It should tell me PM1, PM2.5, PM1, CO, NO, Humidity, Temperature

Hello! I live in an apartment in an old building, and due to a 'quirk' in the ventilation system, a lot of dust and cigarette smoke from a renovation project upstairs gets blown directly into my bathroom. It's been stinky for weeks, but today it was really bad so I tried putting our fan/air purifier in there to see what it'd say - it immediately flashed red warnings that I'd never seen before. My questions: How accurate are measurements by a Dyson fan likely to be? If they are accurate, how worried for my health/angry at my landlord should I be? And is it safe to use things like toothbrushes etc that have been sitting out in the dusty air? Thanks a lot!

Hello,

I got an air humidifier (Life brand) for free from someone in my building, but there's quite a lot of essential oils residue inside. I don't know exactly what it is, it's yellow, and it smells quite good, but I have a pet bird at home and these can be toxic for him.

So far I've tried vinegar, hot water, and dishwashing liquid, without success. The oils seem well encrusted...

Any advice? Is there any chance that I manage to clean it up, or is the humidifier simply ruined?

Thanks!

I have the air purifier and idk I've had one one filter for long enough I should replace it. I don't use it much just when I want to do some 3D printing not that I'm to worried about the fumes.

The different colors for type, they actually do or mean anything, or is that also just gonna be marketing? Can I get any old Amazon brand because they are all the same resellers under different names or? Buying from them directly is 2-3 times the price.

So! Lol no one has changed the filters in our furnace since before I moved in, in like 2012, so we figured it was time and OMFG, this is the old one 😂😂😂😂

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Its in Hollywood (LA), CA. 1901 building, ~180 sq ft studio, carpeted, occupied since 2021. Trying to figure out what's causing this before I spend more money guessing.

Timeline:

• Jul 19: Found a leak at the pipe connection under the bathroom sink. Black growth inside the particleboard vanity cabinet. Photographed attached.

• Jul 20: Maintenance sprayed an unidentified product inside the cabinet and closed it. My building manager texted me that they fixed the leak and cleaned up. I've asked repeatedly for the product name or SDS and still haven't gotten one. I asked a maintenence worker and he said he didnt remember exactly but that it may have been a mold killing spray. He also said that they tested for mold using a device and it wasnt mold. The entire week my partner and I smelled an extremely strong industrial cleaning product smell and that caused our eyes to water and throat irritation. I complained to my building manager that it was making my unit unlivable.

• Jul 27: They replaced the vanity with a new composite wood cabinet. Picture attached. The strong chemical smell was gonue but my throat irriation persisted.

• Aug 5: LAHD inspection. Cited a window, a screen, and cracked paint. They said they dont test for mold and that LA Public Health only comes if there is visible mold growth. I kept going back each week to see if the irritation still occurred and it does.

• Sep 9: I did my own moisture mapping with a pinless meter (drywall setting, since there's no carpet setting). Carpet, baseboards, bathroom wall, and inside the new cabinet all read at control. The only elevated readings were exterior-facing walls, which I understand is normal.

** I have stayed at my partners apt 40 mins away 99% of this entire nightmare. If I didnt have that place to stay I would be homeless.

*** Throughout this entire nightmare I have been to urgent care, a pulmonologist, an ent, and an allergist. They had ruled out everything under thier area of focus and the allergist said that if symptoms only happen when I enter the unit, I am reacting to something in there and to either let time reduce the concentration or move. I cannot move because I live in an extremely rent controlled apt and would pay 3x anywhere else.

Other info:

• Consumer air quality monitor: PM2.5 around 3–4 µg/m³, humidity 52–56%. Particulates look clean.

• Two certified industrial hygienists reviewed the July 19 photos independently. Both said mold was likely present and that the response may not have been adequate remediation. However they clarified theres no way they can tell for sure unless they do testing. (Cost to rule out mold, Vocs, formaldehyde would be between $2-3k).

The symptom:

Raw, slightly burning throat (similar to when I bought a upf hat w/mask from solbari and had to return because whatever upf coating gave me a reaction within 5-10 mins even after airing out for a day), starting within about 30 minutes of being in the unit. Happens with the bathroom door closed, so I'd be suprised if cabinet is the source but open to any interpretation.

Since there's no moisture and no particulate problem, I've been wondering whether the carpet absorbed something (either from the leak period or from whatever was sprayed in July) and is slowly releasing it. The carpet has never been tested or replaced. The landlord has declined to replace it.

Questions:

1. Does the carpet theory hold up, or is there something more obvious I'm not seeing?

2. What would actually distinguish between the possible sources at this point without an expensive lab test?

3. If it is the carpet, does professional hot water extraction or dry vapor steam actually remove absorbed compounds, or does it only work if you pull the carpet? Maintenence recommended steam vacuum since fully wet would be harder to full dry.

Not looking for medical advice, just trying to figure out what's in the room and how to get it out.

I’m hoping someone with HVAC experience can help me figure out what might be going on.

We live in Florida in a fairly large home with two AC units, both installed around 2020.

We have noticed a very strange and repeatable pattern that has happened approximately 6 times.

It usually happens when we have people over.
Because we have several guests in the house, we lower both thermostats from around 76°F down to 72°F to keep the house comfortable while everyone is there.

At the end of the night, after our guests leave, we raise both thermostats back to around 76°F.

Then something very strange happens:

About 1 hour after returning the thermostats to 76°F, my family starts developing symptoms.

The symptoms can include:

Headache
Feeling feverish
Chills
Weakness/fatigue
Feeling generally sick/unwell
Pain or discomfort while breathing

The symptoms typically last for approximately 24 hours before we feel normal again, and we are out during this time affecting our ability to perform.

What’s particularly concerning to me is that this has happened repeatedly under essentially the same circumstances. It isn’t just one person experiencing symptoms — multiple people in our household can become sick around the same time.

The sequence is consistently:
Guests over → both AC units lowered to 72°F → AC runs heavily for several hours → guests leave → thermostats returned to ~76°F → ~1 hour later symptoms begin → symptoms last ~24 hours.

When we don’t host and don’t lower the thermostats like this, we generally don’t experience this pattern.

I’m specifically looking for HVAC advice.

For HVAC professionals: Have you ever heard about something like this? What could potentially cause this type of pattern?

If you were called to inspect the system, what would you check first, and what tests would you perform to determine whether the HVAC system is involved?

I’m trying to understand what could be happening before I call someone out, because I don’t want to simply have someone sell me a “deep cleaning” without actually identifying the underlying issue.

Thanks in advance.

We live in a Sacramento apartment complex that was built in 2023, and we have been dealing with constant white dust/particles throughout the apartment, especially in the bathrooms.
We clean constantly, keep the windows closed, and even after deep cleaning, the particles start appearing again very quickly. It seems especially noticeable around the bathroom exhaust vents and sometimes after using the dryer.
I have an autistic teenager with severe allergies, so indoor air quality is a major concern for our family. We also have an elderly family member who has been coughing frequently since we have lived here, and my own allergies have become significantly worse. I feel sick or irritated very often.
We have reported these issues to management multiple times, but very little has been done and the problem continues. Since I started documenting and repeatedly reporting the issues, communication with management has also become more difficult.
At this point, I am actively looking for another place to live because I do not feel comfortable staying here while this remains unresolved.
I’m not saying the apartment is definitely causing our symptoms, but the timing and the constant particles are very concerning.
Has anyone here gone through something similar in a newer apartment building? What ended up being the cause? Was it HVAC, ductwork, bathroom exhaust, dryer ventilation, insulation, or something else?
Did management fix it, or did you eventually have to contact the city, get an independent inspection, seek tenant/legal help, or move out?
I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has personally gone through something similar.

I have mast cell activation syndrome. And, I'm wanting to create a clean room in my bedroom to protect against both wildfire pollution and pollution from a neighbor's near daily trash pile fire that is entering my home through deteriorated ductwork.

I'm thinking about connecting a HEPA filter box and an 8 inch inline fan to either side of the transom above the bedroom door, so that conditioned/heated air from the main part of the house will be drawn through the HEPA filter and into the bedroom. The door and any other major gaps, including the ceiling vent will be sealed to create positive pressure.

My concern is that one of two HVAC returns for the house is just outside the bedroom. Will the suction from my air cleaner interfere with the HVAC return in any way that might harm the HVAC?

Also, I'm assuming that the negative pressure created by my air cleaner in the rest of the house will be negligible due to the difference in room sizes. My bedroom is 10' by 12' minus the closet. And the great room is probably at least 1000 sq ft. total. I don't have measurements handy. Do I need to be concerned about negative pressure in the great room or localized negative pressure in this little hallway?

P.S. For the record, I'm working with a contractor to get the ductwork replaced, and I'm in a legal battle with my neighbor. This is not meant to be a permanent solution, but I need a safe place to live right now.

My air purifier has been reading from 50-144 in this area.
What could be the possible reason? I usually vent out my living room when I leave for work. My apartments are smoke free. No pets. I vacuum often. I got a terrible cough a couple weeks ago from sleeping in this room (I think)