Yesterday I had the privilege of re-watching another webinar that was part of a certification. The certification includes master classes on "Becoming a Building Science Expert." Even though I've finished all the courses, I don't call myself an expert, but I can offer recommendations and explain inefficiencies.
The class for yesterday was "Understanding the Ventilation Puzzle." Most realtors don't get into the weeds like this, but I figure it's worth sharing as everyone lives in a home of some type and has indoor air to consider. Sharing knowledge helps others make informed decisions about their own homes.
The instructor of these classes is my teaching partner. I'm blessed beyond words to be associated with him, much less co-teach a CE class that I created. He's the former grad student from ASU with a Masters in Construction that was asked to do all the legwork for the Home Performance with Energy Star program back in 1996. The Energy Star program you know today started in Phoenix!
Energy Star is big in Arizona as we rank #1 per capita for Energy Star certified buildings. Arizona has the most climate zones in the US, tied with California. We are super hot in the summer, but have ski slopes around the state! With that amount of heating and cooling range, you can bet that ventilation is important.
Okay, back to the class. The reason I re-watched this class is because I had an indoor air quality issue. Before sharing the issue, remember that my ducts were sealed back in 2016 with Aeroseal. When someone Aerosales ducts, that means there is practically zero air loss when your heating and air conditioning is running. Aeroseal is the process of sealing ducts and includes a machine blowing a chemical into the ducts. Think of it like "fix a flat" for your ductwork.
For the past month, I have had contractors remodel 2 showers and raising ceilings, which involves moving ducts in the attic; removing some old rigid ducts and reinstalling flex ducts to different locations. I have noticed a LOT of dust.
Turns out that two of my vents were abandoned and left open directly into the attic. If vents are left open, you're technically breathing dusty air and in my case, 47 year old dusty air. The ducts were supposed to be sealed off with new drywall since there was no conditioned air coming from those ducts. But instead, I was breathing dusty air which was blanketing dust over every space in my house. So I ordered a duct blaster test to check out why this was happening.
This is Jonathan Waterworth, AZ Energy Efficient Home, a repeat winner of Home Performance with Energy Star awards. He's sealed off all the ducts and is checking the monitor to see what duct leakage is going on in my ducts. The ducts were okay, but crawling up in the attic allowed him to see the 2 vents that were not connected to ducts and wide open to the attic. This is not good ventilation!
The benefit of the class was a reminder to consider my ducts might be the issue with the dust I was experiencing. When ducts are sealed, they no longer leak conditioned air from ducts into the attic and don't produce dust throughout my house. There might still be a fraction of an opening in ducts after they are sealed equivalent to a 1" square, but for the most part, the ducts sealed.
I'm also working on creating better indoor air quality (IAQ) in my home.
When I added spray foam insulation to the ceiling of the attic, that eliminated the fresh air that filters into the home because the attic and the vents are sealed. When there is less ventilation due to air sealing and no attic vents the air becomes stale inside a home. Stale air means you're likely smelling last nights dinner the next afternoon! So the contractor that came today to check my ducts gave me a quote to add four 10" air returns at different locations in my home. Improving indoor air quality is another item on my checklist.
So ventilation does mean better indoor air quality IF it's a monitored system with filtration. Filtering the air is important to those homeowners who have breathing issues like allergies, asthma, COPD and other ailments. Opening a window adds ventilation, but it's not filtered. And if the weather is too hot or too cold, opening a window may not be an option. Inside air can be 10 times worse than outside air, but that depends on where you live. Arizona is a dusty place to live and we have blooming plants year round - lotsa pollen!
If you're curious about your ducts and indoor air quality, consult a specialist like Jonathan! For more information, visit the EPA website!
