AZ-0004 Indoor Air Quality CO2 Meter, Temperature and Relative Humidity, White

I'm a big fan of cutting edge research. When I found out that even moderate levels of CO2 can adversely affect higher level cognitive functions, like when designing software, I was curious. When David Heinemeier Hansson started to talk about CO2 and started finding the same studies, I became really intrigued and checked it out.First off, this is a really great meter. It does an excellent job of measuring CO2 in a room passively and alerting you to higher levels. But second, it really helps you inform ventilation decisions. Studio apartments, for instance, without central air, have really really bad air circulation. So, while the meter was initially used to verify that the environment was bad, I started using it to see if I was introducing enough air to mitigate the buildup. Even just cracking the windows open and letting some air flow in and out was enough to help cut the ambient CO2 level from 1200ppm to 800ppm, and with a fan and wider window opening, I can keep the environment at about 500ppm constantly.I don't have the alarm on anymore, but I do keep an eye on it and generally have adopted the policy of always having a window open, just for air circulation. Obviously this isn't the right move for everyone, but if you care about improving your mental processing, get a meter and start opening windows. Fresh air is really great.I don't know how well advertised it is, but this device has a really nice added feature: a battery backup for storing settings. This means that you can unplug it and move it to other outlets/locations and test the CO2 there, without actually needing to change alarm settings or the time each time.

The reason why I bought this CO2 meter was my curiosity as to find out what was the level of CO2 in a bedroom while sleeping at night with the doors and windows closed, and using a window air conditioner.I was very surprised to see the reading next morning, it was well above the recommended levels.I found the product to be very useful, and though everyone knows that you need to open the windows in your home or office to let in fresh air, now with this device you have a way to measure with numbers, how often you actually need to do so.Highly recommended for office productivity, there is a lot of information on the web, about the correlation of CO2 levels, and workers productivity.High levels of CO2 have an effect on employee productivity, their ability to think, their ability to reason, and the desire to work.So before you think that an employee is lazy or not smart enough; I will recommend you to install one of these devices in the office, and compare readings during the day.Also make sure that you take readings were you kids do their homework, and study.CO2 Levels in a room and effects250-350ppm Normal background concentration in outdoor ambient air350-1,000ppm Concentrations typical of occupied indoor spaces with good air exchange1,000-2,000ppm Complaints of drowsiness and poor air.2,000-5,000 ppm Headaches, sleepiness and stagnant, stale, stuffy air. Poor concentration, loss of attention, increased heart rate and slight nausea may also be present.

Takes a while to set it up, but easy to use afterwards. And it's great for bedeviling your friends and associates on a cold night when the alarm goes off--as it probably will if the place is sealed up and you've having friends over. And then what? You live with the high CO2 level or you open a window and refrigerate your home, or run the heater at the same time and get a sky-high gas bill.So I'm working out how to balance our heating bill with healthy air. This meter is indispensible in figuring that out. We live in a 3 bedroom condo with good window sealing. Most nights I've found that if I've aired out the place earlier in the day, sleep with our bedroom door open (to our cat's delight), and just leave one window open in one of the other bedrooms...and have an electric mattress under us and a small space heater to warm the bedroom early in the morning--we can get on pretty well. We're also going to replace our 40 year old forced-air furnace with a modern one that's a lot more efficient. That'll cost in the neighborhood of $4K, so the cost of the CO2 meter isn't much compared to that.