Indoor Air Quality Solutions, IAQS

By The Home Ventilating Institute (HVI)

To avoid common air quality problems within the home, follow ten simple steps:

1. Operate the exhaust fan when bathing and showering to limit moisture build up. Be sure to keep the shower curtain or bathtub sliding door open after bathing to increase air circulation. For tips on selecting the right exhaust fan, see HVI’s Bathroom Ventilation Guidelines and Product Directory.

2. Turn on range hood fans to expel contaminants released from food while cooking. Range hoods can also eliminate pollutants such as carbon monoxide which can be released during cooking. For help in selecting the right range hood fan, see HVI’s Product Directory.

3. Increase ventilation rates during family gatherings and parties. For tips on achieving the right ventilation rates, see HVI’s How Much Ventilation Do I Need? Also consider a whole-house comfort ventilator. HVI recommends that a whole-house comfort ventilator have a minimum capacity to provide approximately one complete air change every two minutes within the occupied area. This flow rate will be great enough to create a perceptible “breeze” through the house. The required flow rate can be calculated by multiplying the gross square footage of the entire house (including unoccupied areas like closets) by 3. Be sure to include the upstairs area of multilevel homes. This formula assumes an eight-foot ceiling and takes into account typical unoccupied areas.

4. Ensure that continuous ventilation is provided in addition to the intermittent ventilation systems. This can be achieved using a whole-house comfort ventilator, HRV or ERV, or other fan configurations. For tips on selecting the right ventilation systems, see HVI’s Fresh Ideas – The Guide to Home Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality and its Product Directory.

5. Plan routine maintenance for HVAC equipment to ensure all systems are working properly and performing as intended. Schedule a professional inspection, cleaning and “tune-up” by a qualified firm regularly.

6. Change HVAC filters as instructed. Check, clean, or replace furnace and air filters regularly as recommended. Consider installing a “high efficiency particulate” or HEPA filter for better performance.

7. Clean the home regularly to prevent dust, dirt, and pet-hair accumulation. Dust and dirt particles can become airborne, creating contaminants in the air. Regular cleaning can help to eliminate this potential hazard.

8. Use safe cleaning products to avoid emitting dangerous chemicals into the air. Many products can release toxic or irritating chemicals when used. Select cleaning products that are certified for low levels of chemical emissions. Increase ventilation during cleaning tasks.

9. Purchase low emitting finishes and materials. New or recently installed building materials and furnishings can emit dangerous toxins. Look for products that are certified for low chemical emissions. When outgassing is minimized ventilation systems don’t need to exchange the air as often.

10. Ensure that clothes dryers are exhausted directly to the outside and make sure that filters and hoods are cleaned regularly to maintain airflow.

• John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
• Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
• Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
• www.Microshield-ES.com

By The Home Ventilating Institute (HVI)

There are two primary reasons for ventilating houses: 1) to provide the necessary fresh air for the occupants to breathe and 2) to dilute indoor air pollutants and excess moisture. Complaints of stuffiness, unpleasant odors, and illness are common in houses that contain too little fresh air. Outdoor air pollution is bad enough, but we are now learning that indoor air pollution is almost always considerably worse—and this polluted air can make us sick.

To feel comfortable and healthy, people simply need clean, fresh air. Mechanical ventilation systems are specifically designed to exchange the air in a house—as well as circulate it.

A ventilation system should be as reliable and predictable as our own lungs. Houses without mechanical ventilation systems get their air quite by chance—the air moving into and out of them is totally uncontrolled. For example, air may infiltrate indoors only when the wind is blowing. We deserve to have control over the air we breathe, we deserve more than “ventilation-by-chance,” we deserve “ventilation-on-purpose.”

Without a doubt, each and every one of us could benefit from a mechanical ventilation system in our home. Ventilation is not a mysterious high-tech process; it is very simple once you understand the basics. Ventilation should be as important as air conditioning, electric lighting, closets, kitchen cabinets, and indoor plumbing which we take for granted as necessary components of our homes. The Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) recommends selecting equipment bearing the HVI-Certified Label which provides homeowners assurance that the products will perform as advertised.

Mechanical ventilation is generally regarded as being more important in today’s tighter houses than it was in the loosely built houses of the last century. Knowledge about how houses work has evolved considerably in the building-science community over the past few years. We now know that a house is more than the sum of its parts—it is a dynamic, ever-changing system.

When a house is viewed as a system, aspects of moisture control, infiltration, safe chimney operation, pollutant sources, duct leakage, pressure imbalances, and ventilation all become interconnected. Thus, we are concerned not only with ventilation per se, but also the various side issues that affect indoor air quality.

Indoor air pollution is responsible for symptoms ranging from sinus congestion to cancer, from depression to immune-system damage. It isn’t unusual for everyday symptoms such as headache, drowsiness, runny nose, lethargy and inability to concentrate to be related to poor indoor air quality.
Sources of pollutants

• Gaseous pollutants – Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gases that are emitted, or outgassed, from a wide variety of modern materials; combustion gases from fireplaces or gas ranges; people and animals also release carbon dioxide (CO2) and other by-products of metabolism.
• Metals – Lead, mercury, or arsenic can chalk off from paint or treated lumber and be tracked indoors.
• Minerals – Minerals, such as calcium can also become air pollutants. Their particle size is so small that they can be inhaled deeply into the lungs.
• Radiation – Problems occur when radon seeps into houses and builds up to dangerous concentrations.
• Biological pollutants – Dust mites, mold, and mildew are irritating health hazards.
• Pesticides – When used indoors, pesticides can be serious indoor air pollutants.
• Smoking – The most effective way of reducing the danger associated with smoking is to ban smoking indoors.

While a human body is capable of tolerating a certain amount of contaminated air, evidence from a variety of sources tells us that we are being exposed to more pollution than our metabolism can adequately process—especially when we are indoors—and it is making us sick. But there is no reason for this trend to continue. After all, a variety of strategies can be used to build houses with minimal indoor air pollution. These low-pollution “healthy houses” have one thing in common: they all have mechanical ventilation systems.

The Home Ventilating Institute recommends the exclusive use of products which are HVI-Certified. The proven performance provided by HVI Certification is essential when selecting home ventilation products to control the air you breathe.

• John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
• Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
• Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
• www.Microshield-ES.com

By The Home Ventilating Institute (HVI)

When you think about it, ventilation really is a people consideration. The purpose of ventilation is to provide a home’s occupants with clean, healthy, and comfortable air.

Ventilation is used to dilute pollutants and supply occupants with oxygen. Ventilation also dilutes high indoor humidity levels to prevent moisture-related problems such as mold growth and rot. Controlling excess moisture protects both the health of occupants and the health of the house.

While air infiltrating a house will dilute the concentration of indoor contaminants, natural infiltration is unreliable when compared to mechanical ventilation. In fact, it has been determined that houses with mechanical ventilation systems have better indoor air quality and use less energy than houses that rely on natural infiltration alone.

Sick-building syndrome
The words “sick-building syndrome” imply that a building is ill, when in fact the phrase refers to conditions which make the occupants ill—generally as a result of poor indoor air quality. Complaints may be reported after a building is remodeled. Pollutants released from construction products or cleaning solutions, microbial contamination of wet materials, and inadequate ventilation, are often cited as causes of sick-building syndrome.

Incidences of sick-building syndrome are on the rise. Fortunately, however, as more and more people grasp that poor indoor air quality might be the cause of their illnesses, they are cleaning up their indoor environment and improving their ventilation.

Sensitive occupants
Some people, due to pre-existing conditions (e.g., health, age) are more sensitive to contaminants in the air. Sensitive people require air that is much cleaner than normal in order to minimize negative impacts on their health. Their condition is often referred to as chemical sensitivity or multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). Many of us are sensitive to “bad air” to a less debilitating degree – and all of us can derive a substantial benefit from breathing cleaner air.

Individuals with MCS generally exhibit a wide variety of symptoms. Eye and respiratory irritation are common, but headaches are also widely reported. Other symptoms can range from joint and muscle pain to seizures. Because the brain is very sensitive to some pollutants, MCS patients often report symptoms such as depression and anxiety that are related to poor indoor air quality.

Sensitive people’s bodies react to very low levels of a wide variety of pollutants. So, for sensitive occupants, it is imperative to clean up the indoor air through source control and separation, then use a mechanical ventilation system to keep the air clean.

Diluting high moisture levels
Although moisture itself isn’t a pollutant, with an accumulation over several days, it can contribute to a variety of pollution problems in a house. If there is excess moisture in a house in the form of high humidity, there can easily be a proliferation of biological pollutants. Mold, mildew, or dust mites will start to thrive as the humidity rises, and the occupants may start experiencing allergy or asthma symptoms. Inside the living space, moisture can be released from both people and their activities. Spot ventilation in the kitchen and bath, along with a whole-house ventilation system will help to expel excess moisture from a house.

People need fresh air
Those who are at greatest risk for sensitivity to contaminated indoor air are children, the elderly, and the sick. But we all need fresh air. We spend between 80–90% of our time indoors, so we must ensure that the air is comfortable and healthy. Properly installed ventilation products that have been certified by the Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) will ensure that you receive proper ventilation to maximize indoor air quality.

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC

• Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
• Indoor Air Quality Solutions, IAQS
• Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
• www.Microshield-ES.com  www.CFL-IAQ.com
• www.FloridaIAQ.com
• http://www.microshield-es.com/moldinspectiontesting.html
• http://www.orlandomoldinspection.us/
• http://www.microshield-es.com/nuisanceodor.html
• http://www.floridaiaq.com/moldremediationprotocol.html
• http://www.floridaiaq.com/moldclearancetesting.html

#IAQS