I live in a house that is very well insulated, consequently the heating/cooling costs are very reasonable, and I'm grateful for that. However, I'm becoming concerned with the quality of indoor air - specifically if the oxygen levels are dropping because the house is not getting the recommended number of air changes per hour, especially in winter months. I'm considering ventilation with a heat exchanger to insure adequate O2 levels, but I'd like to see if I really have a problem before I invest.I would like to find a reasonably priced indoor oxygen meter/monitor, that I can use for an occasional spot check. Anybody have a source?
They are quite expensive. Look at some school-type instruments at Carolina Biological Supply and Forestry Suppliers. The cheapest way - look at your fingernails and lips. Do you see a blue tinge? Open the door NOW and refresh the air. Seriously though - indoor air pollution is a serious problem. Plastics, cleansers, all of these and more give off volatile gases that can lead to asthma and worse. Ventilation with a heat exchanger is a good idea for sure!
keep in mind that no matter how much oxygen they give off during the day they create almost the same amount of carbon dioxide at night and the inside light is not bright enough for the plants to photosynthesis enough to be an oxygen producing machine you want. And if they would be able to create the amount of pure oxygen you want, the room would have to be airtight to see a benefit
The potential for energy saving is huge plus you would have excellent indoor air quality 24x7. You really don't need much ventilation if it is timed perfectly and adjusted for demand. Ideally, a few minutes after you leave the house, the fans should be winding down. Not surprisingly, on-demand ventilation is very common in industrial applications. This technology should be mandated by building code and built into every heat exchanger.
