Top 8 Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality! Humidity, Range Hoods, Makeup Air, HRVs, & ERVs Explained!

HUMIDITY
YoLink Temp & Humidity Sensors: amzn.to/3sa8lby
Whole House Humidifier: amzn.to/3tJujCy
Whole House Dehumidifier: amzn.to/3tQ2usm
Point of Use Dehumidifier: amzn.to/3QhKcb9
RANGE HOODS
Remote Fan Hood (SUPER QUIET): amzn.to/475DlIG
Wall Mount Range Hood: amzn.to/46YlSBQ
Under Cabinet Range Hood: amzn.to/3rZZr0p
High Quality Range Hood Exhaust with Damper: amzn.to/473l5j4
MAKEUP AIR
Through Wall Passive Makeup Air (most simple & economical option): amzn.to/40dCq6K
Whirlpool Makeup Air Kit: amzn.to/3s1Q7Jn
AIR TREATMENT & FILTRATION
UV Air Purifier: amzn.to/46KGpKr
16x25 4" Air Filter Rack & MERV 13 Filter: amzn.to/3SgF5dG
16x25 Return Air Easy Install 4" Rack: amzn.to/40lmoHV
MERV 13 Filters: amzn.to/3FEDNla
CO2 Monitor: amzn.to/3FzG7dl
BATHROOM VENTILATION
Air Exchanger Bathroom Fan: amzn.to/3FzijGv
Standard Bathroom Fan (Squirrel Cage Blower): amzn.to/3SgBD2I
Motion Sensor Switch: amzn.to/3Sc1uch
Humidity Sensor Switch: amzn.to/47bZMvT
CRAWL SPACE
Vapor Barrier: amzn.to/46OwZgP
Dehumidifier: amzn.to/3s0qPeJ
LAUNDRY
Indoor Dryer Vent (not recommended): amzn.to/3Qve30Z
My Favorite Dryer Exhaust: amzn.to/3Qzoq3W
Stainless Steel Fancy Dryer Exhaust: amzn.to/3MfJvhl
My goal is to provide the best links possible and sometimes they won't be affiliate links. If I've earned it I would really appreciate if you would consider donating if you're able to help support our work! www.paypal.me/bensahlstrom
NO COMISSION LINKS:
Fantech HRV Most Similar to Mine (and cheapest): www.supplyhous...
ERV Version: www.supplyhous...
Air Exchanger with Recirculation: www.supplyhous...
Mixing Type Air Exchanger (not recommended in most cases): www.supplyhous...
ECOTOUCH Wall Control: www.supplyhous...
20 Minute Timer: www.supplyhous...
In this video we discuss home air quality and the available options for how to improve filtration & ventilation while eliminating sources of pollution and saving energy. There are so many factors for a topic like this so please let me know your top tips in the comments!
As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support!
Blessings,
Ben

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

You know what's funny? No one comments on the "funny" things I put in my videos like the KFC glove thing... 🤣🤣🤣

[@chippydog2]

Ben, do you have an open forum in which we can ask your opinion on things?

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

@chippydog2 Other than comments, not really. I suppose I could work towards adding forums to my website. Not sure how hard that would be to implement.

[@chippydog2]

@@BenjaminSahlstrom that would be a big help to a lot of DIY rs

[@ethanmye-rs]

In Colorado (and Utah, Nevada, New Mexico etc) many people use swamp coolers for AC. This has the effect of blowing huge amounts of air through the house, dramatically reducing the indoor co2 levels. It’s really nice, low cost option for AC in dry climates

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Would be awesome to have dry air like that! So cool that swamp coolers are effective in those climates.

[@Garth2011]

Nice family there Benjamin...lucky you two.

[@paulbaker3144]

Thanks for the thorough video. You got me thinking again about the air quality of this desert house. It’s not optimal. I seal it up tight all day with the A/C on. And I can smell the crawlspace. It really needs a energy recovery ventilator. But I got a alternative idea: a buried tube in the ground that lets in precooled air from the outside which then goes through a one way vent into the attic and up through a chimney. The entire house would act like a chimney and draw cooled air in. It would need to be gentle so it does not vent out all the air conditioned air and waste too much energy. Maybe a ERV would not waste as much energy but I’m tired of buying stuff. Another advantage of my idea is the attic is too hot and needs cooling. Pretty cool huh.

[@John-mj7jn]

I highly recommend getting a co2 monitor. I purchased a Temtop air quality monitor and discovered my home's co2 levels frquently spike after someone showers. After some troubleshooting, I discovered the water heater back drafts whenever the hvac blower is running. It has been this way for years and I never realized it! The Temptop model displays a graph of co2 over time making those spikes really standout.

[@EK--ry3lr]

The amount of make up air needed for running high cfm range hoods is significant. Matt Risinger did a great video just for this on the size needed vs motorized etc. Great video really have learned alot from you over the years. I'm getting close to finishing my house and plan on trying to incorporate several of these.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Such an overlooked topic. I think I've seen that video actually. That system he has is definitely top of the line with that Fantech variable speed makeup air system.

[@QuinnTheVegan]

This has been incredibly helpful. I am an HVAC apprentice on Vancouver Island and this helps both my house (and the people & animals within) as well as my career & customers. Thank you Benjamin

[@konstantinusstoyanov9749]

Your spouse is very intertaining / humor

[@petebovenzi8119]

I haven’t looked you up ina awhile. Your growth is astounding. Good video.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Welcome back! Slow but steady! Trying to do a better job with posting regularly. My editor hasn't been available for several months so I'm doing it myself again which I'm not super great at. Just gotta keep at it.

[@pdk79]

Man your content has only gotten better. Everything is explained so well. Thank you for another great video.

[@JCWise-sf9ww]

Thank you Ben for this very informative and helpful tips video,on improving air quality in the home. Our HVAC has the 15 mins/hr fan Circulate mode and we keep it on 24/7. My wife and Son don't like running our bathroom fans because they are too noisy, I always run the fan when I'm using 1 of 2 bathrooms. Our stove is a Jenair with the exhaust between the elect burners.

[@salvadorsepulveda6415]

Your channel is very educational, thank you for all the information.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

I'm thankful for the opportunity to help where I can!

[@Jon-hx7pe]

a major problem with ranges hoods as installed commonly is the exhaust pipe is only 4", restricting flow. Contractors think they're like bathroom exhaust fans and automatically use 4" and never bother to read the instructions. most need 6".

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

6" is a must for sure!

[@Jon-hx7pe]

if it's a smaller hood like 100-150 cfm and run is short, 4" can work fine but still not recommended. Across the board, I wish contractors would read and follow the instructions and spec sheets for the stuff they install. @@BenjaminSahlstrom

[@MAGAMAN]

Why would you use a 4 inch pipe on a 6 inch vent? If the range hood connection is 6 inches, it obviously should be 6 inches the entire way. Contractors that do this aren't ignorant, they are lazy and cheap. These vents also need to be rigid metal piping, not flexible piping or plastic piping.

[@Jon-hx7pe]

the duct connection on most range hoods it a rectangle, and it takes a rectangle to round adapter /boot which contractor supplies.@@MAGAMAN

[@midnight-xpress1136]

I live in Washington state, I bought a manufactured home in Oct 2023, during the winter our humidity ran roughly 35 to 45%. In the acceptable range. But summer time we were hovering 58 to max 70%. I have a portable A/C unit it has a dry function. Which when ran could pull the humidity down to 60%, still on the high side. I fear there were never an accommodation for ant type of make up air. I have a hood vent, bathrooms have vent fans, and a whole house vent fan that runs 24/7. I have no idea if there is any kind of way this house exchanges or draws air in. But I guess it pulls any air in the house from where ever it can. Because my woman do cussed feeling cold air drawing in from the electrical outlet area. I have central forced electric heat, there is no transfer of outside air accommodation. Here in the PNW, they are so stuck on the idea of keeping a house vacuum sealed, to keep it Energy efficient, air quality takes a back seat and they, being home builders scratch their heads and shrug shoulders as to why new homes mold up quickly. Point being, if I have no real active or passive air make up what is a good start to keeping the humidity down?

[@kurtzxcvb3481]

Putting up a thumbnail reminder video with the video in the tagline also helps you get traffic😊

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Putting the title in the thumbnail?

[@kurtzxcvb3481]

@@BenjaminSahlstrom after you post the video you can post just a thumbnail with a link in it that way you get double the impressions and allows people to have a pop-up in your feet twice you can say something like just in case you miss my last video and have a picture of the thumbnail of the video and then in the link put the video helps people see it more

[@googacct]

Have you looked into any smart home automation? I have recently started using Home Assistant, which is open source and can be run locally. So you do not have rely on cloud services that may discontinue service at the drop of hat or sell your personal information. With some kind of whole house automation, you have a lot more control over temperature, humidity, air quality monitoring, power usage etc, For the winter, I just added some temperature sensors to afew places in my house where I have had problems with pipes freezing in the past. I can have the automation give me a warning if temperatures are getting close to freezing in those locations.

[@brianfuller8957]

Back drafting off line? Position the ductwork higher than the outlet! All venting ,( clothes drier, bath and kitchen vents) used to do this till I redesigned my ductwork! Remember, cold air sinks, warm air rises.

[@KALI1080]

oooooh you should do a video on that New Holland skid steer at 8:20.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Nice catch! That one is actually dads New Holland L175. I have an old New Holland L250. Sweet little rig. Can drive it through 36" doorway I believe. 😂

[@joeshmoe7899]

15:35 overpower the exchanger, to install merv 13 filter. I target 800 ppm co2.

[@NIAtoolkit]

The makeup air system through the HRV is a genius idea. You also get to temper the incoming air before distributing into the HVAC system

[@georged.sutcliffejr.4489]

Great job! You cover the various topics well.

[@joeshmoe7899]

14:57 bathroom vent should be controlled by occupancy sensor.

[@gracenelson6283]

Cool video, this was really interesting!

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Thanks!

[@Garth2011]

So true on the range hoods. However, there are those who have purchased hoods that RECIRCULATE the air and have charcoal filters that are supposed to help with the smells/stench but they will not take out the heat, the smoke, all of the smells and they will not collect as much of the grease particles that float throughout the air above the stove. The most guilty kitchens of this type of hood are those with the microwave over the cooktop/range even though they have an option to vent outside, most builders leave them in their default recirculate mode. Whats worse, the local ordinances/building codes do not demand hoods that vent outside. Same b.s. with bathroom vents...codes allow vents so useless in function to be used.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Range hoods that recirculate are garbage. I didn't even think to mention that in the video but I think I got the point across that it should vent outside hopefully.

[@Garth2011]

@@BenjaminSahlstromYes Yes, they are a complete fake. Air going to the exterior is the only way to make it happen.

[@Garth2011]

Quiet range hoods are fitted with squirrel cage fans/motors vs. cheap low cost fan blades that make most of the noise and move the least amount of air. Squirrel cage blowers are the best when it comes to moving large amount of air with the least amount of noise. The only way to go and yes, the remote installed fans are good for even less noise but I'm unsure of their cost/value and maintenance needs.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

I definitely agree that squirrel cage is a must.

[@HDEasyArtSchool]

I love YOU your videos 🎉🎉🎉

[@wattheheck6010]

Excellent, Ben!

[@mikafoxx2717]

Uhg, so many problems with my place. West coast, temperate rainforest. Humidity was 100% @ 20C outside today, near the first day of August. Mild but very wet most of the year. No bathroom vent or rangehood. Ancient house with ZERO insulation, just an air gap between planks and drywall and plaster. Unfinished basement with some dirt crawlspace with no vapor barrier as a bonus. At least there's plentiful air leaks for fresh air, from all the single pane windows, and etcetera. Soon we'll have a heat pump so it's not just a wood stove and window AC! Sometimes you think it would just be easier to tear the place down and rebuild from scratch, feels like this place has the building code level of a chicken coop. At least it looks heritage and unique unlike a lot of the copy paste houses around.

[@paulbaker3144]

You live in one of the mildest climates on earth. I Iived all over the west coast for 50 years before moving to the desert SW. Yes, it was normal to have no car A/C, no house A/C, no or little insulation, wood heat, etc. It works, is simple, and was cheap. All this Machinery in the house is expensive and complicated. Did you see now many gizmos he had to buy to make his modern house have air quality. There has to be a better way. I’m guessing it’s in the Midwest somewhere. Whoa! But I can relate to where you are coming from. I lived in some very old farmhouses that were funky and crude. And it was a Liam to try and make a old crusty house perform better. I did so much work on one of them and it was still not very good. Cold and drafty in winter and hot and muggy in summer. And the fang rodents could get into the basement which was gross.

[@RobertKohut]

Interesting! 🙂

[@joeshmoe7899]

23:07 uv is controversial. Researbefore buying. Some recommend filtration only.

[@MAGAMAN]

Don't use really high MREV rated filters. 7 is really the highest you would want to go. Anything higher will put a ton of stress on your AC system and drastically shorten it's life. Also, the higher the MERV rating, the faster it will clog, meaning you need to replace it even more often. If you have a lot of dust, get an air purifier, or better yet, figure out why you have so much dust and fix the problem. I just use the ACE hardware brand filters which cost about $5 each and sometimes are on sale as buy 3 get one free.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

The only way higher MERV filters will work is if you get the 4" thick ones.

[@rikardlalic7275]

I think you should let your wife manage her kitchen the way she likes.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

You're definitely right!

[@petebovenzi8119]

I sensed that in her face

[@nicholasnarcowich9163]

The data is interesting, but not too personate to my mobile home, but still quite interesting. You mentioned that you have had some issues with KZbin not ranking your videos well... suggestion: Make more, but shorter. I love some 5 minute videos about gardening. 5 Minutes of how to plant this or that, the sun & water the plant needs, then we are done... You had 8 items, 29 minutes, could have been 8 videos less than 5 minutes each. Easy for someone to forward one to a friend that may have an issue with that item, but forward a 30 minute vid for a 5 minute watch??? not likely. I do like your videos, fun to watch, informative... hope this helps. :-)

[@MAGAMAN]

That HRV looks like it's probably letting bugs in the house because the cob webs are also on the other side. Shouldn't there be some kind of filter on it?

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Maybe? It's also possible that the cob webs on the other side came from the basement. The filter inside of the HRV is generally adequate.

[@skumbriev1ch]

Lower the hood down, upsize the duct for the hood

[@csbarbourv]

Did you link to the CO2 detector? I can’t find it.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

CO2 Monitor: amzn.to/3FzG7dl

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

What is your top recommendation for improving IAQ?

[@Jon-hx7pe]

central vac vented outside.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

@@Jon-hx7pe My dad actually has one of those! Worked great until something big got sucked up and disabled it. Was awesome while it lasted!

[@Jon-hx7pe]

yes, blockages are a problem - you unclog by putting a shop vac in the outlet - sometimes while the central machine is still running to move the clog back and forth until it frees.@@BenjaminSahlstrom

[@naomisahlstrom]

I, the Plant Jungle Queen, am the first to comment!! 🎉

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

😄

[@ravenousvisages]

You can decrease the noise of a range hood easily by integrating a duct booster on the exhaust duct. Wire it to a switch in your kitchen. This costs less than the hood itself. Another thing that surprisingly can cost less than a range hood is... A microwave combo range hood.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Good tip! Personally I've never liked microwaves. I know it's dumb but I like not having one above the stove.

[@MAGAMAN]

Microwave range hood combos don't move Jack for air. A duct booster on your range hood vent is a good way to catch your house on fire as it pulls grease through the fan motor. You would need a specialty fan that is sealed to prevent sparks from being accessible to the air flow, such as they use in paint shops and other places that use flammable chemicals.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

The booster fan would definitely need to be designed for the application.

[@ravenousvisages]

@@MAGAMAN I suggest contacting your congressman if you want safety standards over your range hoods to match that of a volatile vapor paint shop. I am not sure why you would want that. What are you cooking. Hmmm. The replacement motors for common range hoods are cheap $30 simple electric motors on the shaft, same as any duct fan motor or bath vent fan. Common sense would see a ducted brushless (zero brushes = zero spark) fan motor midway of the duct exhaust would be much further from the grease hitting the range hood grease filter. Hence the reason the noise would also be lower. Keep the range hood on low, and let the duct booster double the cfms.

[@MAGAMAN]

Don't always use the furthest burners. That's just stupid. Use the front when cooking. Quiet range hoods don't move much air, unless you have a remote motor. Don't buy a cheap range hood either. I spent some time doing research and ended up with a quite expensive Z-line range hood. I had a bit of a unique situation where my range hood vent piping wasn't centered on the stove (kitchen remodel) because there was a stud in the way and their tech support answered all my questions and helped find a range hood I thought would fit. Unfortunately, my inability to measure correctly ended up causing a minor problem, but It was easily solved by running a line through the ceiling and out through the attic wall.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Haha, you're probably right about the burner situation. I just wish there was a bigger burner in the middle! I agree that a higher quality range hood is a good investment, however I have had great luck with my $150 400cfm hood. It's amazingly decent and can move around 400cfm. The main thing is that having any range hood is better than none!

[@bernardreynolds1568]

Do you still do passive when it is cold outside? Does that make the basement the same temperature as the outside air?

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Still do it in cold weather. It just takes more heat to counter the cold, fresh air, but it's necessary. Same thing happens even without makeup air since it just pulls through gaps and cracks.

[@jaynaysayer4677]

Any plans to sell "Ben S" T-shirts?

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Possibly! I was honestly hoping to come up with something more interesting than just my name though.

[@cobbles62]

Yes. Get yourself a CO2 gauge. It's fun. I noticed a CO2 gauge is also an easy indicator to tell you how air tight your house is. If you turn all ventilation off and your CO2 level does not quickly go up or it maxes out at a level that is still perfectly survivable then you know you have a leaky house. If your CO2 level does not max out and keeps on going up then you start to realize you might want to install an ups on your ventilation system 🙂 PS when you get a CO2 gauge please be aware of the trickyness of it's auto-calibration system.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

That's super interesting! Definitely going to need to get one coming. Do you have any specific recommendations on which one to get?

[@cobbles62]

Sorry, no. I'm experimenting with a bare sensor, the MH-Z19B, hooked up to an Arduino. My plan is to regulate ventilation based on CO2 levels. So far I noticed the two people in our house really don't need much ventilation at all. Just a tiny constant whiff. (Filtering and circulating is a different matter though) Which brings me to another point. I had an HRV in the past and although the thing was super efficient, that efficiency seemed to be more than undone by the increased amount of ventilation. A cracked open window letting a whiff of fresh air in would make me lose less heat than my expensive HRV running 24/7 at 70% efficiency.:-( So I experimented with timers and humidity sensors to run the thing for short periods, because even at the lowest most efficient speed it would pump too much. Now I have the impression that a beautiful HRV and it's needed maintenance just does not seem to weigh up to a well placed hole in the wall (close to or even inside the A/C return). I don't seem to need to ventilate much at all to keep CO2 levels healthy. Regulation based on CO2 levels seems to be the way to go while working with those numbers of cu.ft. per person are yesterday's way of thinking. Long story short: An HRV is great, but keep an open mind about it's presumed advantages.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

We use the cone of silence while cooking

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

🤔

[@FamilyStyleLearning]

Hmmm, I should get a range hood 😂

[@naomisahlstrom]

YES! 😂

[@tedlahm5740]

Have not heard from you in some time.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

3 weeks to be exact! Glad you're here!

[@ayadkachou2423]

The duct cleaning is another method .

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

I've always been a skeptic of duct cleaning however I should probably research it some more.

[@Jon-hx7pe]

it's a scam - unless you really need it. it's not part of routine maintenance, especially on the supply side which stays clean.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Seems like using quality HVAC filters and changing them regular is probably the most important.

[@tedlahm5740]

Open a window. Low cost remedy?

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

I talk about that at 7:50! :)

[@Garth2011]

Doesn't really help the long run due to grease build up...

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

I think he was talking about makeup air? If for a range hood then a window is definitely not a great alternative.