Busting air quality myths

You can feel heat, you can touch insulation but you can’t see air which is why many people don’t understand the importance of good air quality.

Law changes in New Zealand have made insulation and heating mandatory in thousands of homes but ventilation is equally vital. And that requires much more than a small fan in the kitchen and bathroom.

Why is that? Well, let’s take a look at some common misconceptions:

Myth: New Zealand is a sub-tropical island

New Zealand is a beautiful country but is often pictured as a warm and sub-tropical destination. In reality, our average winter temperature is about 9C. Our climate is directly affected by our location in Oceania and the vast expanse of water surrounding us.

Most of our houses were constructed before things like double glazing and insulation and central heating were commonplace. They were not suitably equipped for our climate, allowing for dampness and mould to make themselves at home.

Myth: Well-insulated properties ventilate properly

To tackle the issues mentioned above, a new building trend emerged: airtightness. Today’s houses are constructed and designed to seal in the heat, making it much harder for them to ventilate naturally.

Ironically, we fixed one issue, but we also created a new problem with stale air and excess moisture now trapped inside.

A typical household produces about 12 litres of water per day from cooking, showering, and general living – the equivalent of a big bucket of moisture sloshing around your home. In addition, our busy lifestyle often means we spend most of our days out and about. That leaves little time to let fresh air in, particularly in cold weather when we often arrive home in the dark and certainly don’t want to fling open the windows then.

Continuous ventilation and adequate heating are key to maintaining good air quality in a healthy home.

Myth: Indoor air quality is better than outdoor air quality

New Zealand’s air quality is measured by the level of particulate matter (PM) we send into the atmosphere – generally caused by car exhausts and warming our homes in winter with wood and coal.

What’s less well-known is poor indoor air quality can have a hugely negative impact on your health.

Indoor air pollution is easily created from our everyday life, with moisture, wood fire smoke, perfumes, paint, household cleaners, pet dander, formaldehyde from furniture, carpet, building materials, the carbon dioxide we exhale, other chemicals and gases just to name a few examples.

We breathe in around eight litres of air per minute, which totals 11,000 litres of air per day, so it’s easy to see how fast indoor air pollution could affect our health. Properly-installed and ducted ventilation systems continuously push out the moisture-laden, stale air, replacing it with fresher, cleaner, drier air. This also assists in reducing carbon dioxide levels within the home.

If you liken the air inside your home to the water you drink, ask yourself ‘would I find it acceptable to drink dirty water?’ Surely not. So why would we breathe in dirty air?

Myth: Ventilation systems are expensive

Having a warm, dry and healthy home shouldn’t be a money issue. Once you have a ventilation system in place, it costs as little at 8c a day to run, and can save you money by reducing electricity and maintenance costs.

DVS Home Ventilation has been making Kiwi homes healthier for more than two decades and can help you enjoy a healthier home that has cleaner, drier air all year round. We have a wide range of ventilation, heating and cooling systems to fit your home’s needs, with prices depending on the number of rooms and size of your house. To help, we have a finance offer available with GEM Visa, with no interest and no repayments for 24 months (lending criteria, T&Cs apply). Get in touch today to discuss your options.

www.dvs.co.nz

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