Air Tight is Too Tight!

Just like you need oxygen to operate properly, so do fuel burning appliances in your home. When they don't get the oxygen they need to completely burn fuel such as wood, natural gas, propane or kerosene, carbon monoxide is produced. Make sure your home always has an adequate air supply…for you and your fuel burning appliances.

If your home is tightly sealed to make it energy efficient, consider investing in an air exchange system. Professionally installed, they change the air inside your home, usually every 24 hours, with a fresh supply without wasting heat.

When renovating or building, consider installing heating systems and appliances, such as fireplaces, that have a direct feed of outside air for combustion so they don't draw air from inside the home. The combustion chambers are sealed so they're safer and more energy efficient.

Be mindful that the air you exhaust from your home has to be replaced. Powerful exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens or open hearth wood burning fireplaces can quickly vent large amounts of air. Some can actually create a negative pressure inside your home resulting in a back draft which will draw exhaust fumes back into the house.

What's the simplest way to ensure there is enough fresh air to go around? Open a window.