With the ongoing wildfire smoke blanketing much of the United States and Canada, many people are looking for relief and protection from the dangerous outdoor air. Build Equinox has long been at the forefront of indoor air quality management, and now we’ve raised the bar even further with the release of the CERV2's Particulate Defense (available now) to protect you and your family from both indoor and outdoor particulates.
This innovative feature actively monitors and intelligently responds to airborne particulate levels, both inside and outside your home. Utilizing high-precision sensors, the CERV2 continuously measures particulate concentrations, allowing it to dynamically adjust its ventilation and filtration operation. This proactive approach ensures that a wide range of contaminants, from cooking byproducts and smoke to dust, pollen, and other airborne pollutants, are effectively managed, creating a healthier and more comfortable indoor environment.
Here's a testimonial from one of our Particulate Defense beta testers in Minnesota, where they've been battling the wildfire smoke regularly!
"It’s actually quite pleasant inside. Went for an errand outside an hour ago and came in with chest congestion and cough. Now respiratory symptoms have abated. Low humidity inside is delightful on a somewhat muggy day.
Thanks for the great system!"
Joe W., Minnesota
At Build Equinox, we've been experiencing the benefits of the CERV2 Particulate Defense firsthand. Here are some real-world examples from the homes of our team members, demonstrating how this technology is helping us maintain healthy indoor air quality in various situations.
Alex's House: A Breath of Fresh Air in a Century Old Home
Alex's over 100-year-old home in Champaign, Illinois, has undergone a remarkable transformation, moving away from fossil fuels to a fully electric, healthy, and sustainable design. This includes the installation of a CERV2 smart ventilation system alongside electric heat pumps, a heat pump water heater, and a 10kW solar PV array. You can read more about Alex's journey in his three-part series: (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). The home is currently occupied by Alex, his partner Christian, their dog Lucy, and their cat Mira.
January 6th, 2025 - Alex's Daily Scrambled Eggs
While cooking scrambled eggs (with no burning involved), the CERV2 detected a spike in indoor particulate levels. Recognizing that the outdoor air quality was acceptable, the system intelligently switched to ventilation mode, effectively expelling the cooking pollutants and replacing them with cleaner outdoor air.
March 11th, 2025 - Smokey Haze in Champaign-Urbana
On this day, a noticeable haze and strong smell of smoke permeated the Champaign-Urbana area, likely due to nearby controlled burns carried by strong winds. The CERV2 immediately responded by entering particulate defense mode. Since the indoor air quality was initially good, the system began recirculating the indoor air through its filters in Air Purify Mode, ensuring that any infiltrated smoke particles were captured and the indoor air remained clean.
May 22nd, 2025 - Hair Straightening: Heat & Hair Oil
Alex was surprised to see a sudden surge in indoor particulate levels when glancing at the CERV2’s display. The culprit? His partner, Christian, was straightening her hair in the bathroom upstairs. The combination of heat and hair oil created a significant release of airborne particles. Thanks to the CERV2's design, which purges air directly from the bathrooms, these particulates were quickly contained and removed. Once the hair straightening stopped, the particulates quickly dissipated since they were prevented from spreading throughout the rest of the house.
Ben's House: Suburban Air Quality Management
Ben's home, located in a typical suburban neighborhood on the southwest side of Champaign, Illinois, is a modern, conventionally built two-story home (with basement) with an active family of four (two adults, two elementary school-aged children, and two dogs). His CERV2 unit is integrated with his central HVAC system, supplying fresh air to the return duct and drawing air from the basement, effectively filtering and sanitizing air from all three levels.
January 6th-9th, 2025 - Cool Mist Humidifier
Over several nights, Ben noticed elevated indoor particulate levels. The cause was traced back to a cool mist humidifier being used with tap water. As highlighted in our recent article, Humidifier Particulates: An Invisible Threat to IAQ, this practice can release significant amounts of mineral dust into the air. Recognizing the high indoor particulate levels and relatively good outdoor air quality, the CERV2 proactively entered ventilation mode to remove the contaminants from the house, demonstrating its ability to respond even to less obvious sources of pollution.
March 15th, 2025 - Dust from New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma
High winds carried a massive dust storm from the southern plains into the Midwest, resulting in very high outdoor particulate levels. In response, Ben's CERV2 automatically switched to particulate defense mode. Since the indoor air quality was still good, the system activated Air Purify Mode, recirculating the air through its filters to capture any dust that may have infiltrated the home, ensuring a healthy indoor environment despite the challenging outdoor conditions.
April 9th, 2025 - Cutting & Brazing: Replacing a Furnace
A malfunctioning furnace helped Ben make the decision to upgrade his old gas furnace to a more efficient hybrid heat pump system. This involved both indoor and outdoor work, including removing the old air handler, cutting and drilling into the house, and even brazing refrigerant lines. While both indoor and outdoor particulates were severely elevated at the same time, the CERV2 saw that the fastest path to healthy air was still through ventilation with filtered outdoor air.
May 26th, 2025 - Memorial Day Grilling
While Ben was lighting a charcoal stack for a Memorial Day barbecue, some of the smoke inevitably made its way towards the CERV2's fresh air intake. The system immediately recognized the high outdoor particulate levels and entered outdoor Particulate Defense mode, preventing the smoky air from entering the house. Simultaneously, it activates Air Purify mode to filter any existing indoor particulates or those that might have infiltrated into the home.
Equinox House: Maintaining Pristine Air in a Sealed Home
Ty's residence is a modern, highly sealed (0.5ACH50) 2100sqft ranch-style home with an open floor plan. Occupied by Ty, his wife Deb, and their beagle puppy, Freckles, the house typically experiences lower levels of internally generated particulates due to the occupants' lifestyle.
January 6th, 2025 - Fried Chicken Feast
Despite the generally good indoor air quality, one evening, Deb's delicious fried chicken dinner created a significant increase in airborne particulates. The CERV2 quickly detected this rise. Recognizing that outdoor particulate levels were low, the system entered ventilation mode and remained in this mode for an extended period, effectively exhausting the cooking pollutants and bringing in fresh, clean air until the indoor air quality returned to an acceptable level.
These real-world examples clearly demonstrate the effectiveness and intelligence of the CERV2's Particulate Defense system. Whether it's responding to cooking, wildfire smoke, dust storms, humidifier emissions, construction activities, or even a bit of barbecue smoke, the CERV2 actively monitors and adapts to maintain optimal indoor air quality, ensuring a healthier and more comfortable living environment for you and your family. Experience the difference for yourself – learn more about CERV2 Particulate Defense today!
