmission. It is also why there are very few cases of transmission in open outdoor areas.

By monitoring the CO₂ levels of a room, we can obtain a good picture of potentially how much virus could be in the air. Let's first look at “normal” levels of CO₂. The average level of CO₂ in outside air is about 400 PPM (parts per million). Depending on your specific location and the environmental conditions, this will be higher or lower. The average level of CO₂ inside a house is between 500 and 1,000 PPM. When you approach 2,000 PPM, especially for extended periods of time, you can start to experience things like drowsiness and even headaches. When you get over 2,000 PPM you start to get into more serious side effects.

So we now have two items – viruses and general concerns about CO₂. From a virus standpoint you want to set a baseline CO₂ level. For instance, if you test your home on a “normal” day and you get 700 PPM, that is what you want to base any rises in CO₂ levels on. This is also effective and maybe even more critical for offices as business get back to in-person workdays. Now during the day as more people are in a given space, if that CO₂ level rises you can attribute it to people breathing within that given space. The more people breathing out CO₂, the more it will concentrate in the room. With viruses transmitted through breathing, if there is an increased level of CO₂, it is logical there will be an increased level of the virus in the air. If you are having a gathering with multiple people in one room or in an office space, you will see a spike in the CO₂ level.

As for general levels of CO₂, if you have a high concentration, it might be due to malfunctioning equipment/appliances in your home. These should be checked and serviced immediately – especially if you are seeing levels in the danger areas.

Whether rising CO₂ levels are due to increased occupancy or factors inside the home, mitigation is typically the same – ventilation. Removing the CO₂ from the home or office is critical. Exhaust fans play a critical role in mitigation. Even something like opening windows can have an immediate and positive effect on reducing the CO₂ level as well as the virus load within the room. The great thing about these mitigation strategies is you can receive quick, sometimes instant feedback. If your normal level is 700 PPM and you see a rise to 1,500 PPM, by opening a window or turning on the exhaust fan, you should see a decrease. If not, it means the amount of CO₂ is building up quicker than you can exhaust or dilute it and other measure may need to be taken (more ventilation, open more windows, reduce the occupancy, etc.).

Visit the Exhaust Fan section of Air King website for more information regarding ventilation solutions for your home. Also visit the Fresh Air section to learn more about bringing air into your home or office.

Do You Have a Fresh Air Strategy For Your Home?

With a global pandemic going on, there has been a lot of talk about indoor air quality and ways to mitigate viruses. One strategy that has been almost universally accepted as an effective tool is bringing fresh air into the home. But what is a good fresh air strategy to bring that air into your home? In this blog we are going to look at the pros and cons of some of the more popular solutions out there allowing you to make a decision on what fresh air strategy is best for your specific application. As with all our recommendations, all local and national codes must be adhered to. If you are not sure what codes pertain to your location, consult a professional HVAC expert.

Strategy 1 – Open windows and doors

Pros – No cost solution, nothing to install, any home can do it – sort of.

Cons – No control over air coming into the home, not great for climates that have extreme temperatures (hot or cold)

Summary
While opening windows and doors is very easy to do, it does have its limitations. The first and biggest one is if you live in a climate that has hot or cold days, you might not want to open that window or door. Think North Dakota in February or Texas in August. A second issue is, you have no way of truly knowing how much air is actually coming into the home. If it is a breezy day and you can feel the rush of air coming in, you are probably doing very well. If there isn’t a breeze and you can’t feel any air coming in, you are probably getting some fresh air in, but is it enough? We would list this solution under the “Better than nothing” category, especially since there are much better solutions.

Strategy 2 – Window Fan

Pros – Lower cost solution that can easily be added by a homeowner.

Cons - Not great for climates that have extreme temperatures (hot or cold)

Summary
Window fans will be more effective that just opening windows and doors but they still have their limitations. As with opening windows and doors, a window fan will have even more limitations when it comes to hot or cold climates. A window fan is going to bring a rush of air into the home. If it is the right temperature, this can be extremely effective. If it is not, it will quickly make the living area of the home uncomfortable. With a window fan you will have more control and be able to have a better idea of how much air is coming into the home. Almost all fans have multiple speed settings. Generally a window fan is going to be a solution for older homes and in areas where the code does not call for a mechanical fresh air system. To learn more about Air King’s window fans click here. We would list this solution under the “Can be effective in the right circumstance” category with a check mark in the “Better than nothing” category. 

Strategy 3 – Mechanical Ventilation

Pros – Controlled solution that meets almost all the building codes across the US.

Cons – Higher initial cost, requires installation.

Summary
A mechanical solution is a dedicated fan that brings fresh air into the home. Most solutions either have an air filter installed in the unit or one can be added. This allows the air coming into the home to be filtered, which can be a big deal if you live in an area of the country where pollution is an issue. The air intake is set at a rate to match the requirements of the home, so you are in total control of how much air is coming into the home. This is important from an energy standpoint. With opening windows or using a window fan you are almost forced to turn off the heat or air conditioning. With a mechanical fresh air intake it can work in conjunction with those systems. Many units also include temperature and humidity monitors that will shut the unit off if the outdoor air is too hot, cold or humid. To learn more about Air King’s Fresh Air Intake products – click here. We would list under the “Really good” category.

Strategy 4 – ERV / HRV

Pros – Controlled solution that meets almost all the building codes across the US, lessens the energy strain on the HVAC system.

Cons – High initial cost, generally needs to be installed by an HVAC professional.

Summary
An ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilator) or HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilation) can be classified as a mechanical solution and provide all the benefits of what was discussed above. The difference is ERVs or HRVs are going to provide energy savings. How these units work is they bring fresh air into the home while exhausting the stale “bad” air out of the home. You will hear it referred to in some case as balanced ventilation. The big benefit of an ERV or HRV is that it tempers the air coming into the home. The cool air (or hot air) coming in from outside, passes through a core where the warm air (or cool air) inside the home “tempers” it. This is a huge benefit to the HVAC system and your energy costs. As with other mechanical solutions, ERVs and HRVs generally have controls that allow you to monitor the amount of air coming in and going out as well as the temperature and humidity of the air. We would list this solution under the “Best” category. Being able to control temperature, humidity, and airflow with the added benefit of lessening the impact on the HVAC system makes it top the list, even with the higher initial cost. To learn more about Air King ERV and HRV solutions – click here.

Having a fresh air strategy for your home is an important step towards increasing your indoor air quality. A good strategy will have lasting benefits even when there isn’t a pandemic going on. For more information visit the Fresh Air section of the Air King site as well as our other blog posts on related subjects.

Indoor Air Quality Math

We bet you didn’t know Indoor Air Quality Math was a thing? In this post we are going to take a look at some of the numbers involved with IAQ.

5X

The air inside your home can be up to 5 times more polluted than the air outside. Build up of contaminates from cooking, cleaning, laundry as well as everyday living can build up quickly inside a home. People breathing creates CO2 which has a negative impact on the IAQ of the home. What should we do to combat this? The answer is to move the bad air out and replace it with fresh air. This can be done in many ways. Simply opening a window can be effective but is hard to control. The best solution is to have properly installed exhaust fans removing the air inside the home, then some type of air intake to bring fresh air into the home. Solutions like the Air King QFAM have an optional MERV16 air filter that can remove almost all particles that would enter the home. Just a quick note, in case of active wildfires or other significant pollutants in the air, it is not recommended that an air intake system be used.

85%

85% of Americans don’t realize the air in their homes poses a possible health hazard. This comes from the American Lung Association. Much like what we discussed in the above paragraph. Build up of contaminates, especially cleaning chemicals can create a hazardous environment.

50%

Up to 50% of airborne contaminates come from the cooking surface in the kitchen. Cooking is one of the largest contributors to bad indoor air quality. The normal cooking process creates all kinds of contaminates. That’s before we let those eggs cook a little too long! If those contaminates are not exhausted out of the home we can end up breathing them in. The best solution is utilizing a range hood that vents to the outside and is sized for your specific cooking surface. The Air King ECQ series has an added feature of a continuous, barely audible low speed – click to learn more.

20 minutes

The exhaust fans in your bathrooms should run for a minimum of 20 minutes after the room has been used. Just because you are done in the bathroom doesn’t mean all the contaminates are. They can continue to linger for much longer. In higher moister situations, using an exhaust fan with a humidity control, like the Air King E130SH ensures that all the moister is exhausted before shutting off.

So you see, indoor air quality math gives us some simple insight into what we can do to improve our living environment. To learn more, read through our other post on Indoor Air Quality or visit the Air King website.

Top Energy Saving Investments

Each year on April 22nd we celebrate Earth Day. While a day of celebration is great, Earth Day should really be everyday. We are going to stop and take a look at some of the top energy saving investments you can make and put real numbers behind them.

Whenever you talk about energy saving investments there is a tendency to jump right to the investment part. It is true in some cases the upfront cost is going to be high, but not always. You have to weigh all factors – cost, how long are you planning to live there (2 years, 10 years, 50 years….) and so on. Armed with that info, let's jump into it.

1. Light bulbs. Here is an easy one with a small upfront cost. Changing a 60-watt incandescent bulb to an 8 watt LED bulb. For our comparison we are going to use a bulb that you would have on for approximately 5 hours a day. A 60-watt bulb will use 0.3 kilowatts per day. At $0.13 per kilowatt (average for the US at the time of this post), that is $14 per year that bulb costs. Now use those same numbers but with an 8 watt LED and the cost is $2 per year. Currently a 60-watt bulb costs about $1.00 while a LED is about $2.00. So with our math the payback for switching to an LED is about 1 month. As an added bonus LEDs can last 5 to 10 times longer than incandescent. These numbers are for one bulb, now times that by the amount of bulbs you have in your home.
2. Water Heater. This is a bigger one and one that is best done when it is time to replace it. We are not suggesting ripping out the one you just put in 2 or 3 years ago. We are going to compare a 40-gallon standard electric water heater to a high efficiency unit with a heat pump. A standard water heater is approximately $500 for the water heater itself. A high efficiency version is about $1,150. The upfront cost is going to be considerably higher but lets look at the numbers. The average electric cost of a standard unit is about $30 a month or $360 per year. A high efficiency unit is about $12 a month and $144 per year. So right there you are saving $216 per year. That would make up the difference in cost in just over 3 years. The standard life expectancy of a water heater is 10 years. It gets even better. Currently many utility companies and states are offering rebates for high efficiency units. You might be able to make up the difference in cost immediately depending on how much the rebates are.
3. Cars. Everyone always wants to know about cars. Is it worth getting a hybrid or an all electric? As with many decisions there isn’t one clear answer. We took a major car brand and compared the standard model, hybrid and electric versions. All calculations are based on 12,000 miles per year and $3.00 per gallon of gas. We also based everything off the MSRP of the car and did not factor in any rebates or tax credits that may be available for electric cars. Unfortunately we are not going to give you a yes/no answer, but here are our calculations that will hopefully help guide you: Standard model price $25,000, 32 MPG. Hybrid model price $26,500, 48 MPG. Electric model price $33,500. Breaking this down:
1. Standard: 12,000 miles divided by 32 = 375 gallons of gas. 375 times $3.00 = $1,125 per year for gas.
2. Hybrid: 12,000 miles divided by 48 = 250 gallons of gas. 250 times $3.00 = $750 per year for gas.
3. Electric: $0 per year for gas.
4. Conclusion: Based just on price you can make up the difference in cost between a standard model and hybrid in about 4 years. For a fully electric car it is about 7.5 years (this can be greatly reduced if rebates or tax credits are available). There is also the environmental benefit of reducing the carbon output from your vehicle. Going from a 30 MPG car to an electric can save about 12,000 lbs. of green house gases per year.
4. Programmable thermostat (or smart thermostat). These are a great and simple way to reduce your energy usage. Depending on you work and living habits, you can save between 10% and 30% on your heating and cooling a year. If your average cost is $100.00 per month, that is a $10.00 savings per month. Now factor that a programmable thermostat or a smart thermostat is going to cost between $60.00 for a standard one and up to about $200.00 for a more advanced one, it could pay for itself in one to two years. Some local utility companies offer discounts or rebates on these as well.

Hopefully this gives you some “real world” information about energy saving investments you can make while still making the costs make sense. When all the numbers line up; it is a win for the environment, a win for you and a win for the future. To learn more about saving energy, visit energystar.gov or the climate change section of the Air King website.

Asking the right questions when buying a home

Even through a pandemic people are buying and selling homes. When buying a home there are the standard questions that are asked – How much are they asking? How many bedrooms / baths? Square footage and so forth. But there is now a new question that is being asked on a more regular basis. What is the indoor air quality of the home? For most buyers, that is not a question that would have even crossed their minds a year ago. Designers and builders now understand that a home with good indoor air quality is not only meeting code, but has become a selling feature.

In an article by Jamie Gold that was published on the Forbes website earlier this year, she lists Indoor Air Quality as the first item for trends in residential wellness design. The COVID pandemic, quarantining, lock-downs and everything associated with it has put a lot of stress on a lot of lives. One positive we can take from all of this is a renewed awareness of how important our living environment is. As Jamie explains, a key feature is the indoor air quality of our home. So how do you know if you are buying a home with good IAQ? There are a few questions to ask as well as items to observe when viewing a potential home.

1. Does the home have any air exchange system built into it. This can be something like an ERV or exhaust fans and some type of mechanical system to bring fresh air into the home (you can learn more about these systems in our The Air Exchange post).
2. Does it have properly installed exhaust fans and a range hood that vents to the outside?
3. Do you notice any moldy or musky smells when you walk through the home?
4. Do you notice any mold or mildew build-up in the home, especially around and in the shower area?
5. What is the highest rated filter the HVAC system can handle? This might be a hard one to answer on the spot and you might have to ask the manufacturer of the system. Hopefully they have it posted in their user manual.
6. Is there a build up of dust in the home? While there are many things that can cause dust, including a lack of a cleaning schedule, a home that is properly exchanging air should have less build up.
7. Is there any technology built into the home? Items such as CO2 monitors (not just detectors but sensors that monitor the air quality and will turn exhaust or air intake systems on to mitigate), automated ventilation systems with either occupancy or humidity controls, smart thermostats and so forth.

This list is a good starting point but there are plenty of other good questions to be asked. If you are building a new home ensuring the proper equipment is being installed is a must. Take the time to meet with your builder to discuss these items. A few minutes of planning up front can have a lifetime of benefit as you will be spending a very large portion of your daily life in your home. Also, just because your find something on this list in a home you are viewing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pursue purchasing it. Many of these items are very easily correctable. If you are looking at older homes, there is a good chance you will find most of these items are not up to where they need to be – that is to be expected. Hopefully you are now a little more aware and prepared as enter the process of buying a home. Happy house hunting.

Indoor Air Quality Products – What are the best options?

It seems like the entire world is talking about indoor air quality products, aerosols, spreading of viruses and so forth. There are also a lot of IAQ products on the market today that are putting some fairly aggressive claims out there. Everyone’s favorite is “Kills 99.9% of….”. We always like how they keep the 0.1% open just in case. In this post we are going to take a look at some of the more popular IAQ solutions currently being offered.

Air Filtration
Products that filter the air either coming into a space or the air already in a space have fairly universal acceptance with air quality experts. The downside of air filtration is, and this is going to sound obvious, it only filters air moving through the filter. In other words, if viruses and particles are not being drawn into the filters, they will not have any effect. Filters can be installed in many places. Most commonly they will be in the HVAC system but portable as well as installed air filtration devices are also effective. A negative about filters is they need to be replaced on a regular basis to stay effective. Another challenge is having the right filter in place. Studies have found that filters with a MERV rating of 13 or higher are effective in capturing contaminates and viruses. HEPA filters provide the highest level of filtration with MERV16 filters being a very close second. The issue is simply adding a HEPA filter to your HAVC system or mounting it to a box fan can cause other issues. HVAC systems are usually calibrated for a MERV8 filter which is good for most pollutants but when you get down to virus level, they are not doing much. Adding a higher rated filter is going to restrict the airflow, and could cause damage to your HVAC system or considerably reduce the life of a box fan. You should consult the manufacturer for the highest rated filter you can use in your system.

Air Movement Products – Exhaust Fans and Air Intake products
As with air filters, air movement products have a universal acceptance with IAQ experts as being a good solution. As you see more and more articles citing poor ventilation as a cause, it become clear that ventilation and air movement products are good solutions. These include exhaust fans to move the “bad” air out of a space and air intake products to bring fresh air into a space to replace the “bad” air. When it comes to viruses, studies are showing you are less likely to contract a virus in outdoor spaces than indoor. A main reason is the outdoor air dilutes the viral load (concentration of viruses) to a point it is not as contagious. Exhausting air while bringing fresh air in is using this same principle – remove and dilute. With exhaust and air intake products we are now talking about an installed item so there is an upfront cost but these are also going to be some of the most effective, long term solutions. As with filters, exhaust and intake fans are only going to work if they are operating so it is important you utilize products that will run continuously providing constant air exchanges.

Ultraviolet Light Products
These products output high doses of UV light that claim to kill viruses when exposed. They can be added to the HVAC system or as their own system. Hospitals have been and continue to use UV-C to sterilize rooms. UV-C has been shown to be effective at killing viruses. The issue is the time of exposure needed to effectively kill viruses as well as the intensity. The other issue is UV – especially UV-C light is harmful to humans. Therefore it is important that these products are installed by professionals and used according to the manufacture’s recommendation. This also makes them a bit expensive. UV-A has not shown as wide a level of acceptance. You see these added to products and the disconnect seems to be in what can be proven in a lab and what can be proven in a real world setting.

Ionizers
This is another emerging technology that has some things that sound good, but also some red flags. Ionizers output charged ions that seek out viruses and contaminates and attach themselves to them. By doing so, they increase the weight, causing it to drop to the floor quicker (think about the 6 foot social distance recommendation). They also increase the size of the virus, making it easier to capture in an air filter. Now you might only need a MERV8 instead of a HEPA. Everything sounds good so far but here is the catch. To produce the ions many (not all) will also produce ozone, which is bad. Another issue is that ions only trap viruses; they do not kill them so you need a filtration device to remove the trapped particles. When looking at portable ionizers it is debatable if they can produce enough ions to be effective for the space.

Conclusion
Indoor Air Quality experts seem to agree that proper ventilation, fresh air and filtration are very effective in removing contaminates from the air we are breathing. They also agree that any one of these used individually is not a magic solution, so using a combination of these solutions is most effective. Past air movement and filtration it gets a little less clear. Technologies like UV and Ionizers may work, but further studies and real world testing needs to be done before there is a universal stamp of approval. If you do utilize UV or Ionizers, make sure you do your homework to ensure they are providing what they say they are and they are doing it in a safe way that does not have bad side effects.

To learn more about Air King’s fresh air solutions visit www.airkinglimited.com/fresh-air