How to equilibrate house to lower CO2?

Miami Reef · Jul 26, 2023

We did lots of cooking with the gas range. I noticed my pH is a lot lower than usual, so it’s time to open the windows.

What’s the quickest way to get the excess CO2 out? I live in hot, summer Florida, so I’d like to do this as quick as possible, then shut down the windows.

Will utilizing fans help, or should I just open all the windows and let it fix itself after a few hours?

I already noticed a nice pH rise after allowing indoor CO2 to passively escape.

blaxsun · Jul 26, 2023

Fans could help. Windows will definitely help. Just removing a bunch of Co2-breathing bodies will also help.

Miami Reef · Jul 26, 2023

blaxsun said:
Fans could help. Windows will definitely help. Just removing a bunch of Co2-breathing bodies will also help.

I was referring to fans either pointing toward or away from the window. Will that change the rate that CO2 gets exchanged, vs allowing it to exchange passively?

blaxsun · Jul 26, 2023

Miami Reef said:
I was referring to fans either pointing toward or away from the window. Will that change the rate that CO2 gets exchanged, vs allowing it to exchange passively?

Yes, I figured. If you're pointing it out one window you may want another fan pulling it in from another window. I don't know what you all have for AC/HVAC, but that will also help.

I did mean what I said about the human component. When my wife is at work and kid away at school during the week, my pH is a higher than when everyone is home on the weekend.

PeterC99 · Jul 26, 2023

Simple CO2 recirculating scrubber is an efficient and effective way to remove CO2 and raise pH. Keeps my pH between 8.3 & 8.5 all year round.

thatmanMIKEson · Jul 26, 2023

Miami Reef said:
We did lots of cooking with the gas range. I noticed my pH is a lot lower than usual, so it’s time to open the windows.

What’s the quickest way to get the excess CO2 out? I live in hot, summer Florida, so I’d like to do this as quick as possible, then shut down the windows.

Will utilizing fans help, or should I just open all the windows and let it fix itself after a few hours?

I already noticed a nice pH rise after allowing indoor CO2 to passively escape.

i use an attic fan that's located in the hallway. if I turn on the fan and crack a few windows it pulls in alot of fresh air in a few minutes, yeah the hot Florida air comes with it but with the dehumidifier and ac it doesn't take long to cool back down. I have gas appliances also, luckily the dryer and water heater are in the garage.

Battlecorals · Jul 26, 2023

I’d consider an erv or energy recovery ventilator. Good way to get some fresh air into your hvac to circulate.

Up here in chilly Wi I’ve got a commercial heat recovery ventilator. That is kind of the cold weather version it’s a miracle for humidity too but may not be quite as effective down there The devs are supposed to help with humidity better in temperate climates. But I think it’s still pretty minimal.

Anyway. Definitely good for getting fresh air into your house when the air is on.

AKL1950 · Jul 26, 2023

If your kitchen oven fan vents to the outside, set it on low in the morning and it will keep your CO2 level low All day. If I cook (gas) I just put it on high till I finish. CO2 stays just above outside levels.

Miami Reef · Jul 26, 2023

AKL1950 said:
If your kitchen oven fan vents to the outside, set it on low in the morning and it will keep your CO2 level low All day. If I cook (gas) I just put it on high till I finish. CO2 stays just above outside levels.

That’s smart.

bushdoc · Jul 26, 2023

"What’s the quickest way to get the excess CO2 out?"
There is even better way-prevention.
Use Grubhub.

Miami Reef · Jul 26, 2023

bushdoc said:
"What’s the quickest way to get the excess CO2 out?"
There is even better way-prevention.
Use Grubhub.

Genius!

bobnicaragua · Jul 26, 2023

I’m in Texas and I keep a window barely cracked all the time. Amazon sells bolt on window locks.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 27, 2023

Miami Reef said:
I was referring to fans either pointing toward or away from the window. Will that change the rate that CO2 gets exchanged, vs allowing it to exchange passively?

Yes. Bulk flow (wind) moves gases far faster than simple diffusion through still air.

Naturalreef · Jul 27, 2023

I will also recommend a recirculating Co2 scrubber. My house is tight and with kids friends in and out, my ph would be 7.9-8.1. $100 later, my Ph is 8.2-8.45 no matter the people. Icecap medium scrubber which includes media is $103. Recirculate it and media will last a month or two. I have a hrv boxed up that I will install as soon as I have free time for the family’s health.

Miami Reef · Jul 27, 2023

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Yes. Bulk flow (wind) moves gases far faster than simple diffusion through still air.

Would you push indoor air outside, or pull outdoor air inside?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 27, 2023

Miami Reef said:
Would you push indoor air outside, or pull outdoor air inside?

That's a good question.

If the goal is to change air in a specific room, I'd push new air in (I do that when its hotter inside and I'm trying to cool a specific room with outside air).

If the goal is to change the whole house, I'm not sure it matters, but pulling out with windows open at the far end of the home may work best.

jda · Jul 27, 2023

Open a window on either side of the house - where the most air can flow through the place from end to end. If it is not windy, put a $20 box fan in the window and close the window to hold it steady. Run this for a bit. Forced air is best. If you have ceiling fans, turn the on and let it mix the air in the rooms.

When you turn the AC back on, it will remix the air for the whole house. You might have to do it again since you will be pulling air through the HVAC system from places that still had the old air.

You can do this when it is cool, like in the mornings. If you ever get a cold front, then you can air out for a whole day and practically do a reset.

If you do not have a co2 meter, it is worth it, IMO. They are not expensive on Amazon or the like. You can almost tie tank pH to the co2 in the home once you have it for a while. For my tank, any co2 under 700 is OK, but under 600 is better. Unless it is like below 0F, I will air the house out once we hit 600 on the co2 meter. Summer is no problem because even when it is 100 degrees, it will be 58 or 60 at night, so a quick attic fan run in the AM is easy.

We have a viking range which has like one million BTU burners... well, something high like over 20K BTU and plenty of them. Our hood fan does nothing of note unless maybe you leave it on for hours after you are done cooking - it vents to the outside, but is like 6 inches and cannot stop burned food from setting off our old smoke alarms (changed them from ion to photoelectric). IMO, this hood is a rounding error for the house. Windows open and the attic fan do the dirty work if we need it. I got a few expensive digital CO alarms after getting a gas range and it has never read above zero even on big cooking holidays. The amazing thing about pro BTU range is that it cooks food so fast that maybe it breaks even with less BTU range that we had before that took longer. The gas oven can move the co2 more.

Freenow54 · Jul 27, 2023

Miami Reef said:
We did lots of cooking with the gas range. I noticed my pH is a lot lower than usual, so it’s time to open the windows.

What’s the quickest way to get the excess CO2 out? I live in hot, summer Florida, so I’d like to do this as quick as possible, then shut down the windows.

Will utilizing fans help, or should I just open all the windows and let it fix itself after a few hours?

I already noticed a nice pH rise after allowing indoor CO2 to passively escape.

I worked in the gas industry. When you put a cold pot of water on a burner it will produce 100 ppm of CO not just CO2. It is caused by what is known as flame impingement. Do you not have an exhaust fan over the stove ?The other question is if you have duct work for a form of heat I've been to Florida when its 55f. And or AC. If so you can add an HRV. It is really made for winter in cold climates but all it does is equalize the humidity by changing air in the house which you can run constantly

reefadam · Jul 27, 2023

More houseplants.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 27, 2023

reefadam said:
More houseplants.

That's actually not very useful unless you live in a packed greenhouse.

The data is available, but think of it this way, to counteract the CO2 you exhale from foods, the plants would need to add as much mass as the food you eat each day (or fraction of a day you spend in the home).