Orange alert level: air quality measurement with the Airthings Wave Plus
People are constantly complaining about the air in the office, especially in summer. That's why the Airthings Wave Plus is now being used to take measurements. Does the neutral device support subjective perception and, more importantly, can it do anything at all?
The quality of the air we breathe in every day has a significant impact on our health. That's why there are limit and guideline values for various pollutants and measuring stations that monitor this. However, these often relate to the outside air. I know the fine dust pollution on sections of the A1 motorway, the temperature, the humidity. But most of the time I sit indoors in the office, what's the air like?
Until recently, my work colleagues and I could only guess: rather suboptimal. We sit in an open-plan office, everyone has three monitors, in meeting rooms and especially meeting boxes I have to pull the door open after 30 minutes at the latest because otherwise I risk suffocating. I don't even want to talk about the summer months. However, good indoor air not only benefits employees, but also employers, as productivity is higher.
Measuring station in the marketing department
Does our impression have substance or are we just little whingers? The Wave Plus from Airthings is used to check this over a period of weeks. The inconspicuous white disc, which resembles a loudspeaker with its holes, is designed to measure indoor air quality using six sensors: Radon, volatile organic compounds (TVOC), CO2, humidity, temperature and pressure. These values should provide information about how good or bad the air around you is.
After unpacking, all you have to do is pull out a battery separator tab and the Wave Plus is ready for use. It's been ages since I've had a device in my hand that didn't run on a battery or power cable. As soon as the batteries are in, the thing is ready to be connected to the mobile. Yes, I can only see the exact data via the app, the device itself only shows how the air is doing using a coloured ring. Red is bad, orange is medium, green is good. Wave Plus and mobile are quickly paired via Bluetooth and the seven-day calibration phase begins, during which the data becomes increasingly accurate.
Air to the top
After a week, all the values are available in detail and I start with the correct climate control. What surprises me: the air isn't that bad. Apart from the humidity, everything is in the green zone. Nevertheless, the overall air quality falls into the orange range. Makes sense, because not everything is in order. But what bothers me: I see measurement figures labelled with green, orange or red dots, but I have no idea what the normal value is. Take humidity, for example: the figure is 25 per cent and is in the orange range, which is not optimal. But the app doesn't tell me whether the figure is too low or too high. Okay, I can guess that it's too low, but I'm totally lost when it comes to other data. 90 ppb TVOC. Huh? The app does give me more detailed information about the compounds and how they can affect my health, but I search in vain for a guide value - at least in the German version. I only find what I'm looking for with radon.
Recorded
Radon detection is always specifically emphasised by Airthings. The radioactive gas can be the cause of lung cancer if it accumulates in buildings and exceeds the limit value. I find this out on the manufacturer's website. In the English version, I finally come across all the guide values. Still, it's not very convenient. The website takes me to a desktop dashboard. I log in with my user name and password and see all my measurements at a glance.
I prefer looking at the data on the desktop than on the mobile app. But that's a matter of taste. In order for the data to be updated in the app and on the desktop, a new synchronisation via Bluetooth is required each time. For me, this sometimes takes several minutes and is annoying. But when it works, all the measured values are displayed without any gaps. Most of the curves are green, which I think will change soon. Because I really want to challenge the measuring device.
To do this, I place the Wave Plus in one of our cramped meeting boxes. The air quality must suffer there. Far from it, the data remains in the green zone - except for our problem child, the humidity. I wouldn't have thought so. My explanation: the door is opened so often that the values remain stable. When I wave in front of the device, an orange ring lights up to show me that the air quality is mediocre, even without the app. I wonder if a plant is helping the air in the box?
Plants for the green area
In one corner of the box is a philodendron that I'm having delivered to the office. It looks pretty and will hopefully have a positive effect on the indoor climate. I have the humidity measured for a few days and indeed, for the first time, it's in the green zone. Nobody noticed this in the few days. Unfortunately, I couldn't leave the plant in there any longer as it was lacking natural light and it drew my attention to this by turning brown. Without the plant, the humidity was soon anything but rosy again.
Conclusion
This now makes it clear that plants belong in the office. But I actually wanted to test the Airthings Wave Plus first and foremost. It's easy to use, works flawlessly, records all your data reliably - as long as your work colleagues don't remove the batteries because they're afraid they're being monitored - and the colour system is easy to understand. Visually, the Wave is simple enough that it doesn't spoil your interior, but stays discreetly in the background. As a silver surfer in the body of a digital native, I would like to be able to read the current readings directly on the device and only have to resort to the app for recordings and more information. What I definitely miss are clear guide values placed directly next to the measured values and tips on how to improve the air if it is in the orange or even red range. All in all, the Wave Plus helps you to keep an eye on your air quality and thus make targeted climate optimisations.
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My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
