Common Indoor Air Quality Concerns
Indoor air pollutants such as mold, formaldehyde, and pet dander can cause real health concerns. These pollutants lurk in items like furniture, flooring, and household cleaners. Fireplaces, candles, and cooking vapors can release gasses that cause high levels of harmful particulate matter. Mold and mildew can trigger asthma symptoms. And even everyday items, like toiletries and vinyl shower curtains, can emit harmful contaminants into the air.
Pro Tip: Larry Zarker, CEO of the Building Performance Institute (BPI), warns that in a dusty house, “pollutants are constantly settling and then being redistributed by daily activities.” According to Sam Rashkin, an architect and former national director of the EPA’s Energy Star for Homes program, “The average house accumulates over 40 pounds of dust a year.”
1. Ventilation Fans
The result of excessive moisture in any building envelope is condensation—and condensation creates mold and mildew. Mold spores can provoke allergic reactions and exacerbate asthma and other health conditions. The best way to prevent mold and mildew is to stop it before it starts with an exhaust fan for proper ventilation, ducted to the exterior. But a fan only works if you use it, so be sure to run your fan for at least 20 minutes after every shower.
Pro Tip: Tom Silva, This Old House general contractor, always installs exhaust fans above showers and stovetops to draw out moisture from cooking and bathing. “But the fans have to be vented outside the house, not into the attic,” he says. “Otherwise you’re dumping moisture on the underside of the roof.” In his own house, he installed timer switches to allow bathroom fans to run for a full hour—well beyond the typical 20-minute recommendation.
2. Range Hoods/Exhaust Fans
A ventilation hood above the stove will serve to exhaust contaminants, moisture, grease, smoke and odor from cooking vapors. Clean your filters regularly to keep your fan running smoothly and effectively. Looking for a model that combines power with peace? Check out Panasonic’s WhisperHood IAQ™; it provides 86% less noise output than other models in its class.
TIP: your hood should be at least as wide as your cooktop, but an extra three inches on either side can drastically improve efficiency.
Pro Tip: Jerry Effren, a custom-home builder with over 30 years of experience, warns that today’s tightly sealed homes can trap cooking byproducts indoors: “All of that insulating meant that little to no air was escaping, and no fresh air was getting in.” In these energy-efficient homes, a properly ducted range hood is even more critical, since toxins from cooking vapors, cleaning products, and VOCs can build up without adequate ventilation.
3. ERV Systems
An Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) is a balanced solution. It exhausts stale, polluted air and replaces it with fresh outdoor air, without wasting energy. Panasonic’s Intelli-Balance 100 ERV uses four integrated dual 4″ or 6″ round duct adaptors – two to exhaust stale air, and two to supply fresh air. Its low, continuous run ensures consistent and controlled ventilation throughout the day.
Inside the ERV, two fans draw air through an exchange core made of a conductive material such as aluminum or plastic. The two airstreams are channeled past each other — but do not mix — allowing heat and moisture from one stream to transfer to the other. The ERV may be programmed to run periodically on its own or may be activated along with a furnace blower, and it can be installed either tied into existing ductwork or independent of the HVAC system.
Pro Tip: This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey sums up the importance of ERVs simply: “If you’re going to insulate, you’ve got to ventilate.” As building codes demanded tighter construction for energy efficiency starting in 2012, requirements were added for whole-house mechanical ventilation — making ERVs an essential part of any high-performance home.
Cosmos™ Healthy Home System
Now we know a healthy home requires proper ventilation—but it also requires the homeowner to initiate venting as the need arises. That’s why the experts at Panasonic have created the Cosmos™ Healthy Home System. The built-in sensors in the Cosmos system continuously monitor your indoor air quality and humidity levels. Sensors can be placed anywhere in the home, such as on a desk, in the kitchen, or on a bedside table. When air quality levels are compromised, Cosmos will activate your ventilation system to bring the air quality back to normal. Once achieved, the fans automatically turn off. Cosmos gives you the flexibility to run the system on autopilot (as described above) or manual operation. In auto mode, Cosmos can automatically correct undesirable indoor air. In manual mode, you can turn fans on and off as the need arises. For greater convenience and peace of mind, the user-friendly Cosmos app allows you to remotely monitor and control system activity and air quality. In addition, the app notifies you of compromised air quality and the action Cosmos is initiating to return the air quality to its proper levels. For more information on how Cosmos can help improve the health of your home, visit cosmoshealthyhomesystem.com. Panasonic is proud to sponsor the TOH 2019 Idea House.
