2012 District Lesson Seven Principles of Healthy Housing KEEP IT well-ventilated

1. 2012 District LessonSeven Principles of Healthy HousingKEEP IT well-ventilated

2. CECP Core Competencies: Housing and Environment • Cooperative Extension Curriculum Project: • “The initial focus is curriculum for professional development competencies. The intent of the project is to increase the breadth and quality of training while using human and financial resources more efficiently.” • These are just some essential concepts that apply to Keep it Well-Ventilated. • Housing Maintenance and Care: • The role of routine home inspection by the consumer in maintaining the value and structural integrity of the home. • The role of preventive maintenance in maintaining the value and structural integrity of the home. • Household cleaning: • The importance of routine household cleaning. • Indoor Air Quality – General • The most common indoor environmental contaminants. • Sources of indoor environmental contaminants. • How indoor air quality relates to human health and safety. http://srpln.msstate.edu/cecp/resources/core_fcs.htm

3. Seven Steps to a healthy home • Keep it Dry • Keep it Clean • Keep it Safe • Keep it Well-Ventilated • Keep it Pest-free • Keep it Contaminant-free • Keep it Well-Maintained

4. What is ventilation? • The term ventilation means to circulate air as to freshen; to cause fresh air to circulate thought (as in a room)

5. Why do we need ventilation? • Proper ventilation… • Keeps moisture levels down (obvious examples include kitchens and bathrooms) • Helps to reduce the concentration of contaminants in the home. If too little outdoor air enters the home, pollutant levels can build up.

6. Why do we care? • Excess levels of some pollutants can cause death (ex. carbon monoxide) • Excess levels of others can aggravate (ex. volatile organic compounds)

7. How does air enter the home? • Air enters a home in one of three ways: • infiltration • natural ventilation • mechanical ventilation Simple way to check for too much infiltration: At night, hold a flashlight towards a closed door. If a person on the other side can see the light, then consider sealing the cracks. You’ll save energy!

8. We mainly use natural and mechanical methods to increase ventilation

9. Keep it well-ventilated • Proper venting • Use localized vents in places like kitchens and bathrooms to remove moisture and contaminants at the source

10. Keep it ventilated • Make certain that vent actually vents to the outside and is not blocked… Periodically check the vent damper to make certain that it is not blocked. For example, plants can grow and cover the damper, keeping it from working!

11. Keep it ventilated: Hvac • HVAC means heating, ventilation, air conditioning • Have the HVAC unit inspected annually; this will help you save money! The machine will work more efficiently and last longer with regular care • Given that we’ve had some earthquakes … inspect the ductwork and make certain that ALL connections are connected! Otherwise, the “bought air” is being wasted!

12. Activity • Replace the filters regularly; be certain to read manufacturer's instructions to find the right filter for your unit • Do you know where the filter is in your home? Can you change it? In a hallway: Example of a very dusty return air grille; filter is located behind…

13. tool • Let’s take a look at a simple HVAC filter • Does it work for all homes? • How much did it cost? • How often should it be replaced? • Let’s read the the fine print… anything interesting? This is an example of a of filter. It is made by 3M. There are many kinds of filters available. http://www.filtrete.com

14. Thank you! Keep it Well-Ventilated