When my friend invited me over to see her new house I was absolutely amazed.
She had found such a beautiful piece of property, with gorgeous weeping willows and a private pond.
They had a separate driveway for guests and songbirds literally filled the air as you approached the front door. The house, itself, was a glorious and dominating force to be reckoned with. A huge, historical Victorian with a wraparound porch and elaborate wood carvings. I thought that the house was absolutely perfect. And then… I experience the indoor air quality. As soon as I walked in the front door I noticed that the indoor air was full of a pungent smell, similar to a flea market. Because the residence was so old, it was filled with the odors of many past occupants. The indoor air temperature, itself, was also extremely unfortunate. It felt like there were hot and cold patches in every single room and I was curious about the existing air quality control system. Certainly, there was a central heating and cooling plan in place, although I was not sure how efficient or effective the air handling equipment could be. I gently asked my friend about her energy bills and her experience with the central heating, cooling, and air quality control devices. That’s when she told me exactly what I assumed… the central air quality control devices were as ancient as the house. She could barely control the indoor air temperature and she felt like all of her high quality treated air escaped through the poorly insulated house. Well, there’s one reason it’s not the perfect home – the energy bills must be crazy.