RE: Night Ventilation and IQAir vent kits

A Frequent Contributor, who is using window AC units to improve ventilation with 2 IQAir purifiers running, writes:

Brilliant. Thanks for the ideas, I will try out foam in the AC units, hopefully it won’t add some strange sound, cause it to work harder, or give any other problem.

Also, should I turn off the fan at night and just breathe only the recycling purified air? Or assuming I can get the flow reduced, should I leave the AC’s fan on 24-7?

Which is healthier?

Lastly, your ideas about the various AC filters are interesting.

I do like having AC units though, because it gives you more options (fan is sometimes nice in the summer, and AC once in awhile is a good thing, plus if I have guests over, they complain, although personally I like hot weather.)

Ed's Reply

Dear Contributor;

I consider two great failings of civilized life to be lack of daily sunshine and abundance of stale air at night.

This opens a big can of worms - carbon dioxide buildup during sleep and consequent carbonic acid in blood, sleep disorders including sleep apnea/snoring, sudden infant death syndrome (linked to pooling of CO2)... - and "medical" controversy.

The whole sleep disorders area, including recent sleeping-while-flying accusations against 2 Northwest airlines pilots for flying past their destination, in my opinion, boils down to two issues.

Chronic systemic inflammation and waste gas buildup.

These two occlude the circulatory system at night, blocking capillaries and obstructing immune function.

"Sleep Disorders" is a growing medical specialty, so common sense is unlikely to prevail.

So my answer is to keep fresh air circulating even if you have to filter it at the intake.

IQAir does offer a couple ducting kits to fit thru-wall or window, but like all IQAir stuff, they are pricey.

Google "IQAir InFlow W125 Ducting Kit with Wall Vent" for details.

Alot depends on your outdoor air quality. I have tried building my own homemade vent tube to suck in outdoor air through the area next to a window unit AC. This does work - a flexible metal tube and 1/8 inch piece of plywood with a hole for the tube, attached to the bottom of my IQAir - but on winter nights when neighbors wood stoves run it draws too much cold air.

I have found no solution for the uptown Houston situation. When there, I run 3 purifiers on high speeds, leave the window open about 4 inches, and run the exhaust fan in the bath to create negative pressure in the room. Air purifiers stand between me and the window as best they can.

Oxygenation, to encourage aerobic metabolism, and suppress anaerobic microorganism development - dysbiosis - is a key to well being.

Good luck with your project;

Ed