InSPECKtion Series: Electric Clothes Dryers and High Speck Numbers and Possible Solutions.

About a week ago, we got an email from Jim in Portland, Oregon. He purchased a Speck 2.0 and has been using it to explore how his appliances affect the air quality in his home.

Jim states below...

"The [Speck] reading went from 200 to 7,000 counts while we were running the clothes dryer today! Yikes. Clothes dryer probably pulling in outside air by a vacuum when running according to my engineer son, who knows about particle sensing as he works for Intel Corp."

According to FineHomeBuilding, electric dryers typically act as an exhaust fan and can create lower air pressure inside the house than outside. This pressure change can case a backdraft - by definition, a backdraft can overpower the chimney draft of a naturally vented combustion device - including a furnace, boiler, water heater, or wood-burning fireplace. A backdraft will pull the exhaust particles back into your home (which could be why Jim saw an increase in his Speck count)!

In order to fix the problem, it's best to consult a professional. Reuben Saltzman writes a Home Inspector blog and poses some viable solutions here: http://www.startribune.com/why-water-heaters-backdraft-how-to-fix/226278041/.

Thanks to Jim for sharing his story! We are happy to hear that Speck allowed you to perform a home inSPECKtion!

InSPECKtion Series: Everything you need to know about carpet cleaning. Steam v Shampoo and Speck!

It's Spring cleaning time! Do you wash your carpets? Renée from Pittsburgh, PA used her Speck in a home inSPECKtion to explore why a non-asthmatic like herself was having trouble breathing when the carpets were cleaned.

Renée is a preschool teacher, mother of 3 (1 with asthma), dog owner and very much like you and I! Renée submitted the following story to us after shampooing her carpets just before the holidays.

I deep clean my carpets at least twice a year to remove dust and allergens - it makes me feel like my house is cleaner and like I am doing good for my family and my asthmatic daughter. I don't have Asthma myself, but when I use the carpet cleaner, I cough, sneeze and have trouble breathing. I've even used a rescue inhaler and left the house for HOURS after using the carpet cleaner. When I got my Speck, I decided to use it alongside of the carpet cleaner to expose exactly what was happening. See photo below.

My Speck number climbed to almost 7,000 counts at one point! No wonder I have to leave the house after I use this thing!

For reference, Renée used a a Bissel deep carpet cleaner rented from a local grocery store partnered with the wash that is purchased separately. What she now knows, thanks to Speck, is that the chemicals in the shampoo solution and the dust/allergens in the carpet are sucked up by the machine and then spit back out into the air resulting in a HUGE increase in indoor air pollution.

It is no secret that hardwood floors remove bad indoor air quality problems, but depending on the size of the home and quality of the wood, this can be an expensive fix. Renée has now switched to using a professional carpet cleaning company (certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America) to steam clean her carpets. Check out the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification for more details on why steam cleaning is more sanitary.

Thank you Renée for sharing your story! We are happy to hear that Speck helped you find a solution to keeping your family's home safe and clean!

Speck Featured on NPR

Speck was featured on NPR as a device available through Pittsburgh's Carnegie Library system to reduce air quality in homes.

From the middle of the article: "Horchner's family is amused by his vigilance, but now his daughter, Christine, and wife, Nadine, are gathered around the kitchen table to see what the Speck monitor will reveal. Horchner guesses an optimistic 10 or lower. Nadine predicts the room will yield a reading of 30."


Check out the full article and audio file here: A Home Air Quality Monitor That Can Be Checked Out From The Library

More info about Speck: www.specksensor.com