Health and Wellness Problems Due to the Stack Effect

The stack effect isn’t just annoying; it has some genuine problems associated with it. Although this isn’t a comprehensive list of the health and wellness problems from the stack effect, they’re definitely some of the most common.

Allergic Reactions

Far and away, the most common health problem you might encounter because of the stack effect is an allergic reaction. That’s because many people have allergic reactions to things like dust, mold spores, and insect droppings, which are all things that can rise up into your home because of the stack effect.

Allergic reactions can range from extremely mild to worryingly severe. You might have anything from a general runny nose and cough to serious trouble breathing. Regardless of how severe your allergic reaction is, it’s not great to live in a state of constant allergic reaction. You should remove the source of the allergies, which in this case would be the stack effect.

Mold and Mildew Through the Home

When the stack effect causes air to rise through the home, it also brings airborne particles with it. Mold spores are typically small enough to become airborne, and that means they’re probably going to rise throughout the home. As they do, they’ll scatter all across your home, landing in some cases in areas that can grow mold very effectively.

Technically, mold and mildew require high levels of humidity to grow. However, if you’re dealing with the stack effect, that means you almost certainly have high levels of humidity because you have open crawl space vents. More than likely, no matter what you do, you’re going to be scattering mold and mildew spores all through your home because of the stack effect.

High Energy Bills

The last problem is one you probably haven’t thought much about in the past. High energy bills are a serious concern that many people deal with when they have open crawl space vents. In fact, an Advanced Energy study has shown your energy bills may be 15-25% higher than they should be, just because you have open crawl space vents. If you’re experiencing the stack effect, you’re going to have higher energy bills.

The open vents in your crawl space are definitely annoying, but they’re also costing you money. In this situation, it’s almost always better to invest the money in an expert who can help you with your crawl space woes. A crawl space encapsulation should be able to save you enough money that it’ll eventually pay for itself.