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Is Conference Room Air Making Us Dumber?

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Re: Is Conference Room Air Making Us Dumber?

#171

Post by Rudebwoy10 »

gugagore wrote: post #6
Mistletoe wrote: post #5

I own a CO2 monitor and it is shocking how high it can get in a house with two people just existing. 800 ppm or more. Outside air is 410. In a car with air on recirculate, it was getting to >1220 ppm, a level that impairs decision making and lowers brain function. I try to drive with air on fresh from now on. I don’t doubt the air in our conference room with 20 people gets super high in CO2 as the meeting goes on, an…

Could you recommend a CO2 monitor? How did you decide to purchase the model that you own?

A many others have said... getawair.com seems to have different monitors for this. DHH swears by them. They also just look better imo.

More comprehensive - https://www.amazon.com/Awair-2nd-Invisible-Quality-Chemicals...

Cheaper (smart plug version) - https://www.amazon.com/Awair-Glow-Breathe-Quality-Monitor/dp...

Re: Is Conference Room Air Making Us Dumber?

#172

Post by asdkhadsj »

jak92 wrote: post #79
Klathmon wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I picked up a CO2 monitor a while ago myself, and the biggest surprise was having it on in the morning in our bedroom with the doors closed. It was easily over 1000ppm IIRC. Ever since then I've made sure to set my AC system to run the "house fan" for 15 minutes or so every hour at night just to circulate the air in the house, and while the numbers went down significantly, anecdotally I swear that I wake up easier in…

> "house fan" for 15 minutes or so every hour at night just to circulate the air in the house, Depending on your climate, this could significantly raise the humidity in your house. Reason is that moisture from the AC coil are wet after the AC turns off. Typically drips off into the pan until next time AC cycles. If you run the fan you will then evaporate into the air circulating some of the moisture just removed.

Doesn't that heavily depend on the design of the AC system? I know nothing here, so this is heavily a question.

I ask because I have a heat pump for cooling/heating, but the furnace is the blower. I thought when the fan ran, it pulled from the outdoor intake which is in a very different location from the actual heat pump coils.

Thoughts?

Re: Is Conference Room Air Making Us Dumber?

#173

Post by olivermarks »

rootusrootus wrote: post #140
olivermarks wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your post has made me consider getting a C02 monitor, will something as simple as this 20 buck Chinese version suffice? https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIADJN8NP4... Seems a useful thing to have. Separately it is very stressful being on stage at conferences that are stuffy with no fresh air, hot stage lights and probably very low oxygen. I had a friend who did press ups before going on stage to ener…

IIRC the thing to be aware of is that a monitor that actually measures CO2 is going to cost several hundred dollars. The cheap ones don't measure CO2, but some kind of VOC as a proxy. So depending on the source of the CO2, they can be more or less accurate. Something to research. I'm not an expert, just someone who recently did some shopping for CO2 monitors for my home.

Thanks!

Re: Is Conference Room Air Making Us Dumber?

#175

Post by jtms »

graeme wrote: post #152
berberous wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd love a good looking consumer device like this, especially if it synced with Apple Health and/or Homekit or otherwise allowed data export, but all (Netatomo, Awair, Uhoo, etc) seem to get very poor reviews on Amazon, often claiming they are inaccurate. Has anyone seen a good comparison of whats out there with a suggestion for the best?

Dhh recommends awair highly. Convinced me to get one, he tested a lot. Hasn't arrived yet so I can't comment directly https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MRqh8oLY7Ik

I can also recommend that talk and the Awair unit seems to live up to the praise. I know some might suspect shilling by DHH for this product, but given I owe the last 10 years of my career to him, when he speaks I listen a bit closer than normal.

Re: Is Conference Room Air Making Us Dumber?

#176

Post by ksplice »

graeme wrote: post #154
newswriter99 wrote: post #110

I live in a badly-ventilated room in a converted loft with no windows and constantly worry about this sort of thing. Other than buying oxygen-producing plants (which tend to die on me when my back is turned) I'm not sure how to alleviate the situation.

The only solution is moving. Your place probably violates housing code from the sounds of it. But if you want to be sure, you can get a decent co2 monitor for less than $100. I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-Autopilot-Desktop-Monitor-L... People on this thread mention co2 monitors can't be so cheap, but I'm under the impression this is actually measuring co2 and not o2/vocs. Can anyone confirm? You're…

Have you tried running one of those near major road intersections, with lots of cars idling?

I spend all day in the office with windows looking on a parking lot with two intersections nearby. Considering how much it always stinks of car exhaust right outside, I have a strong suspicion that ventilation that everyone so praises here might not be all that beneficial. But $100+ for CO2 detector is too expensive for where I live.

There are tons of papers on this subject (thanks Sci-Hub!), but the results they report vary so much that it is difficult to draw any conclusions.

Re: Is Conference Room Air Making Us Dumber?

#177

Post by jtms »

graeme wrote: post #153
JohnJamesRambo wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My tests with my meter don't imply that is correct. Almost immediately on recirculate the PPM goes up and stays there.

This is almost certainly correct. An unventilated space as small as a car will increase within 30-60 seconds, based on my testing of small indoor rooms.

Wow I wonder if anyone has done a study on any correlation between cabin CO2 levels and driver safety?

Re: Is Conference Room Air Making Us Dumber?

#178

Post by [deleted] »

ars wrote: post #167
fma wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a foobot. https://www.amazon.com/Foobot-Quality-Monitor-Homeowners-Ren... I believe you can hook it up to IFTTT and turn on the AC etc if levels are high. You can get real time stats, historical reporting...If you don't want to keep looking at your mobile device it will light up if the air quality is bad. It also has a VOC monitor, which is rare. I have a new construction house and the VOC was pretty much dead…

Note that that one does not measure CO2.

[deleted]

Re: Is Conference Room Air Making Us Dumber?

#179

Post by Rudebwoy10 »

ars wrote: post #167
fma wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a foobot. https://www.amazon.com/Foobot-Quality-Monitor-Homeowners-Ren... I believe you can hook it up to IFTTT and turn on the AC etc if levels are high. You can get real time stats, historical reporting...If you don't want to keep looking at your mobile device it will light up if the air quality is bad. It also has a VOC monitor, which is rare. I have a new construction house and the VOC was pretty much dead…

Note that that one does not measure CO2.

Yep, I made that mistake too. They have estimated CO2.

Re: Is Conference Room Air Making Us Dumber?

#180

Post by jtms »

jgrahamc wrote: post #121
Mistletoe wrote: post #5

I own a CO2 monitor and it is shocking how high it can get in a house with two people just existing. 800 ppm or more. Outside air is 410. In a car with air on recirculate, it was getting to >1220 ppm, a level that impairs decision making and lowers brain function. I try to drive with air on fresh from now on. I don’t doubt the air in our conference room with 20 people gets super high in CO2 as the meeting goes on, an…

Do you have a recommendation for a specific CO2 monitor model that you like?

I have an awair and I’m very happy with it. I have done some highly unscientific testing with it and it seems to definitely register spikes on all sensors when inundated with a given pollutant
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