Wildfires, Smoke & Indoor Air Quality

Wildfire smoke enters your home in three main ways:

1. Natural ventilation, by opening doors or windows
2. Mechanical ventilation systems, which actively pull in outdoor air through intake vents (only a few homes in Chelan County have these types of systems)
3. Infiltration, when outdoor air sneaks through small cracks and gaps in the shell of your home

Infiltration (#3) is a sneaky devil, but you can fix it!

Here are two easy ways to check for leaks around your windows and doors:

• Close your door and visually inspect it to see if light is coming in through cracks around the door. If you see light, then you have an air leak around your door.
• You can also use a smoke test using an incense stick. Light an incense stick until you see smoke. Hold your incense stick next to your door or window and notice how the smoke from the incense moves. Smoke going straight up means there is no leak. Smoke moving away or toward your window or door indicates you likely have an air leak.

If your leak is coming from around your window or door, add caulking or weatherstripping to seal the frame (more below on home sealing!) and check for leaks again.

If your windows or doors themselves are leaky, you should have them replaced. Take advantage of cash back from Chelan PUD to help you pay for new windows, patio doors, and exterior doors.

Make sure your home is tightly sealed to reduce your exposure to outdoor air pollution.

• Caulk and air seal around all common trouble spots in your home, or wherever you find leaks (see above for how to find them).
• When air sealing, consider adding insulation. Boosting insulation, particularly in your attic, will reduce the amount of air conditioning you need and keep you more comfortable while saving money. Chelan PUD offers cash back on insulation that can pay up to 100% of your costs.

Common air sealing trouble spots, provided by Energy.gov

If you find that your windows or doors are leaky, it's time to replace them. These are common locations where wildfire smoke infiltrates your clean-air sanctuary.

Chelan PUD offers cash back to help you pay for new windows, patio doors, and exterior doors. Your new windows are also eligible for low-rate EnergySmart financing to help you upgrade now without breaking the bank.

During times of wildfire smoke, make sure to close off any way that outdoor air can get in:

• Limit your use of exhaust fans, including bathroom fans and kitchen hoods, because outdoor air will be pulled into your home when you exhaust indoor air outside.
• Keep your doors closed and lock your windows for the best seal.
• If your heating, ventilation or air conditioning (HVAC) system has an option to pull air from outside, turn it off, close the intake, and set it to recirculate indoor air.

If you have a central heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system:

1. Use a HEPA or MERV 13 filter, particularly those with activated charcoal or other adsorbents, with the deepest pleat that can fit into your system. Make sure to check your filter daily and replace it when needed. 
2. Run your HVAC fan continuously to circulate the air inside your home and filter particulates out.
3. If you don't have central air conditioning, consider switching to a heat pump that cools your home while filtering out particulates, and saves you up to 50% of your heating bills in winter.
   
   Get $1,400 cash back from Chelan PUD when you make the switch. Plus, your new heat pump is eligible for low-rate EnergySmart financing, so you'll pay less out of pocket.

No ducts? No problem. You have a few options to keep your indoor air clean during smoke season:

1. Consider installing a ductless heat pump (also called a mini-split) with a HEPA or MERV 13 filter. It filters out particulates from your indoor air while cooling your home and keeping your home sealed.
   
   Then, in winter, your ductless heat pump will efficiently heat your home, saving you up to 50% on your winter electric bill.
   
   What’s more, you can get up to $1,000 cash back from Chelan PUD for your new ductless heat pump. And your DHP qualifies for low-rate EnergySmart financing, so you can enjoy the benefits while paying less out of pocket.
   
   
2. Create a clean room by using a portable air cleaner with a HEPA or MERV 13 filter (or make the DIY purifier below) in a well-sealed room.
   
   Make sure to pick an air purifier that is rated for the size of your room, that does not produce ozone, and that isn't too noisy. (The California Air Resources Board has a good air cleaner guide.)
   
   You'll want to make sure to pick a room that doesn't have indoor contamination sources, like a cooking area. It's also best to keep the same clean room, instead of moving your air cleaner around the house.
3. You can also create a clean room using a DIY air purifier made from a box fan and air filters with a MERV 13 rating. For safety and potential fire risk, do not to run while unattended. Here's how to from the Washington Department of Ecology:
   
   

During smoke season, avoid the following indoors:

• Smoking or vaping
• Using gas, propane, or wood-burning stoves or appliances (yep, this includes your gas range—try using your microwave to cook instead. Really!)
• Spraying aerosol products
• Frying or broiling food
• Burning candles or incense
• Vacuuming, unless you use a vacuum with a HEPA filter

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about how to troubleshoot a leaky room on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 14:40 to 17:53]

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about fixing points of air infiltration where wildfire smoke can sneak in your home on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 17:53 to 19:33]

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about how home sealing can depend on when it was built on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 19:33 to 20:11]

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about how to seal your home in a pinch when there is a smoke event on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 20:12 to 22:36]

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about what to watch for when selecting a portable air purifier for smoke season on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 22:36 to 23:15]

Hunter also recommends referring to California's air purifier guide when picking your portable air cleaner and explains why not all purifiers are healthy:

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about the best ways to prevent smoke from coming inside your home on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 23:15 to 23:59]

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about how frequently to change the air filter on your HVAC system on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 24:00 to 24:59]

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about what type of air filters work best to clean your indoor air during a smoke event on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 25:00 to 28:08]

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about what to do when you don't have air conditioning and there is a smoke event. Hunter shares his balancing tips on how to open the windows for cooling at night paired with air purification to remove harmful smoke particles on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 28:35 to 32:16]

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about whether they should run their central ventilation system continuously during a smoke event or not on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 32:17 to 36:46]

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about what they should do if they don't have a central HVAC system to filter their indoor air during a smoke event or not on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 36:46 to 37:49]

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about why they should avoid using exhaust fans that push air out of their home during a smoke event on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 37:54 to 39:34]

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about what to do if they only have window air conditioners available for cooling during a smoke event on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 39:34 to 42:44]

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about what air quality index (AQI) level is high enough to prioritize indoor air quality over cooling in their home on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 42:44 to 44:02]

Hunter Burbidge, Dept. of Health indoor air quality specialist, Scott Stanford, commercial energy advisor and former homebuilder, and Sergio Sanchez, energy conservation specialist, answer a customer question live about what you should look for when picking the room you'd like to use as your cleaner air space during a smoke event on Episode #6 of the Power Hour hosted by Lacy Stockton, energy efficiency marketing strategist. [From 44:02 to 45:09]