5 air sealing and air filter tips that can make your home a safe haven from wildfire smoke and dust

5 air sealing and air filter tips that can make your home a safe haven from wildfire smoke and dust

Air sealing and air filter tips that can make your home a safe haven from wildfire smoke and dust

You can see on the wildfire smoke map more and more of the United States experience smoke from this season’s wildfires, it is important to air seal and air filter your home for fending off smoke and particulates. You can make your home a safe haven from wildfire smoke, so you can get away from the fine particulates from wildfires like PM2.5, that cause the greatest health concern.

Here are the 5 air sealing and air filter tips that can make your home a safe haven from wildfire smoke and dust. So you can see how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke:

1) Air sealing your home is essential. Modern homes operate under pressure. Sometimes homes are inhaling air from outside, and sometimes they are expelling air. HVAC, venting, clothes dryers, and all kinds of appliances affect how your home takes in outside air. Use a Smoke Pencil to hunt around your house to see where your home is intaking air, and use weatherstipping, caulk, and foam to seal out air infiltration. If you notice a heavier than normal dust coating on your furniture, you can bet that the particulate count is up inside your home.
2) Focus on the biggest holes first. One of the worst culprits in letting in outside air is the dormant fireplace chimney. It acts like a snorkel sticking up into the smokey sky. Whenever you use an appliance that vents to the outside (like a clothes dryer), the negative pressure will pull outside air through the path of least resistance. That is often the chimney, even if it has a damper the metal is usually ill fitting and warped, allowing a gush of air to pass through. So use a tight fitting Flueblocker or Chimney Balloon to close the chimney off.
3) Air Filters are key: Eventually you need to open your doors to come in and out, so there is bound to be smoke that gets inside. It is hard to find the best HEPA indoor air filters in stock at the moment, but there are DIY home air filters that can be made with furnace filters and a box fan that are very effective. Also have a close look at your HVAC filters in your A/C system. Do not use the cheap stringy fiberglass filters, rather make sure you have fine filters with a MERV rating of 13 or higher.
Protect against smoke with Respirator Mask

Protect against smoke with Respirator Mask

4) Mask shields up: When you do go out, it is best to have a P95 respirator mask with activated carbon. That way you are protected from particulates and chemicals that ride the smoke. They are only about $20 and they are well worth the price. You can even get some variety that cover your eyes as well.

5) Don’t make your indoor air quality worse: Avoid using your gas burning range while you are buttoned up avoiding wildfire smoke. Try heating food just with the microwave for a while. Limit using ventilation appliances like clothes dryers and vent fans. They create negative pressure in your home and force the house to take in more outside air. It may sound extreme, but hang a clothesline inside to dry your clothes.
It is also important to keep track of the public announcements of when you must evacuate an area due to poor air quality or even fire danger. Do not put you or your family and loved ones at risk. There are wildfire smoke health effects long-term and short-term.
In order to make your home a safe haven from wildfire smoke and dust, you should follow the steps above and contact us if you need help selecting products to air sealing your fireplace and home.
Compare and Review of Smoke Pencils and Smoke Puffer Sticks for Air Testing

Compare and Review of Smoke Pencils and Smoke Puffer Sticks for Air Testing

We did quite a bit of research on Smoke Pencils and smoke sticks before we selected one to be offered through our website. We tested and tried at least one of each variety that is on the market. We ended up going with the Smoke Pencil, but here are the pros and cons of each of the types of Smoke Pencils, Smoke Sticks, and Smoke Puffers.

Acid Based Smoke Puffers:

There are a few brand varieties of the acid based smoke puffers. The most common are the Retrotec and TT Smoke Sticks. They operate on a mixture of acids that create the chemical smoke.

Pro:

– The smoke consistency is very good for draft detection.

– The squeezable smoke sticks were nice (as pictured) because it was easier to control the quantity of smoke.

Cons:

– Because they are acid based you have to pay extra for hazardous material shipping via UPS

and the US mail will not ship them at all. This also presents an issue if you have to travel by plane with them to a work location. TSA will not allow them on commercial aircraft.

– The smoke is corrosive and irritating to the eyes and nose if you are working in a closed in areas like a drop ceiling or crawlspace.

– If exposed to excessive heat (like if you left them in your work truck on a hot day) the smoke pencils can sometimes “blowout or meltdown” so they are best kept away from your other tools and in a sealed container like a welding rod case. Don’t store them by your new IR camera.:)

MSRP Cost: around $60

Glycol and Glycerin Based Smoke Puffers

: These smoke pencils are battery operated smoke sticks. A very small internal heating element heats the Glycerin, Glycol & Water solution to produce a fine steam that looks like smoke.

Note: This was the type of Smoke Pencil we chose to sell on www.chimneyballoon.us.

Pros:

– The smoke is non-toxic, smells faintly sugary and is of a good consistency for draft testing.

– The smoke quantity and on/off feature is easy to control by the trigger on the device. They have a built-in LED light that helps illuminate the area you are testing.

– Batteries last a long time in this device but rechargeable batteries are recommended.

Cons:

– Some condensation takes place in the nozzle so after long periods of use you will have to empty the overfill tank that collects this condensation.

– The smoke fluid tank only holds about 1/2 oz of fluid so it sometimes requires more fluid between jobs.

– They are an allowable device by TSA on commercial flights, but they look suspiciously like drug paraphernalia on an x-ray scanner so expect that your package/luggage will get checked. If you are traveling by air with it keep some batteries handy and an MSDS sheet, since TSA will want to see the thing work and see the MSDS on it

MSRP Cost: Around $25

Silica Based Smoke Puffer:
This smoke puffer sold by Regin operates by jetting out a very fine silica powder. There are a variety of different silica puffer types that are larger with bulb type squeeze actuators and smaller bottle types (in the picture). They are often used in chemical lab environments since Silica is a relatively non-reactive substance.

Pro:

– The “smoke” is non-toxic. This item can easily be shipped or taken on a plane for travel without hassle.

Cons:

– Although the Silica is non-toxic it tends to hang in the air and cause sneezing and coughing.

– The powder also can be hard to see in poorly lit areas.

– The Silica powder will collect as dust on flat surface areas and make a bit of a mess.

– You cannot squeeze the bottle while upsizing down or it will spit out a flaky silica blob.

– Overall it is difficult to control the smoke quantity so you can detect drafts.

MSRP Cost: Around $10

Incense Sticks “The Makeshift Smoke Stick”:

Inevitably Rookie energy raters or homeowners will ask, “Why don’t you just use an incense stick to test for air sealing and drafts?”

Any Home performance Professional can tell you from experience that you don’t want to be inspecting a home with a lit incense stick in your hand. You are constantly moving stuff around and crawling around looking for air leakage. If you use an incense stick, inevitably you will set it down in the wrong place or have ash or an ember fall off of the stick and burn or stain the carpet, furniture or floor. Paying for a bo-bo like that makes the relatively inexpensive Smoke Pencil look like a pretty good investment. As a matter of fact keep a spare smoke stick handy in the service truck.

Pros:
They are cheap, and you can buy them at any dollar store.

– The smoke is adequately visible.

Cons:
– They smell pungent and the smell hangs in the air.

– You run a very good chance of burning yourself or the carpet, furniture, etc… since you cant turn them off.

– They drop hot ash and embers.

– You can’t set them down while you work.

– They produce too much smoke.

MSRP Cost: Six for $1

Why is my Trusty old Smoke Pencil is not making smoke anymore?

Why is my Trusty old Smoke Pencil is not making smoke anymore?

Smoke Puffer

My smoke puffer has stopped working. The batteries are fresh and the unit has full fluid. The light does come on when the trigger is pulled. I am using a fresh set of regular Energizer batteries. (I’ve tried another set thinking it may be weak batteries but it isn’t.)

I’m not sure if the internal parts are bad. Are there replacement parts for the device? I use it every day for my energy audits. I’ve been using mine for about 6 months. It’s the best tool on the market for the draft testing smoke. – WA

A: Dear WA,

It sounds like the heating element in the Smoke Pencil took one jolt too many. We highly recommend rechargeable batteries to use with your Smoke Pencil, because alkaline batteries tend to create power spikes at the start and end of their power cycles (every time you pull the smoke trigger). These voltage jolts tend to be hard on the small heating element in the smoke pencil and eventually wear it down over a long periods of time (like 6 months). Rechargeable batteries, on the other hand, keep a nice steady voltage and don’t spike, so they are not hard on the Smoke Pencil and they can help it last many times longer.

I would really recommend rechargeable batteries for your Smoke Pencil, especially since you use it every day. We sell a rechargeable kit on our website www.smokepencil.com but to be honest you can use any AA rechargeable. This advice is too late for your current Smoke Pencil, but I tell you what, if you call in an order and ask for me, I will make sure you get free shipping on your next one. – Jason

Smoke Pencils – How long do they last?

Smoke Pencils – How long do they last?

Smoke Pencils

Q: Jason, How long can I expect the 3oz bottle of Smoke fluid that comes with the Smoke Pencil last me? Can I buy additional smoke fluid for the smoke pencil puffer, and if so, what is the link for that? Thanks, -TW

A: TW, When using the Smoke Pencil lightly depress the trigger for about 5 seconds and make a nice small trail of smoke that will linger for about 30 seconds. this works well if you are testing door weatherstripping or window seals. If you use the Smoke Pencil in this manner you can keep the smoke generating for hours and hours and not even use a full ounce.

What really uses up the smoke fluid quickly is if you are making a big puff of smoke with the Smoke Pencil. Say you hold the trigger down for a minute and hit the puffer trigger a few times to make a nice big plume of thick smoke. You may want to make a big plume of smoke like this if you are testing the draft of a large fireplace. If you do this 3 times you may use about a 1/10th of an ounce which is about the amount the reservoir tank on the Smoke Pencil will hold. So even if you are making big plumes of smoke you may use it 100 times before you need more smoke fluid. – Jason

Smoke Pencils Help Identify Household Drafts

Smoke Pencils Help Identify Household Drafts

Smoke Pencil Puffer

Test Weather Stripping

In my opinion, a smoke pencil puffer is a tool that any home handyman should have in his toolbox. When working on energy saving home improvements like window & door installs, weatherstripping, duct sealing, insulation, and other air sealing projects they are such a helpful tool. You do your improvement, and then use the little trace of smoke generated from the smoke stick to see if you have stopped the air movement in that area.

The Trouble with Smoke Pencils

The trouble is up until this point smoke pencil puffers have been rather expensive ($50 -$75 or more) and most operate on toxic chemical mixes to make the smoke. Because the chemicals used in the traditional smoke stick puffers operate on acid fumes and the smoke they generate is toxic they are not healthy to use in confined areas and if you use them too much they can be bad for your health. Furthermore, if you travel with your tools you cant take an acid-based smoke puffer pencil on a plane in carry-on or checked luggage, and you cant send them in the US Mail since they are considered hazardous material.

New Non-Toxic Smoke Pencils

Fortunately, there is a new Smoke Pencil puffer that I just was introduced to at the affordable comfort Institute Conference in Kansas City. Instead of using acid mixtures to generate smoke this non-toxic smoke pencil puffer uses a harmless liquid mixture and heats it slightly to generate a nice highly visible smoke. The trigger mechanism on this Smoke Pencil allows you to control the amount of smoke you generate. So if you need just a little trickle of smoke to test weatherstripping you lightly depress the trigger. If you are testing a larger area like a door jamb you can hold the trigger down longer and create a nice plume of smoke. I have allergies so I am a bit sensitive to most smoke, but this smoke stick used a mixture of water, propylene glycol, and glycerin that is similar to the smoke generated by toy trains. So using this smoke stick does not bother my allergies at all and the faint sweet smell to the smoke fades fast so there are no lingering odors.

Price of a Smoke Stick

The thing that really sold me on this new smoke puffer pencil is the low price. At $25 this smoke stick was half the price of the cheapest acid based smoke puffers, I was familiar with. So I bought one of these non-toxic Smoke Pencils and brought it home and started testing it. I also gave 2 of them to some energy rater & insulation contractor friends to try out. After testing it, we liked it enough to have it offered on the Chimney Balloon website. So you can buy a smoke pencil puffer at www.ChimneyBalloon.us