Ventilation for a Healthy Home

Pinellas Energy Efficiency Project

All homes need ventilation to remove stale interior air, pollutants, and excessive moisture.

In the past, air leakage was relied on to provide ventilation. However, a leaky building does not guarantee good indoor air quality. Why? Air leaks often bring in air quality problems from attics, crawl spaces, and the outside. Furthermore, if the building is leaky it can result in high heating and cooling costs.

Indoor air typically contains more types—and higher concentrations of—pollutants than outdoor air, even in industrialized areas. Common home indoor air pollutants include biological pollutants (mold spores, dust mites, viruses, pollen, animal dander); combustion pollutants (including carbon monoxide); lead from old paint or lead-tainted soil; VOCs emitted from many paints, glues, and other building materials (this is called “outgassing”); and, in some areas, radon.

The Department of Energy recommends the practice of integrating mechanical ventilation into the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. While whole-house ventilation is not required in Florida building codes, this system can provide fresh, filtered, outside air in a controlled amount using the existing HVAC delivery system for even distribution and mixing.

To learn more about home ventilation, download this pdf fact sheet from the Florida Energy Systems Consortium.

What’s in the Air?

By: Vestina Crayton, Extension Specialist

Controlling the source of the problem is the best defense against poor indoor air quality. Maggie Murphy, Environmental Specialist II with Pinellas County’s Department of Health has identified the top ten sources that can be controlled to optimize your indoor air environment.

Here’s five of the top ten:
1. Don’t allow smoking indoors – According to the US EPA second hand smoke also known as environmental tobacco smoke ETS) can cause lung cancer and heart disease.

2. Install a carbon monoxide detector- Exposure to CO can cause flu-like symptoms. Since carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas, it is important to install a detector to monitor the levels of carbon monoxide. Gas stoves and exhaust from automobiles stored in an attached garage are sources of carbon monoxide.

3. Test for Radon- US EPA and the Surgeon General recommends that homeowners have their homes tested for radon. Second to first hand smoking, radon is a leading cause of lung cancer.

4. Control Moisture- Identify and fix all leaks. Hot and humid climates are the perfect environment for mold growth, dust mites and other pollutants. Keeping the relative humidity indoors between 30% and 55% is recommended.

5. Maintain Pets- Along with giving lots of love, our furry friends shed fur and release dander that contains allergens. These allergens can cause symptoms that range from sneezing to eczema.

To see the remaining five and to learn more, click here to hear the full presentation “Breathe Easy - Top Ten Ways to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality” by Maggie Murphy, Environmental Specialist II, with the Pinellas County Department of Health.

References
florida’shealth.com
Indoor Air Quality in Florida series
US Environmental Protection Agency

Healthy Home, Healthy Family Workshop Sniffs Out Indoor Air Problems with Help from Local Experts

Wonder if there’s something foul floating in the air at home? If indoor space seems stagnant, has odors, high humidity or if mold is found, a Healthy Home, Healthy Family Workshop will help citizens identify problems, their sources and solutions.

The two-hour information-packed workshop is set for Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to noon at Pinellas County Extension in Largo. Extension is teaming up with experts from the Pinellas County Health Department and HealthyHome.com, Inc. in St. Petersburg to present the workshop. The cost is $15 per person, and pre-registration is required by Friday, Sept. 11.

Here are a few special opportunities surrounding the new workshop:

The first 20 pre-registered citizens arriving at the workshop will receive a voucher from the Pinellas County Health Department for one free indoor air quality sampling. The voucher includes a tape lift sampling, coordinated through the Health Department, which will reveal known triggers of respiratory ailments in the home. Typically, the sampling and interpretation cost $25. This is a rare free offering for citizens who pre-register and show up early.

Participants can bring common household cleaning products to the workshop. Those products will be analyzed for free for the level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted when products are used.

Participants can bring to the workshop bed pillows or linens to be tested for particle emissions. This may be of special interest for asthmatics.

At the workshop, citizens explore how the indoor air quality of homes impacts everyone’s health. They will learn where pollutants come from, how their lives are affected and how to make homes healthier places. After all, the EPA says that most indoor air qualifies as being more polluted than the air outdoors in the world’s most industrialized cities.

To register, visit www.pinellascountyextension.org, click on the “Online Class Registration” button and then the “Sustainable Living” tab. Citizens may also call (727) 582-2100.

Extension is located at 12520 Ulmerton Road in Largo. Citizens must sign up by Friday, Sept. 11. Please note that no registration or payments will be accepted the day of the event. Be sure to register now and get in line early at the workshop for the chance to get a $25 tape lift sampling voucher free courtesy of the Pinellas County Health Department.

Microscopic photo of a dust mite courtesy of Pinellas County Health Department

How To: Save Money, Go Green I: Air Conditioning

James Stevenson, Pinellas County Extension Specialist, Urban Sustainability

The summer air is buzzing with the sound of cicadas, signaling that we are well-into the sultry days. The air is also buzzing with the sound of a million air conditioning units, doing their best to keep us cool and collected in our homes and businesses.

It should be no surprise that in Florida air conditioning (AC) consumes more energy than any other electrical appliance. In fact, AC accounts for 40% of your monthly energy bill.

Would you like to see your energy bill shrink? There are three ways to cut costs that are easy, affordable and can make a BIG difference.

Start by making sure your AC unit is working at its utmost efficiency level. An annual inspection and cleaning of both the indoor (air handler) coil and outdoor (condenser) coil. Dirt and debris make these gizmos work harder and draw on more energy.

Check your refrigerant charge. The “blood” of your system has to be maintained at a certain pressure. Higher or lower can cause problems (this requires a professional inspection.)

Reduce the cooling load to the structure by providing shade or drawing blinds on east and west-facing windows.

Don’t invite trouble! Keep doors and windows shut tightly.

Use ceiling fans, but use them wisely. In summer ceiling fans work best when operated in a counter-clockwise rotating position. Ceiling fans work by making inhabitants FEEL cooler. They do not actually COOL a room; only run them when the room is occupied. In fact, ceiling fans can make the room feel 4 degrees F cooler.

Consider upping the setting on your system. 76 degrees F is the “sweet-spot” where the most energy is conserved, comfort is not sacrificed and mold/mildew is not encouraged.

Finally, consider installing a programmable thermostat. These inexpensive devices can save you hundreds of dollars a year. Simple to use, you can control the times of operation with as many settings as you wish (depending on the model.) We recommend using a model that has been certified by Energy Star® as evidenced by carrying its distinctive logo.

OK, here is your list of things-to-do, we will be contacting you in a month’s time to see if you made any of these changes in your home/office. Everyone saving just a little energy will add-up to a huge impact now and for the future. But in the meantime, you might just like those few extra dollars in your pocket!!

Keeping Your Family Healthy Room by Room

Vestina F. Crayton, Pinellas County Extension Specialist, Urban Sustainability.

Your family’s health is a top priority for most. One way to keep your family healthy is by understanding and managing the sources that affect their indoor air quality. Since the average person spends approximately 90% of their time indoors, it is important to take a closer look at the areas or items that may compromise the quality of your indoor air environment. Depending on the level of exposure to certain indoor air pollutants, acute or chronic health concerns can occur that may range from mild eye irritation to death. Research has shown that air pollutants indoors can be greater than those found outdoors.

This chart highlights some of the common indoor air pollutants, associated health effects and control measures (reactions vary from person to person)

Indoor Air Pollutant	Health Impacts	Control Measures
Mold	Sneezing, Coughing, Asthma	Keep house cool, dry and clean
Carbon Monoxide	Symptoms similar to flu: nausea dizziness; brain damage	Install a CO alarm
Lead	Slows physical, behavioral, and learning development	If your house was built in 1978 or earlier have it tested by a professional
Radon Gas	Lung Cancer	Have house tested Call 1-800-SOS-Radon
Asbestos	High levels can cause lung problems	Consult a professional for testing, repair and removal
Tobacco Smoking	Second hand smoke increase the risk of disease and death in children and non-smokers	Eliminate or reduce exposure
Formaldehyde	Watery, burning eyes, breathing problems	Eliminate or reduce exposure to pressed-wood products
Volatile Organic Compounds	Dizziness nausea; neurological and reproductive disorders	Follow the instructions on proper use and store appropriately
Pesticides	Dizziness nausea; neurological and reproductive disorders	Follow the instructions on proper use and store appropriately

Take a tour through the US Environmental Protection Agency virtual home to learn about some of the most common sources of indoor air pollutants.

If you would like to test the levels of indoor air pollutants in your home, contact your local health department.

For more in-depth information about how to minimize indoor air toxins to create a healthier indoor environment, Pinellas County Extension will be offering a Healthy, Home, Healthy Family seminar September 12, 2009. Please check back for more details and to register at Pinellas County Extension.

References

Hyun-Jeong Lee, Audrey Norman, “My Florida Home Book 2.2: Keeping Your Home Healthy”FCS3294

United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Web site 

Clean and Green

James Stevenson, Pinellas County Extension Educator, Urban Sustainability

OK, cleaning the home is not really everyone’s favorite job, which is why it is called houseWORK and not housePLAY. But consider the potential human and environmental impacts added to the insult of having to undertake this regular chore. Many common household cleaners contain substances that can lead to a potentially harmful indoor environment.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov/) Americans spend an average of 90 percent of our lives indoors. Couple that with the evidence that indoor environments can be more polluted that the air in industrial cities, perhaps it is time to consider protecting our indoor environment!

From the laundry room to the toilet bowl, we can purchase products to keep our whites their whitest and that kill 99.9% of germs. This puts us in contact with some materials that have to be safely handled due to potential risks. To name a few: Sodium hydroxide is found in some oven cleaners, and some drain cleaners contain a powerful caustic which can cause burns to the skin and eyes. Chlorine might be found in laundry and dishwasher products and is another cleaner that should be handled carefully. Furniture polishes, air fresheners, carpet shampoo, and cosmetics can impact our indoor air quality in the comfort of our homes.

UF researchers have compiled a list of green alternatives to some of the above products. The publication can be found at: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HE791. It covers not only alternative cleaners, but practices that can help prevent the need for some more toxic substances in the home.

Of course there are many green cleaning products on the market as well, with more added everyday. These less-toxic or non-toxic products have traditionally been more expensive than their non-green counterpartsbut the increased demand has begun to lower prices on green alternatives.

To ensure the product you wish to purchase really is green, be sure to read “Greenwashing: Be Aware" in the Thinking Green E-newsletter


Resources:
Hazardous Household Chemical Disposal: http://www.pinellascounty.org/utilities/hazardous.htm
Hazardous Household Substances: Alternatives That Are Relatively Free of Toxic Effects: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HE791