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Throughout most of the country, forced air is the most common form of heating and cool­ing in new construction. Besides quick re­sponse time, the main advantage of forced — air heating lies in the opportunity it gives the homeowner to commission modifications and additions to standard equipment to cre­ate a healthy air-distribution system. A modi­fied […]

A retired couple contacted John Banta because they were experiencing eye irritation and diffi­culty breathing caused by dust in their home. In spite of frequent vacuuming and dusting, an un­usually heavy deposit of dust was noted on the furnishings during the house inspection. John suspected that the furnace system was the source of contamination because […]

Methods of heating, cooling, and ventilating homes have many important health ramifi­cations that will affect us long after the initial building materials have outgassed and reached a neutral state. If we lived in a pristine natu­ral environment with low humidity and mild temperatures, we would be able to condition our homes without mechanical assistance by […]

Water Supply and Waste Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the standard for residential supply and waste piping. PVC plas­tic piping has been shown to outgas diethyl phthalate, trimethylhexane, aliphatic hydro­carbons, and other harmful gases. It should not be used for water supply piping in a healthy home. Because of the pollution resulting from both the manufacture […]

A barrage of chemical odors often assaults new homeowners as they enter their newly constructed home. Many people who have never before been affected by chemical sensi­tivities find they are bothered or made chroni­cally ill by prolonged exposure to the fumes in their new home. Sniffing finishing materials such as upholstery, carpets, and paint before […]

In Division 7 we discussed radon gas and miti­gation. There are several acceptable methods currently being used to measure radon in air and in water. Some test kits are available through local hardware stores (see Chart 13.1). It is important to follow the manufacturers in­structions precisely. Radon Testing in an Existing Structure The general procedure […]

Certain parts of the home, such as garages, at­tics, and crawl spaces, should be completely sealed from the rest of the house in order to prevent the passage of contaminated air into living spaces. One easy way to test for leaking airflow is to use a theatrical fog machine. This is the same equipment used […]

Blower doors consist of a sophisticated fan set in an adjustable frame. They are used to test airflow and pressure in a home. There are many uses for blower doors, such as detection of leaks in walls and in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system duct­work. You can also determine if the ventilation is […]

Thermal imaging using infrared cameras has rapidly become an affordable tool for diagnos­ing moisture problems. This versatile tool is also used for energy conservation audits (see the next section) and can detect overloaded electrical circuits, poor electrical connections, and “hot spots” on electrical equipment that may indicate a potential failure or fire hazard. Infrared cameras […]

Newly constructed buildings generally have higher humidity levels caused by the moisture inherent in building materials and processes. It is important to dry enclosed buildings out quickly to levels that will not support mold growth and to verify that acceptable levels have been reached and are maintained. Hu­midity should be monitored and controlled from the […]