More on IAQ (Indoor Air Quality)
Hello Folks,
Last week I wrote a little about IAQ and some of the things that affect it. I do want to point out that with the attention to tighter building and better insulation in our homes there is less infiltration of outside air. This can in many cases result in the air in our homes being more polluted than the air outside. Gases given off from solvents, glues, furniture, carpets, cooking and other processes and items in the home all contribute to the pollution of the air inside the home. As you can surmise the less of these volatile compounds we use the better our indoor environment will be.
Another way to affect IAQ is a direct exchange of outdoor air with indoor air. There are various ways to do this which result in very little loss of heat or cool air depending on the season. A lot of newer constructed homes have an inlet for outdoor air to be incorporated into the heating ventilation and air conditioning system. This supply of fresh air couple with an air filtration system can greatly improve the IAQ.
Here is a tip, when you are cooking and you have a vent fan that vents to the exterior of the home open a window a little to allow the fan to draw the fumes out of the home. The open window will keep the fan from developing negative air pressure in the home.
Next week we will take another look at IAQ and some items we may never think of as affecting it!