Irritated Eyes, Clogged noses, slight soar throad !!!

[jonny2]

I've a sick house! (I think)

We had a new fancy variable speed furnace installed about 3 weeks ago. Since then, we've been getting up with irritated eyes (burning), cloagged up and irritated (burning) nostrils, and slightly soar throats. My little daughters cought during the night and in the morning when they wake up and have psymtoms of a cold with slight runny noses.

Nights have been cold and the furnace has been running mostly at night. Our symptoms are mostly eliminated during the day (we have an older house that is vented pretty well through the old windows! ;0) and are totally gone about a couple of hours after we leave the house.

We also have a humidifier and 2 Hygrometers that tell us inside humidity is at 40-42% (strangely, I have set the humidistat to around 30%).

I've two CO deterctors and neither indicates anything abnormal.

The contractor sent a technician back who did a visual inspection of the humidifier (ensured it is wet and water is flowing on it) and the furnace (removed the panel and looked at the flame). He then said that the problem was very likely with the air vents not having been cleaned for a long time. He suggested I get the vents cleaned and also use a better filter (I use the kind you can buy for $3-5 at home depot) to eliminate allergens. He claimed the new Infinity Carrier has a much stronger blower and that's why we had no symptoms with the old furnace.

Does this sound reasonable?
If so, what should we look for in a vent cleaning company?
Anything else to worry about?

Thank you in advance.

[Milk man]

The stronger blower thing is what I was thinking also.

I remember and install that replaced an old belt driven drive. I went back two days later to do somthing and could of sworn that the installer never even looked at the filter because it was so dirty. The new blower just sucked the dirt right out of the return.

[billva]

is this by any chance an attic installation. if so its possible the return is not properly sealed and it is pulling in insulation particles, distributing them throughout the ductwork.

[conrad1]

I would definitely have my duct sealed and as for duct cleaning I have yet to see a great one but make sure you check around and if the vaccum is able to be carried in the house rather than mounted in the van send them on they’re way

>>>edit... removed caps


[Edited by jultzya on 11-09-2005 at 12:37 PM]

[lumberg]

This is where someone posts a picture of the Caps Lock key to familiarize conrad with this wonderful feature.

Yes jonny since the humidity seems up to par I would suspect stronger blower dislodging things as well.

You can buy filters that you cut to size and actually put behind the registers also.

I've not been a fan of duct cleaning since I joined this board but this might be a case where it is actually indicated.

Good luck, and keep us updated!

[aircooled53]

Sounds to me like everybody has sinus infections and that is from air-born particles, so that is not the furnace but ductwork and filter system.If you didn't have ducts cleaned or sized properly for the new system, here lies the problem.

Cfm of the new furnace is greater due to design .
Might want to have someone check all the ductwork, returns to insure they are sealed.Most new duct cleaning company's that are good will have a camera so that you can see the duct inside and find any splits,cracks or places that need to be sealed.Change your filter today, if your family is sick then the spores are inside the filter and if not changed it will only prolong there illness.

[Gunnery Sergeant Hartman]

Originally posted by lumberg

You can buy filters that you cut to size and actually put behind the registers also.

[/B]

This is the worst advice ever given on this board.

DO NOT put filters behind your registers unless you want higher utility bills, shorter lifespan of the equipment, and the possibly to crack the heat exchanger and kill everyone in the house!

[NormChris]

It is possible that you still have a carbon monoxide problem. Most home co alarms will not go off until fairly high levels of co are detected. Only a low level co alarm would go off. So you may have a co problem.

The changes made with the installation of your new furnace may actually have changed the pressure differentials in your home. If the furnace is exhausting more air up the flue there is always the possibility that a negative pressure is being created which can prevent other fuel fired appliances from venting properly. A gas water heater or even a fireplace for example.

Have a contractor come in with a professional co analyzer such as Bacharach's Monoxor 2. Have them check each appliance for co. In addition, have them check each appliance under different conditions. Such as with the furnace on and off. With the furnace and all appliances on as well as with the bathroom and range exhaust fans on as well. Try to create a negative pressure in the house and then check the draft and co production of each fuel fired appliance.

For more information go to: http://www.bacharach-training.com

[Jim Davis]

Norm Chris is right on the money. Just had a lady and a couple of kids that had been experiencing the same symptoms and found her boiler making over 600ppm of CO. It was not all dumping into the house but enough to make them sick. After the contractor fixed the problem their symptoms went away. Your alarms will allow 70-399ppm in your house for hours and not go off. If the furnace is tied to a water heater it could be causing it to make CO. You really need a contractor that knows what he is doing and the one you have doesn't have a clue!

[plain spoken]

Originally posted by Jim Davis
You really need a contractor that knows what he is doing and the one you have doesn't have a clue!

What crystal ball did you look at to determine this? Since you do not know what he did or did not do how did you reach this conclusion?

[johnl45]

Is your home at the proper humidity level?

[jdenyer]

I feel that NormChris is on the right track. I assume this is a gas furnace. Gas furnaces can also produce some oxides of nitrogen which is a respiratory irritant. That could explain the sore throats, burning eyes, burning nose etc. Sounds to me like something is not venting as it should. It could also be dust blowing out of the ducts with a stronger blower, that would at least explain the stuffy nose, but burning eyes and sore throat leads me to think it's a venting issue. Any funky new smells?

[conrad1]

Originally posted by lumberg
This is where someone posts a picture of the Caps Lock key to familiarize conrad with this wonderful feature.

Yes jonny since the humidity seems up to par I would suspect stronger blower dislodging things as well.

You can buy filters that you cut to size and actually put behind the registers also.

I've not been a fan of duct cleaning since I joined this board but this might be a case where it is actually indicated.

Good luck, and keep us updated!

SORRY to offend!!!!!!! lumberg