Q I live in a recently built, well-insulated townhouse. Do you suppose waking up with morning headaches has anything to do with the stale air resulting from my home's tightness? As the interior humidity is already quite low, I'm reluctant to make much use of the air exchanger.
A I assume you have a digital carbon monoxide (CO) alarm on the floor you sleep on. (It's not a bad idea to have one on every floor.) These will sound if CO levels get high enough to endanger life.
A digital alarm with memory is a smart choice, because low levels of CO (below those that trigger the alarm) can be a concern. Get in the habit of glancing at the digital display box and pressing the memory button to see if CO levels that don't sound an alarm (generally starting at 30 ppm) have been recorded. Chronic low-level CO exposure doesn't kill, but it sickens. Some people are more sensitive to CO than others.
Also, even if your house is new, be sure to have the furnace, water heater and fireplace serviced every year and checked for possible CO production, even low levels.
Build tight; ventilate right
CO may not be the issue. If a house lacks proper ventilation -- air in the house does not get exchanged with fresh outdoor air -- then contaminants from building materials, household furnishings and daily living activities can build up in the air, causing poor indoor air quality. Those conditions can cause headaches, too, and they have nothing to do with CO.
If you have a well-insulated, tightly sealed house, good for you. Contrary to what many might think, it's not a bad thing. Such a home is more comfortable, will save you money and, because you'll use less fossil fuel, it's kinder to the environment. However, the house must be properly ventilated. As the saying goes in the field of building science: Build tight; ventilate right.
You must use your air exchanger. It's there for a purpose. It will exchange contaminated indoor air with fresh outdoor air on a regular basis. Yes, at this time of year, some of these units can overdry a home, but you can operate a humidifier to counteract it. Only do this, however, if you monitor indoor humidity levels with a hygrometer. (They measure indoor humidity and are available at home and hardware stores for $20 and up.) One of the worst things you can do in a home such as yours is to run a humidifier without paying attention to humidity levels. It can lead to mold growth that can degrade the home's structure and further contaminate household air. With a hygrometer tracking indoor moisture levels, you can operate the humidifier (either a whole-house unit attached to the furnace, or a stand-alone or console unit) safely for you and your home's structure.
