Indoor Air Quality

 There are a variety of sources of indoor air pollution; a major contributor is the reduction of fresh air entering today's energy efficient homes causing negative air pressure inside the home resulting in increased levels of pollutants known to cause serious health problems.

 A house that is ENERGY TIGHT aggravates all of the above problems and creates an additional issue negative air pressure, a dangerous situation inside the house. Air pressure within a home is never stable and can fluctuate between being even, to dangerously negative. Negative air pressure causes fuel burning appliances to become starved for air and burn inefficiently creating some of the more common sources of pollution such as smoke and flue gases that can be given off by these fuel burning appliances.

 Other common pollutants include winter condensation, home cleaning products, paints, glues, pets, carpets, furniture, paneling, and particle board, etc. Each of these pollutants may not be hazardous by itself but link a few together and you begin to see that you are living in a soup of very unhealthy air.

 A gas appliance with yellow flame is a good indicator that air and oxygen is lacking. The extreme case of this situation can produce carbon monoxide emissions from your fuel burning appliances.

 Moisture in an ENERGYTIGHT home is also a major problem because it cannot get out and forms condensation that can become mold. As condensation it will collect on windows as water droplets or puddle on the windowsills. If this is not corrected then mold will form and mold is a major cause of respiratory problems. See molds Mildew and Moisture for more information

 What is required is a ventilation system that brings in fresh air at the rate required to balance the air escaping through chimney's, vents or exhaust fans and hot air rising in cold climates. The ideal ventilation system should be cheap to operate, easy to install and maintenance free.

 We offer this with a Plusaire® ventilation system that can be installed in three to four hours and will correct the negative air pressure and other contaminants in any house with the intake of fresh outside air. A Plusaire® system will work 24 hours a day; adding fresh air to your home; maintaining oxygen levels and reducing humidity and condensation to comfortable levels. More importantly it will also add combustion air for fuel burning appliances. It will automatically constantly adjust the air entry rate so that the house will always be receiving exactly the right amount of fresh air. (See Negative air pressure for more information)

 Plusaire® is available in four sizes to match structures up to 3,800 square feet, and custom-built models can be engineered to suit special or larger applications. Contact us at pureairplus@sympatico.ca

 Did you know your home could be a source of ill health? The awareness of the dangers in the home environment has only recently started to generate concern. Over the past few years the government agencies, medical and scientific communities have started recognizing that common household chemicals and environment outgasing from new carpets and furnishings including the concern for air quality can have an adverse effect on our health.

 This is why it is not recommended to redecorate a baby's room for their arrival especially with new carpet and paint. When you learn how these toxins affect us especially our children we are sure you will want to change the way you live.

 The quality of our indoor air has been affected by environmental toxins and household chemicals energy conservation has created well sealed houses preventing fresh air from entering the house in a natural way.

 With winter heating and summer air conditioning we almost never totally air out the house. This means the air circulating in your home is extremely stale and probably toxic and polluted. Contributing to poor air quality is a phenomenon called the stack effect and negative air pressure in the home allowing many of the household chemicals, substances, and outgassing from furnishings carpet and flooring to remain in the environment and can cause serious reactions.

 Some of these substances are actually listed in toxicology books as having known toxic effects. Is your home environment or products slowly poisoning you and your family in their own house causing energy depletion, allergies and other chronic conditions. Elimination and/or dilution of the chemical soup is possible and we have two systems to offer.

 While certain people may be more sensitive than others, and some substances may bring on reactions only after many years of repeated exposure or only in a small percentage of the population, the build up of chemicals in the home from the lack of fresh air and adequate ventilation in the interest of energy conservation can put everyone at risk especially our children. Children are also more vulnerable to this threat because many of them sometimes lead more sedentary lifestyles than ever before they are spending a lot more time indoors playing video games and watching TV.

 Air pollutants and toxins deplete our immune system by continually creating a stressful environment in our bodies this can contribute to illness and fatigue. Many symptoms that some people have that others assume are imagined, both physical and psychological, have been associated with certain environmental conditions including the air quality in our homes. Of course at greatest risk are children, the elderly, and those who are already ill. Ironically these same people spend most of their time at home.

 Most people are unaware that regular consumer products that we all use every day have toxins and chemicals that are unregulated and can be extremely harmful to our home environment especially children and the elderly as well as those who's immune system is already compromised.

 Many of these ingredients would require special handling if used in industry; a chemical laboratory; or in any workplace. The fact is that there are strict rules and regulations required which protect workers who may use these same substances. The rules for these chemicals in the industrial environment requires the workers to use protective equipment or clothing even gloves and masks and ensure adequate ventilation and this is when using some of the very same ingredients found in the products used in our home every day.

 When we use these same substances at home we do so with no protection at all and no knowledge of the danger and with no consideration for ventilation or protection. Have you ever used that famous Tile Cleaner and had to hold your nose and leave the bathroom to breathe. What about using bleach and toilet cleaner do we pay attention even to some of the obvious warnings 

There are basically three ways that toxins can enter the body:

*swallowing
*breathing
*contact with the skin or eyes

 When most people hear about a chemical poisoning, they usually think industry not their home. Every year up to ten million household poisonings are reported, the immediate result of accidental ingestion of cleaning, pesticide, personal care and other common household products.

 Many of these poisonings are fatal, and most of the victims are children. Some of the personal care products we put on our skin and hair can create possible toxic exposures through skin absorption. These include but are not limited to soaps, lotions, creams, cosmetics, shampoos, deodorants, and hair coloring products.

 In 1989 a U.S. House Subcommittee asked the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety to analyzes approximately 2,983 chemicals used in our home products; 884 were found to be toxic. Of these, 778 can cause acute toxicity, 146 can cause tumors, 218 can cause reproductive complications, 314 can cause biological mutation, and 376 can cause skin and eye irritations. Personal and home care products should promote hygiene health and beauty... not make us sick.

 But... in actuality, most poisonings happen slowly, over a long period of time by gradual skin absorption or by "daily exposure in the air we breathe" in a way that we don't even notice until our energy levels start to deplete or unknown feelings of ill health start to plague us.
Today many people are aware of the fact that outdoor air quality can include toxins but are sometimes surprised to learn that indoor air can be much worse to breathe than outdoor air.

 Is your home environment slowly poisoning your family in their own home causing energy depletion, allergies and other chronic conditions. According to the Environment Protection Association (EPA), most homes have airborne concentrations and hazardous chemicals that are two to five times higher indoors than outdoors. In one five year study, the EPA reported that a number of homes had chemical levels that were seventy times higher inside than out doors.