An interesting survey (Dan H.)

Unknown

Most homeowners are so unaware of the potential problems they can have with IAQ. It's not just a matter of filters, either. It's telling how the article mentions how so few new homes have mechanical energy recovery/heat recovery ventilation, and the suggestion about exhaust fans is a good one IF the fan takes the cooking smoke outside, but most homes only have the recirculating type which does nothing. The other extreme is the custom kitchen with the restaurant-grade range hood that exhausts so much air that unless adequate ventilation (make-up) air is available, it may overcome the chimmney draft and pull CO and other products of combustion back into the house.

DanHolohan

Thought I'd share this with you.

Survey

Constantin

Nice Product Endorsement

It's perhaps no accident that the article focused in part on Formaldehyde as a "problem" when JM has just released a Formaldehyde-free series of fiberglass insulation and it was the sponsor of one survey. Nor do I think it unusual for homes to be sealed up tight in the summer due to the heat. It's no different in the wintertime (though for the opposite reason).

Interestingly, most appliance manufacturers still pay no attention to some of the issues raised. For example, two years ago I could not find a gas or electric clothes dryer on the market that would allow direct-vent operation. The Appliance Samurai was not aware of any either. Thus, all but condensing dryers need make-up air in some shape or form and in most homes it'll be via infiltration. Since then I have yet to see a dryer advertise direct vent operation as well.

Ditto for most range hood/stoves/ranges. Here is a perfect opportunity for manufacturers to pair intake and exhaust to ensure a balanced operation. It would be innovative and it would minimize the impact of all the make-up air that commercial-stoves require (i.e. blow the air into/around the range, not the house, hopefully the range hood will then extract most of it right out again).

It's curious that price-sensitive appliances like water heaters figured out long ago how to do this, yet premium appliances for finicky customers have not. What a great potential way to differentiate your product from the competition - particularly in new construction or gut jobs where the additional labor (for the intake) would present a minimal marginal cost.