Most of the time, you probably don’t think much about the air inside your home. But start cooking dinner, light the fireplace, run an air cleaner, or spend a smoky summer day indoors, and suddenly it’s worth wondering what’s floating around in there. The ORL’s Library of Things can help you find out. We’ve added 10 new Temtop M10+ Air Quality Monitors to the collection, giving you another useful tool to borrow, take home, experiment with, and learn from.
And if your first thought is, Wait, I can borrow an air quality monitor from the library? You may want to take a closer look at the Library of Things. There’s a lot more in there than you might expect.
The Air You Breathe
The Temtop M10+ measures fine particulate matter (PM2.5), extremely small particles in the air that can come from everyday activities such as cooking, using fireplaces and wood stoves, burning candles or incense, smoking, and vaping. Outdoor sources, including wildfire smoke, vehicle exhaust, residential burning, and industrial pollution, can make their way indoors, too.
Having a monitor at home gives you a chance to see how those conditions change. Move it between rooms, leave it running for several hours, or compare readings at different times of day. Try it in the kitchen while you cook, then turn on the range hood or exhaust fan and see what happens. Take a reading before running a portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter and check again a few hours later. During wildfire smoke, compare your indoor readings with outdoor air-quality conditions.
Instead of simply wondering what might be affecting your indoor air, you can start investigating.
There’s More to Borrow at the Library
At the ORL, books are only the beginning. The Library of Things puts useful tools, technology, and equipment into the hands of ORL patrons across our communities.
Maybe you want to investigate the air quality in your home. Maybe you’re curious about radon, ergonomics, or home energy efficiency. Or maybe you’d rather borrow something completely different and explore a new hobby like birdwatching.
Some Library of Things items help with practical jobs around the house. Others are there for experimenting, creating, exploring, and learning. The best place to start might simply be browsing the collection and seeing what catches your attention.
Curious About Your Indoor Air?
The new Temtop M10+ monitors join the ORL’s existing air-quality equipment and other tools that can help you learn more about your home environment. There are resources to help you along the way, too. Visit the ORL’s Air Quality Monitor page for information about PM2.5, the Air Quality Health Index, wildfire smoke, indoor air quality, and ways to reduce particulate matter indoors. You can also watch What’s Your IAQ IQ?, a short introduction to indoor air quality from BC Lung Foundation.
Our new Temtop M10+ Air Quality Monitors were provided to the Okanagan Regional Library by BC Lung Foundation through a generous grant from the Community Foundation of North Okanagan.
Please note: Air Quality Monitors are not carbon monoxide detectors or life-safety devices. The ORL does not provide health, safety or medical advice through this lending program. If you are concerned about your readings or their possible effects on your health, contact a health-care professional.
Need More Help?
Call us at 1-844-649-8127 or email help@orl.bc.ca. Please include as many details as you can about your question, account, or device. This helps us support you more quickly and accurately.
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