Modern houses - Is this how we want to live? What impacts can this modern way of life have on our health.

A modern lifestyle can have its benefits, helping us to live more comfortable lives with endless upgrades. But is the risk, worth the reward? Do we even stop to consider what the potential drawbacks could be on our health and the health of our family? 

Modern systems have us electrifying our safe spaces and putting never ending sources of Electromagnetic energy fields (EMF) in our homes without thought. 

I’ve noticed something of a modern house construction. It’s rife within new builds  and once the home is finished, decorated and occupied can be nearly impossible or at least cost prohibitive to deal with. In fact, owners often don’t want to know and therefore remediation is often non-existent.

So what am I talking about? Basically it’s the loads of electrical hardware that are installed as part of the build. When the house is ready for us and the family to move in, this danger is hidden out of sight. The hardware in new builds consists of many amounts of recessed down lights, dimmer switches, multiple switches, 3 way switches, outlet sockets for Africa etc. On top of this there are control panels for heated floors, household heating systems, water heaters ventilation systems, solar systems….and that’s without counting wireless connections. Why do we need Wifi for our..... heaters, fridges, stereo systems, TV's, lights, blinds, solar systems, and now even our toaster! In a modern home there is zero consideration for EMF emissions at levels we are concerned about. My wife and I plan on building in the future and I can tell you, we will be taking great precaution on where and what we place in our safe space called 'our home'. 

Let’s look at the most important room first, the room you are going to spend at least a third of your life living in – the bedroom. Here we need a very low or zero EMF space for sleeping so that natural night time recovery and regeneration can take place. However modern bedrooms have down lights (6-12 per room), multiple outlet sockets & switches (2-6), wall lights over beds with separate switches; other circuits etc…..all live!!!! For convenience, homes always have a power socket right next to the bed! So we can charge our devices right next to our head! All four walls have live circuitry on them & thus constant electric fields especially strong at head end of bed. Often we don't stop to think what is on the other side of the wall? Is there a TV hanging there? 

Then if you add an ensuite (usually directly opposite head end of bed) which has underfloor heating then more towel heater(s) & other sockets you have more electric fields coming into/expanding into bedroom. Then when bedroom is made ‘live’ by bedside lamps/device chargers/panel heater(s)/hair drier etc exposure to E fields increases even further…..

What about in the ceiling space? Just because you cant see it, doesn't mean its not effecting your space. Often modern homes have HRV / Airconditioning systems or you may have a solar system power cables running through this space. 

A friend of mine had his new home designed so that the bedroom wing of the house could be completely isolated by a switch. Every night as the family went off to sleep, by the flick of this switch he could completely eliminate all power sources from this area of the home. 

Many customers we hear from speak of having tinnitus or they can hear humming and buzzing noises. It is true that some devices such as computers or printers can produce a continuous high pitch frequency. What all this means is that these frequency problems can be added by technology especially electronic stuff; the more electrified a house is, the more frequencies it pushes out from its walls. Besides looking at electrostatic levels and positive ions, high E field houses also contribute to them.

If you go into the living room or lounge you will find all four walls are electrified again only this time round we have bigger appliances and devices drawing current and adding to the magnetic field within your home. Many of the devices are left on permanently – TVs on standby; Wifi routers; etc. Then with recessed down lighting, more outlet sockets powering plug-in devices etc., here’s another room swimming in constant electric fields that you are meant to be 'living in'. 

Kitchens too are big sources of electric fields but not from fridges and stove tops like one would usually think. There are modern houses where kitchens are set back from windows so natural light isn’t enough during the day which leads to use of electric lighting throughout daytime hours – yet another design failure in modern homes. Every house should have adequate natural light provided for to reduce need for daytime lighting because apart from swimming in yet another electric field now we’re exposing ourselves to an artificial light spectrum. We are just so comfortable to have max lighting all the time, its just not that good for us.

Outside of the main rooms we have the switch panel, electric meter and smart meter and possibly now a solar invertor with all its associated cabling – also often located inside a main area of the house itself! The main inputs of cabling must be located so as to minimize exposure and certainly should never be situated anywhere near bedrooms if humanly possible! The routing plus convergence points for multiple cables just add salt onto injury…

All this really is common sense when you sit down and think about it in relation to your own environment as far as what contributes towards your daily EMF exposure. So what does this all mean? Well, with this many things in a modern home we essentially have extremely high electric fields throughout the entire house at all times never giving out body a chance to escape. 

So there’s the challenge – how do we build new houses with low EMF footprints or remediate existing ones that are complete already? Its a long subject to cover but by bringing awareness to this being an issue in the first place is what I aim to do. Below are some simple and free steps you can take today to help start reducing your exposure. 

Some effective strategies for reducing electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure at home include:

Minimize Wireless Devices: Use Wi-Fi routers, cordless phones, and wireless speakers less often. Try to select wired options if there are any. Power Off Unused Gadgets:

Switch off Wi-Fi routers as well as other wireless devices when not in use or during sleep time. You can even automate this process using a timer.

Create Space: Keep electronic gadgets such as cell phones, tablets, and laptops away from the body whenever possible; use speakerphone or wired headsets for calls.

Opt for Wired Connections: Prefer wired Ethernet connections for internet access instead of Wi-Fi because they let you turn off the wireless function on your router with ease.

Hardwire Your Home: Replace gaming consoles and smart TVs’ wireless connections with wired ones to avoid constant need for Wi-Fi.

Shielding Products: Use EMF shielding products like protective cases, paints or fabrics that help block/reduce exposure to EMFs.

Optimize Router Placement: Put the Wi-Fi router centrally within the house but far away from living/sleeping areas. If possible, keep it in an area with least traffic.

Reduce Smart Device Usage: Avoid excessive use of smart home gadgets which depend on wireless communication e.g., outlets, thermostats etc., should be limited in their numbers too.

Airplane Mode On Smart Phones And Tablets: Enable airplane mode when network connectivity is not needed especially while asleep or during bedtime hours

Establish EMF-Free Zones: Make certain parts of your residence EMF-free zones by removing electronics from these areas or switching them off entirely.

Radiation-Reducing Fabrics: Use special fabrics and bedding materials designed to protect against EMFs if you live in an area with high levels of electromagnetic pollution.

Check out the SCRT range: SCRT has EMF Protection clothing designed to reduce your exposure to daily EMF. 

In my opinion, its better to act early to reduce exposure. That means taken proactive steps to prevent prolonged exposure to EMF to you and your family. You have already taken the first step by reading this blog. Education and being aware of the potential dangers is the first step. 

If you need any support in your journey towards better control of your environment, please feel free to reach out. hello@scrt.nz