Carbon Dioxide levels in home with RAS

[Cecil]

I've been waking up once in a while with headaches and today the headache is really wicked accompanied by nauseau and bowel problems. Is it possible my RAS in the lower level of the house is building up C02 in the house? The house has been closed up due to the hot weather this summer with a geothermal cooling system running.

[Cecil]

Additionally how difficult would it be to produce sufficient ventilation in a 16' by 16' room to remove the C02? Installing an exhaust fan would be easy but I thinking return flow would be necessary. This could be problematic due to extreme outside temps. Perhaps there is a clever economical solution?

[GaryD]

Hi Cecil,

You could exhaust your basement to atmosphere while drawing air from your house.

The main body of your house requires some air exchange for basic health purposes.....so you might as well vent your house through your basement while resolving any build up of carbon dioxide in either place.

If you've got things too tightly closed up in your house, the likelihood that you and your family (rather than your fish) is the carbon dioxide culprit.

Gary

[jet]

Some household smoke detectors work on CO detection sensor. Cheap and easy way to check. Alarm level is quite high though
I have a wearable alarm but costs $150. http://www.detectcarbonmonoxide.com/

[Cecil]

Thanks all for your constructive comments. Here is the meter which I am using: (the one for $189.95 U.S. dollars. )

http://www.co2meter.com/?gclid=CKC_hK3x0qMCFUf75wodBn5YuA

[Cecil]

Well after spending close to $200.00 (U.S. dollars) on a sensor to determine if C02 levels get dangerously high I don't believe so. C02 levels seem to peak out in the 500 to 600 ppm range. Oh well at least I have piece of mind and it does measure humidity and air temperature.

Headaches must be due to something else. Have only woke up with one in the last two weeks though.

[kellenw]

Could it be allergies?

[Cecil]

Could it be allergies?

Could be. Perhaps mold spores? I can't wait to get the tank moved to a big room where I can keep it clean around the tank. There is some fish feed on the floor behind it that is impossible to clean up at the present time. Add some moisture and...

It could also be dehydraton. I wake up sometimes very thirsty.I've been drinking a big glass of water before I go to bed. Of course that creates another problem. I guess a trip to the john is better than a headache though.

The lack of humidity is really bad in the winter when we have to run a humidifier. I'm hoping two tanks in the basement by the air intake could solve that. At least that's what I tell my wife. :)

[Privatteer]

If your wife is not having the same issues it may be worth a visit to doctor.

[Cecil]

If your wife is not having the same issues it may be worth a visit to doctor.


Thank you for your concern! She had some headaches too but we haven't had any issues for several weeks since we turned off the AC due to cooler temps. I've also vented the house a little. My thoughts are the AC really dries out the air causing the dehyration. That and drinking more water before bed seems to have done the trick.

Soon I will be able to scour the small room with the tank (as I'm moving it to a much larger basement room) and that should take care of any possible mold issues.

[kellenw]

In the meantime, you might want to throw a dehumidifier in the fish room. It'll help some.

[Cecil]

In the meantime, you might want to throw a dehumidifier in the fish room. It'll help some.

Believe it or not I'm hoping to RAISE the humidity in the house especially this winter.

[mopa]

make sure its not carbon monoxide poisoning..? got any badly burning gas units?

[Cecil]

make sure its not carbon monoxide poisoning..? got any badly burning gas units?

CO is not an issue. The furnace is geothermal and there are no gas run appliances. Thanks for asking!

[GaryD]

Hi Cecil,

Nice to hear from you again.......where you been?

Gary