I get the appeal of just tweaking fans and leaving doors open, but I’m not sure that’s enough in a lot of cases—especially with energy costs going up. Our last place was drafty, so yeah, we got away with less. But in our current (much tighter) house, it started feeling stale fast, even with all the fans running. We caved and put in an HRV. Not cheap, but honestly, air feels fresher and we’re not stressing about mold or CO2 buildup. Sometimes the upfront cost is worth the peace of mind, especially if you’re planning to stay put for a while.
That’s pretty much what I ran into after our reno—house got tighter, and suddenly the old “just crack a window” trick wasn’t cutting it. I ended up running a CO2 monitor for a bit, and was surprised how fast levels crept up even with fans on. HRVs aren’t cheap, but I’d rather pay upfront than deal with mold or moisture headaches down the line. Curious if anyone’s tried ERVs instead—do they make a noticeable difference in humid climates?
- Totally get where you’re coming from—after we moved in, I was shocked how stuffy the place felt, even with the bathroom fan running.
- Tried the “open a window” thing too, but it just didn’t cut it, especially in winter.
- We ended up looking into HRVs, but the price tag made us hesitate for a while. Still, I figured it’s better to deal with it now than risk mold or weird smells later.
- Haven’t tried an ERV yet, but I’ve heard they’re supposed to help with humidity swings. Our climate’s not super humid, so we stuck with an HRV.
- Honestly, you’re not alone—tight houses are great for bills but can be a pain for air quality.
- Good call on the CO2 monitor. I wish I’d thought of that before my partner started complaining about headaches...
- It’s a lot to figure out, but you’re definitely on the right track thinking about this stuff early.
I totally relate to the “stuffy house” thing. When we moved into our place last fall, I honestly thought just cracking a window here and there would be enough. Turns out, not so much—especially once winter hit and we didn’t want to freeze ourselves out. Even with the bathroom fan running, it always felt like the air was just... stale? My partner started noticing it first, complaining about feeling tired and getting headaches, which I brushed off at first. Looking back, probably should’ve paid more attention.
We looked into HRVs too, but yeah, the price made us pause. Ended up biting the bullet after some research and honestly, it’s made a bigger difference than I expected. The air just feels fresher, and we don’t get that musty smell anymore. Haven’t tried an ERV either since our area’s pretty dry most of the year.
Funny how you think new builds are supposed to be “better” in every way, but then you run into stuff like this. Tight for energy bills, but sometimes too tight for comfort.
Funny how you think new builds are supposed to be “better” in every way, but then you run into stuff like this. Tight for energy bills, but sometimes too tight for comfort.
Couldn’t agree more—our “energy efficient” place turned out to be more like a ziplock bag for stale air. I tried the open-window thing too, but in January? Nope, not happening. HRV sticker shock is real, but I’ll admit, after installing one, it’s like the house finally learned how to breathe. Still kinda grinds my gears that it’s even necessary in a brand new build, but hey, at least we’re not freezing for fresh air now.
