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> The good news is that I stopped worrying about making my house "tight" for the sake of energy efficiency. I keep some windows cracked all year and don't worry

> The good news is that I stopped worrying about making my house "tight" for the sake of energy efficiency. I keep some windows cracked all year and don't worry about how tight the door seals are. The point of having "tight" houses is not (just) about energy efficiency but about air quality as well. The general mantra is build tight, ventilate right. It's why modern building codes mandate air tightness and having ERV/HRVs. By having a leaking house you do lose efficiency because in summer the air you paid to cool goes out and the hot-humid comes in, and in winter the air you paid to heat escapes and the cold comes in. But in addition to temperature (and humidity/moisture) you also get things like pollen, brake dust, (depending on your region) wildfire smoke, etc. By ventilating right with ERV/HRV, you remove stale air and bring in tempered fresh outside air that you filter before distributing throughout the building. Air quality is also why 'spot ventilation' is also generally mandated at certain locations like over a cooktop/range in the kitchen, and in bathrooms (where the primary purpose is not taking care of smells (though helpful), but rather moisture from showers/baths). * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIcrXut_EFA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIcrXut_EFA * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTBNNhUH5V8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTBNNhUH5V8 * https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/app/uploads/sites/default/files/Houses%20Need%20to%20Breathe%20Right_FHB178.pdf https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/app/uploads/sites/defau... * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFfH1ljQgN07&t=3m14s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFfH1ljQgN07&t=3m14s

cucumber3732842 3mo ago
Not everywhere is LA. How much does implementing all that cost? What degree of benefit does it offer over simple window in situations where those concerns are negligible? What other benefits to human life could be procured with that money? It just boggles the mind that people feel emboldened to only look at one side of the equation.
- throw0101a 3mo ago
  > Not everywhere is LA. > How much does implementing all that cost? What degree of benefit does it offer over simple window in situations where those concerns are negligible? What other benefits to human life could be procured with that money? Everywhere not being LA is actually an argument for ERVs/HRVs. The weather in LA (AIUI) is fairly even and consistent and it is probably fairly easy to just open a window. But if you're in Texas with high humidity, or Arizona with high heat, or north of the Mason-Dixon line where people get winter, it's kind of hard to open a window when it's 0 or -10 outside. If you have stale air (perhaps as measured by high CO2) what are you supposed to do? Over the July 4, 2026, weekend it's supposed to get >90F/>32C on the east coast of the US: do you want to open your windows and let all of that heat in? Especially if you already have an AC unit so paid to run it get your home's inside temperature down? If you have a place with ducts, you can purchase an ERV and tap into that for US$ 1000: * https://www.hvacquick.com/products/residential/HRVs-and-ERVs/Residential-ERV https://www.hvacquick.com/products/residential/HRVs-and-ERVs... or even less: * https://hvacdirect.com/air-cleaning/erv-air-exchangers.html https://hvacdirect.com/air-cleaning/erv-air-exchangers.html And even in milder climates (like LA), have the ERV suck in air from the outside through an MERV 13(+) carbon filter, and not only do you deal with things like wild fire smoke, but wild fire smell: * https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/blog/wildfires-make-indoor-air-quality-a-top-priority-for-homeowners https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/blog/wildfires-make-indoor... * https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-513cbn-odor-reduction-filter-replacement-for-whole-home-air-purifiers-merv-13-with-activated-carbon-removes-odors-from-pets-and-cooking-filters-vocs-and-particulates https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-513cbn-odor-re... It is possible to make your indoor air cleaner than the air outside.
mort96 3mo ago
I would not want to live in a city where I have to be careful letting in outside air or going outside because there's too much air pollution...
- throw0101a 3mo ago
  > I would not want to live in a city where I have to be careful letting in outside air or going outside because there's too much air pollution... 1. Not living in a city (polluted or otherwise) still does not solve the problem of letting out cooled air and letting in hot-humid air in the summer, and letting out warmed air and letting in cold air in the winter. If your CO2 is high are you going to crack open a window when it's -10 outside? Or in the middle of a heat wave (esp. if you have AC and paid to run it to cool your house). 2. Not-city living also has pollen and other allergen leakage. You're also more likely to get wild fire particulates in less urban areas. Building tight and ventilating right is applicable in all locations and all climates. And in the extreme case, if you believe the outside is the healthiest environment, live in a tent or under a tarp. :) Buildings were invented to have a separate outside and inside, and leaky houses reduce the effectiveness of that separation.
- kibwen 3mo ago
  Living in the countryside won't save you. I spent my childhood in a rural area and our house had the misfortune of being situated on a steep hill, so at all hours of the day and night you'd have cars and motorcycles and tractor trailers revving their engine to get up that hill. Every year we'd have to powerwash that road-facing side of the house to clean off the accumulated black grime, and sleeping with my window open, which faced that same road, always caused me to wake up raspy and hacking. Cars are a problem no matter where you live.
  - irishcoffee 3mo ago
    Cars are not a problem no matter where you live. You described a very specific circumstance and projected it on to all rural areas, which doesn’t work.
    - 3mo ago
cryptonector 3mo ago
Uh, no, homes should not be airtight. You'd have a hard time closing exterior doors if they were, and anyways, houses need to be able to "breathe" to be able to keep humidity down (you don't want mold problems), oxygen up, CO2 down, etc.

cucumber3732842 3mo ago

Not everywhere is LA. How much does implementing all that cost? What degree of benefit does it offer over simple window in situations where those concerns are negligible? What other benefits to human life could be procured with that money? It just boggles the mind that people feel emboldened to only look at one side of the equation.

throw0101a 3mo ago
> Not everywhere is LA. > How much does implementing all that cost? What degree of benefit does it offer over simple window in situations where those concerns are negligible? What other benefits to human life could be procured with that money? Everywhere not being LA is actually an argument for ERVs/HRVs. The weather in LA (AIUI) is fairly even and consistent and it is probably fairly easy to just open a window. But if you're in Texas with high humidity, or Arizona with high heat, or north of the Mason-Dixon line where people get winter, it's kind of hard to open a window when it's 0 or -10 outside. If you have stale air (perhaps as measured by high CO2) what are you supposed to do? Over the July 4, 2026, weekend it's supposed to get >90F/>32C on the east coast of the US: do you want to open your windows and let all of that heat in? Especially if you already have an AC unit so paid to run it get your home's inside temperature down? If you have a place with ducts, you can purchase an ERV and tap into that for US$ 1000: * https://www.hvacquick.com/products/residential/HRVs-and-ERVs/Residential-ERV https://www.hvacquick.com/products/residential/HRVs-and-ERVs... or even less: * https://hvacdirect.com/air-cleaning/erv-air-exchangers.html https://hvacdirect.com/air-cleaning/erv-air-exchangers.html And even in milder climates (like LA), have the ERV suck in air from the outside through an MERV 13(+) carbon filter, and not only do you deal with things like wild fire smoke, but wild fire smell: * https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/blog/wildfires-make-indoor-air-quality-a-top-priority-for-homeowners https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/blog/wildfires-make-indoor... * https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-513cbn-odor-reduction-filter-replacement-for-whole-home-air-purifiers-merv-13-with-activated-carbon-removes-odors-from-pets-and-cooking-filters-vocs-and-particulates https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-513cbn-odor-re... It is possible to make your indoor air cleaner than the air outside.

mort96 3mo ago

I would not want to live in a city where I have to be careful letting in outside air or going outside because there's too much air pollution...

throw0101a 3mo ago
> I would not want to live in a city where I have to be careful letting in outside air or going outside because there's too much air pollution... 1. Not living in a city (polluted or otherwise) still does not solve the problem of letting out cooled air and letting in hot-humid air in the summer, and letting out warmed air and letting in cold air in the winter. If your CO2 is high are you going to crack open a window when it's -10 outside? Or in the middle of a heat wave (esp. if you have AC and paid to run it to cool your house). 2. Not-city living also has pollen and other allergen leakage. You're also more likely to get wild fire particulates in less urban areas. Building tight and ventilating right is applicable in all locations and all climates. And in the extreme case, if you believe the outside is the healthiest environment, live in a tent or under a tarp. :) Buildings were invented to have a separate outside and inside, and leaky houses reduce the effectiveness of that separation.
kibwen 3mo ago
Living in the countryside won't save you. I spent my childhood in a rural area and our house had the misfortune of being situated on a steep hill, so at all hours of the day and night you'd have cars and motorcycles and tractor trailers revving their engine to get up that hill. Every year we'd have to powerwash that road-facing side of the house to clean off the accumulated black grime, and sleeping with my window open, which faced that same road, always caused me to wake up raspy and hacking. Cars are a problem no matter where you live.
- irishcoffee 3mo ago
  Cars are not a problem no matter where you live. You described a very specific circumstance and projected it on to all rural areas, which doesn’t work.
  - 3mo ago

cryptonector 3mo ago

Uh, no, homes should not be airtight. You'd have a hard time closing exterior doors if they were, and anyways, houses need to be able to "breathe" to be able to keep humidity down (you don't want mold problems), oxygen up, CO2 down, etc.