IAQ Level 1 (Less than $100)
Cheap to free IAQ interventions to find out if something simple can solve your problem. Don't be surprised if these don't work, but it's part of the process unless you want to skip straight to Level 4, Comprehensive Home Performance work.
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Nordic Pure MERV 12 4"x20"x20" Filters (Qty. 2) Reminder to replace your furnace filter every 1-3 months for standard 1" filters or every 4-12 months for 4-5" media filters. Use these to make a "filter fan" for PM2.5. Much less expensive than room filters, cheap enough to fit in Level 1. Duct tape one of these filters on a standard box fan. It should help knock down particulates in one room. Only use 4" filters, 1" filters severely block flow and you won't feel the fan blowing. (Ask me how I know this...) If you hook your Foobot to IFTTT (If this, then that) and also buy a Wemo switch, you can have the Foobot turn on the filter fan when IAQ gets poor. If nothing else it's a fun experiment. |
Comfort Zone Box Fan 20" x 20" Make a "filter fan" with this fan, a 4" MERV 11 or higher 20x20 filter, and a Wemo switch. Look for models with the switch on the top so you can mount the filter on the front or the back, depending on whether you want to use it in a window or not. |
Wemo Smart Plug Switch Use with your filter fan. Foobot can turn this on when it measures poor indoor air quality. Set it up through IFTTT. These have a scheduling feature, so you can set them to run at different times. I use them for Christmas lights too. There is also an energy monitoring Wemo Insight switch for a few dollars more if you want to understand what running a device costs you. Does not work with Eero wifi system. (Which I have, sadly, but can't return.) |
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Intermatic 60 Minute Timer Switch Install one of these on your bath fan and run it more. Or just leave it on for a few days and see if it changes anything. This will bring outdoor air in through leaks somewhere. This may or may not be healthier, but it's worth a try. If your bath fan dumps into the attic be aware that you may cause mold. Bath fans are a Level 2 Intervention. You might want this push button model. |
Air Cycler Smart Exhaust Switch Install one of these on an existing bath fan in your house. It will let you set it to run 0-60 minutes per hour and bring in outside air through leaks and cracks in your home. Again, this is not the best strategy, but it's worth a try. If your bath fan dumps in the attic, be aware you are likely increasing mold risk. |
Wizard Stick Smoke Tester Yes, it's a toy. There, I said it. The smoke isn't poisonous, they work well for finding leaks, and they're about 20 bucks. On a windy day, look for blowing smoke. Also useful for seeing if your water heater is backdrafting. |
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Etekcity 1022D Non Contact IR Thermometer If you can't swing a FlirOne, this is a backup. The temp readings on FlirOne aren't super reliable, so you might get one of these too. Good for looking for cold spots or getting an idea of how hot a flue is. |
Moisture Meter General Tools MMD7NP There are 3 things that kill buildings: water, water, and water. Keep an eye on wet spots. This inexpensive tool will let you check if basement walls are wet in spring. Or if that roof leak got into the wall. Then, once you make a change, you can see if it worked. I use this on every energy audit. |
Aprilaire 45 Water Panel for 400 Model Humidifier If you have a humidifier and use it, be sure to replace the water panel annually. They can get gross and cause issues. Check your model, this is probably not the right pad. Be very careful using your humidifier, it can cause attic mold or allergies. If you have a manual humidistat, leave it turned down to no more than 30% relative humidity. See Level 3 for a better option. |
IAQ Level 2 (Less than $1000)
We hate wasted money. These more expensive interventions should not need to be undone, and would be part of a Home Performance project anyway.
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Frigidaire 70 Pint Dehumidifier Keeping a house dry is critical to indoor air quality and having a healthy home. This is the best rated dehumidifier I could find. Set it to 45% or so. It should help reduce VOCs and comfort issues. Avoid having the windows open while it's running, that dumps more humidity into the house for it to remove. These things don't last that long anymore, don't expect more than 2 years of service. Be sure to clean the filter when it says to. |
Frigidaire 70 Pint Dehumidifier With Built In Pump Same as the previous item but with a handy pump. The included hose is 15 feet long and can be connected to in order to make it longer. |
Panasonic Whisper Green Select Fan FV-05-11VKS2 If you don't have good, quiet bath fans in every full bathroom vented to the outdoors, fix it. This is one product from the Bath Fan Store. Panasonic makes really nice bath fans. Look for ones under 1 Sone for noise. If done right, the only way to tell if they are on is by looking at the switch. Can be set to 50, 80, or 110 cfm. Has an efficient ECM motor. Vent outdoors through the wall or roof using 6" hard duct. Seal the joints with mastic (a thick glue.) If you do insulated flex duct, be sure it's 6". Flex duct will reduce noise from outside, but increased pressure often makes fans louder. |
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IQ Air HealthPro Plus Air Purifier If you have a problematic room or live in an apartment, this could be a good solution. They are rather noisy on high speed (It has 5 speeds.) IQ Air seems to be the top of the line air purifier. A number of our clients have them and like them. I haven't attempted to do any measurement on them though. IQ Air claims to filter extraordinarily small particles, and the carbon filter should help with VOCs to some degree. If you get one, kindly report back your experience through the contact form! |
Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier Room air purifiers are worth a try. This is a fairly inexpensive yet highly rated one. Run it while you sleep. You might try a filter fan first from Level 1. |
Kill a Watt Electricity Monitor While Sense will watch your whole house for $300, this will watch one outlet for $20. If you think your fridge is a pig, find out. More of a toy than a tool, but if your kids want to help out with your Home Performance project, this may be just the thing. |
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Alen Fit50 Customizable Air Filter with HEPA Filter Quiet air purifier. The high end of Level 2 that will be useful after Level 3 or 4 Interventions. |
Oransi EJ120 HEPA Air Cleaner Very quiet air purifier, good for bedrooms or other places that need extra filtration. At this price, you might consider having a media filter added to your furnace, AC, or heat pump, a Level 3 intervention. Only do this if the pressure in your duct system is low enough that a better filter won't reduce its life. |
Panasonic FV-04VE1 Spot Energy Recovery Ventilator 30-40 cfm At first glance, this looks like a really cool product. It's an inexpensive way to provide fresh air to one room. Use this vent. A few caveats: 1) Unclear on how good the filter is or how to change it. Outdoor air is not that clean, it needs filtration, MERV 11+. 2) Only runs 10 minutes/hour below freezing. 3) Could blow cold air on you, mediocre heat recovery performance. Worth considering, but a Level 3/4 whole house solution connected to your HVAC, either an ERV/HRV or a ventilating dehumidifier is probably a better permanent option. |
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Ultravation UVP-6000 Portable Air Purifier This came recommended to me by an HVAC expert friend of mine. I have not used one personally. It's what's known as a PCO or photo-catalytic oxidizer. It shoots UV radiation at air going through it as a VOC reduction tool, supposedly without ozone production. If you aren't getting control over tVOCs with fresh air or dehumidification, you might try something like this, but consider PCO a last resort. |
Amagabeli 6" Carbon Filter The best way to remove odors and VOCs is with activated carbon (not UV lights). Hat tip to Michael Saraceno. This filter is made to knock down the smell of grow rooms (for tomatoes, duh, pot's not legal everywhere yet...) This and the inline fan almost fit in Level 1 at $110 together. I'm currently testing this setup in my house to knock down animal smells. (Old dogs and cats are pretty smelly...) |
Vivosun 6" 440 cfm Inline Fan You'll need a fan to use with the carbon filter to do a DIY solution. This is a centrifugal fan, which are much quieter than propeller type fans. It's also variable speed so you don't have to run it full out. You may need some 6" flex duct too. |
Level 3: HVAC Contractor Likely Required
Typically in the $1000 - $5000 range installed professionally. If you're already here, you may want to jump straight to Level 4, Comprehensive Home Performance. With Level 4 Planning, you can have high odds of success, where Level 3 still carries a fairly high risk of failure because it doesn't include much diagnostics and planning - it's a guess.
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Fantech Flex 100H Heat Recovery Ventilator This is here as a placeholder. Bringing outdoor air into a home is good for every home, not just tight ones. We don't actually love heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) or energy recovery ventilators (ERVs). They can bring in too much moisture in summer and cause problems or remove too much moisture in winter. |
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Aprilaire 400 Water Saver Humidifier with Digital Control Adding humidity in winter is often needed for comfort. This model uses 2/3 less water than standard whole house humidifiers. This model comes with a digital control that requires an outdoor temperature sensor so it can turn down humidity levels when it's cold outside. Be cautious with this measure. If you have mold sensitivities, this is probably not a good idea. If you haven't air sealed your attic, be cautious because this is a common cause of roof deck mold. DO NOT use manual controls that require you to raise and lower humidity levels. You will forget. Only use a digital control like this or a thermostat that will control humidity levels based on outdoor temperature. |
Aprilaire 45 Replacement Water Panel for Aprilaire 400 Water Saver Humidifier This should be changed annually. The water trickles through this and is evaporated into your HVAC system. |
