(NC)-In attempting to conserve energy and reduce our heating costs, we can sometimes make our homes too air tight. In fact, for a house to be healthy, it needs to "breathe". It needs to expel moisture and other gases from inside and take in a constant supply of fresh air from outside.
How can you tell if your home is too air tight?
Generally the air inside your home is stuffy and stale.
Excessive condensation dripping down your windows. (This could also mean your humidifier is set too high so check that first.)
The pilot light on your gas appliance keeps going out.
A gas flame burns yellow instead of blue (except in the case of a natural gas fireplace).
The smell of exhaust gases are present in your home. Although you can't smell carbon monoxide, other exhaust gases do have an odour.
If your home is too air tight, exhaust gases, including carbon monoxide, can build up. If you see these signs, contact a qualified heating contractor or a residential ventilation expert to check your home out and correct the problem. You can locate a qualified contractor who specializes in mechanical ventilation online at www.hrac.ca or toll-free at 1-877-411-HRAC (4722).
Mechanical ventilation involves a device that exhausts contaminated indoor air from your home and delivers a fixed quantity of outdoor air back in. A system referred as a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) is an all-season solution that transfers heat from the exhaust air to the intake air in the winter. In the summer, the heat transfer is reversed to save on cooling costs.
Investing in the installation of a mechanical ventilation system (HRV) will not only boost the health and comfort your family, it might even increase the market value of your home by indicating to the buyer that the home's structural concerns have been well taken care of. Either way, as a homeowner, you can then breathe a little easier.
-News Canada