Ah, Tiny House living…reduced housekeeping, reduced energy bills, reduced air quality—uh-oh! The fact is that while tiny houses provide a simplified lifestyle in many respects, the indoor air quality can be compromised. Your tiny house could be creating a dangerous microclimate that can result in health issues from minor to more serious.
What’s causing the problem?
Even though you’re operating on a small scale, some normal, everyday activities performed in a small space can produce harmful effects in your air. These can contribute to allergic reactions, headaches, and more.
- Unvented LP Gas appliances: Residual carbon monoxide is one of the more serious problems that can occur when you use unvented cooktops, heaters, and refrigerators.
- Dust: While there is less for it to land on, it accumulates more quickly—especially if you have a furry friend.
- Odors: Cooking, the bathroom, a pet, can all create unpleasant odors.
- Indoor Plants: These are good, right? Well, they produce extra moisture and can be the source of possible mold in the soil and your tiny house.
- Excess Moisture: Everyday activities—even breathing can contribute moisture to your indoor air which, in turn, gives rise to mildew and mold growth. For more in-depth information about handling humidity in your tiny house, check out our relevant blog post.
How do I Maintain Healthy Indoor Air?
Your thoughts may go directly to an air purifier when considering options for improving your tiny house’s air quality. And an air purifier is a great idea. But there are other considerations that may work along with an air purifier to ease your poor indoor air quality.
Tiny House Ventilation
One of the best ways to ensure healthy indoor air is better ventilation. Most tiny houses are tightly constructed to conserve energy and keep out unwanted pollutants, but the downside is that compromised air is trapped inside. Opening a window can let in allergens and isn’t always the best solution. Here are a few simple ways to exchange that compromised air for healthier air.
- Kitchen and/or Bathroom Fans: Exhaust unpleasant odors and residual gases from your kitchen by installing an exhaust fan.
- Energy Recovery Ventilator: This type of ventilator removes stale air and replaces it with fresh air. Especially useful in warmer climates like the Southern regions of the US.
- Heat Recovery Ventilator: Similar to an ERV, an HRV recovers heat from exhausted, stale air and adds fresh air coming inside. These are best for cooler climates such as the Northern sections of the US.
- Passive Make-up Air Ducts: These vents are another inexpensive solution and work by providing make-up (supply or outdoor) air to balance indoor vs. outdoor air pressure. They operate on a continuous basis and are simple to use.
Air Purifier for Your Tiny House
Often, rainy or foggy weather conditions make the outside air heavier so that even with ventilation, indoor air can become stale, laden with odors, and even contain dangerous VOCs. This is when an air purifier can make a huge difference in your tiny house. Air purifiers trap large particles like dust and fur, as well as micro-particles like pet dander, pollen, bacteria, and other allergens. Check out these small powerhouse air purifiers.
- Rabbit Air MinusA2: This wall-mountable air purifier gives you options when selecting which type of filtration best suits your needs.
- Blueair 411: At a mere 8 inches in diameter and 16 inches tall, this air purifier provides 3 fan speeds and true HEPA filtration, plus is Energy Star qualified.
- LG PuriCare: This modern-style unit can just as easily sit on a counter, table, or shelf, as it can on the floor. Providing HEPA & VOC filtration, it helps reduce odors while cleaning the air.
- Envion Therapure: This 4-stage air purifier also has a UV-C light that kills trapped microbials. Its slim, 22-inch-high size sits easily in a corner.
How to Detect Serious Issues
If you have headaches, dizziness, or other symptoms and suspect an unhealthy level of carbon monoxide, radon, or other volatile organic compound (VOC) in your tiny house, a detector is your best bet to determine what is causing your problems.
Radon is found in all 50 states, so the chances are you may have some in your tiny home. Since it can only be determined by detection, a radon detector is essential. Some detectors, like those from AirThings, track other VOCs as well and provide a visual indication of your air quality. Air Quality Monitors can provide information on an ongoing basis.
A gas detector like that from Safety Siren provides constant monitoring with an audible alarm when unhealthy levels are detected. Other smart air quality monitors send information to your smartphone or tablet, so you’re aware of any problem that arises whether you’re at home or away.
For specific problems, a simple home test can help uncover suspects like mold or excessive allergy triggers. The cost of the lab test is also included, as are testing supplies, procedures, and lab results from a comprehensive indoor environmental laboratory.
Questions?
For additional information and help in finding your best tiny house solutions, contact one of our experts at 1 (800) 934-9194 for help.
