pH/alkalinity stability and cooking with natural gas

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've decided I need to be a bit more empirical about this -- the role that ambient CO2 plays in pH and alkalinity consumption. And it'd be nice to have a solid data package to share with Neptune if/when I engage them if I'm unable to otherwise figure this out.

Since I log all the Apex sensor/measurement data in an influxDB database and plot using Grafana, it's trivial to extract daily min/max/mean for alk and pH, and Apex shows daily alkalinity dose with the click of a button. CO2 parameter extraction requires a bit more work but nothing difficult -- export daily data, convert from string to number, and find max/min/mean via excel function.

So I've started a spreadsheet logging daily pH, alk, and CO2 min/max/mean along with daily alkalinity dose. I'm curious to see what the data shows once it's all combined and plotted.

If you want to test if there is any lag, doing experiments is perhaps the best way. Manually add some alk and see what happens to alk readings. Same could be done for a drop using sodium bisulfate.

 

[sfg]

Option 3: vent the skimmer intake outside or in the attic if possible. This way you're pulling a more consistent CO2 and not the inconsistent levels from inside (when you cook and dont).

 

[Gatorpa]

Option 3: vent the skimmer intake outside or in the attic if possible. This way you're pulling a more consistent CO2 and not the inconsistent levels from inside (when you cook and dont).

I was going to suggest this as well.
The average CO2 into the skimmer would be about 400 and in theory should help offset the transient increases from cooking.

 

[wil-yuhm]

Interesting thread

My house was built in 2019 and at such time was informed of an energy efficiency standard. Sticker/certifications are posted by inspectors. People were complaining about headaches or symptoms similar if not oxygen deprivation or COPD. My house was designed too efficient or sealed making necessary vents to relieve pressure between rooms so doors could be closed easily. In addition ventilation fans continuously run circulating air through and under house then depressurized/vented out from underneath.


OP forgot benefits of cooking/barbecuing by natural gas vs emissions of carcinogen energy sources
Add hickory flavor or cook over hickory?
My house has become a green house by admission and not emissions
I prefer gas stove/oven so won't recommend any electrical ranges. Gas is a nice backup should electric utility company failures occur.

Options to be explored:

7. Barbecue/cook outside but send invitations before.

Enjoy

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Interesting thread

My house was built in 2019 and at such time was informed of an energy efficiency standard. Sticker/certifications are posted by inspectors. People were complaining about headaches or symptoms similar if not oxygen deprivation or COPD. My house was designed too efficient or sealed making necessary vents to relieve pressure between rooms so doors could be closed easily. In addition ventilation fans continuously run circulating air through and under house then depressurized/vented out from underneath.


OP forgot benefits of cooking/barbecuing by natural gas vs emissions of carcinogen energy sources
Add hickory flavor or cook over hickory?
My house has become a green house by admission and not emissions
I prefer gas stove/oven so won't recommend any electrical ranges. Gas is a nice backup should electric utility company failures occur.

Options to be explored:

7. Barbecue/cook outside but send invitations before.

Enjoy

Have you seen the recent studies indicating gas stoves are a health risk?

 

[wil-yuhm]

Have you seen the recent studies indicating gas stoves are a health risk?

Hi @Randy Holmes-Farley
No I have not but assumed any gas/burning could cause various respiratory/health ailments if sealed in contained environments and not well ventilated. And I had not questioned whether excessive CO2 could result or lead to hazardous effects if contained/and not filtered in sealed environments.
I lived by gas refineries near 20 yrs where furnace/torches burned excessive gases (heat was so intense I could feel warmth from miles away on my cheeks growing up if outside at night.)
Also acid rain was so bad paint damage to cars occurred if parked outside.
If reported refineries offered financial damage after non-disclosure contracts were signed.
This (above narrative) was from 30 yrs ago. How old are your studies?
Thank you! I do not doubt detrimental effects by said sources/discourse though I have read only yours.
Enjoy

 

[gbru316]

Interesting thread

My house was built in 2019 and at such time was informed of an energy efficiency standard. Sticker/certifications are posted by inspectors. People were complaining about headaches or symptoms similar if not oxygen deprivation or COPD. My house was designed too efficient or sealed making necessary vents to relieve pressure between rooms so doors could be closed easily. In addition ventilation fans continuously run circulating air through and under house then depressurized/vented out from underneath.


OP forgot benefits of cooking/barbecuing by natural gas vs emissions of carcinogen energy sources
Add hickory flavor or cook over hickory?
My house has become a green house by admission and not emissions
I prefer gas stove/oven so won't recommend any electrical ranges. Gas is a nice backup should electric utility company failures occur.

Options to be explored:

7. Barbecue/cook outside but send invitations before.

Enjoy

We live in Florida. Our Kamado Joe gets used year-round as we've got a covered portion in our lanai that's out of the elements. Plenty of hickory here

Overall I've got no real complaints with the NG range -- besides the impact on my tank and the decrease in indoor air quality. But that's an application problem (no venting), not an equipment one. Seems kind of... shortsighted.... to not require external venting when building homes with NG cooktops. It's required for most (all?) other NG appliances, after all.

I'm still collecting data in a spreadsheet, up to almost 2 months now. I'll put it in a google sheet and share the link here for anyone that wants to mess around with it to see what sort of conclusions can be drawn (if any, the link that prompted this post seems a bit less solid than I initially thought... lots of moving parts when it comes to tank pH and alkalinity consumption).