Knowledgebase - Keeping a Healthy Home

A Healthy Home is a home with a sustainable indoor environment. There are several different factors that contribute to the total indoor environment, including adequate ventilation, appropriate humidity levels, air filtration and the maintenance of the integrity of the building envelope.

Ventilation

"An approach to lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming indoors."

Ventilation requirements were lowered in the '70's in order to improve energy efficiency and to save on fuel costs. Unfortunately, after lowering the requirements, there was an increase in environmental illnesses and "sick building syndrome". Recently, though, ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Condiitoning Engineers) has recommended increasing the amount of fresh air in commercial buildings and homes. By increasing the amount of fresh air circulating throughout a building, concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and mycotoxins (mVOCs) from molds can be diluted to levels where they do not pose a health threat.

Humidity Control

"A number of factors allow biological agents to grow and be released into the air. Especially important is high relative humidity, which encourages house dust mite populations to increase and allows fungal growth on damp surfaces."

If the indoor environment is to be controlled, then the humidity levels must be maintained as well. This, however, does not mean that more dehumidification is better. The optimum range of relative humidity in an indoor environment is between 40% and 50%. Above 50%, an environment will grow mold and have more problems with dust mites. Below 40%, bacteria will begin to thrive. Click here to view the humidity chart.

Air Filtration

"There is no practical means to limit exposure to pollutants outdoors. However, at least half of a 24-hour day is spent indoors, and air conditioning with high-efficiency air filtration can markedly decrease indoor exposure."

A good air filter is essential to reduce common allergens and airborne particles, reducing allergy and asthma attacks. It is estimated that Americans spend as much as 95% of their time indoors...why spend that time breathing dust mites, mold spores and pet dander? Even upgrading to an electrostatic air filter will provide relief. One caution, though: filters must be maintained and changed regularly to provide a benefit. Failure to change out filters regularly could damage your air-conditioning system.

Envelope Integrity

"A balance is maintained by making sure a home has positive exterior drainage away from the house in all directions, a properly sized heating and cooling system, vapor diffusion protection, as well as adequately planned ventilation."

Maintaining the integrity of the building envelope is probably the most misunderstood part of creating a healthy indoor environment. Most people do not associate good exterior drainage and properly sized HVAC equipment with the air that they breathe. But if moisture is migrating into the foundation of your home or into the crawlspace, then that moisture will migrate up into your living spaces as well. And an oversized HVAC system can cool floors and furniture to a dewpoint level, creating a moisture problem that doesn't need to be there. By preventing excessive moisture in and around the home, you can create a healthier breathing environment.

The HealthyAir DVA system combines dehumidification, air filtration and fresh air ventilation into one system that will help create a healthy and sustainable indoor environment for your family. By combining these three methods, most indoor allergens and toxins can be effectively removed. Although the HealthyAir DVA cannot maintain the integrity of the building envelope, it does add positive pressure to the indoor space, which helps prevent the migration of moisture, mycotoxins from mold and VOCs.

Ventilation

Humidity Control

Air Filtration

Envelope Integrity

Indoor Air Pollution

Indoor Air Survey