Your family’s health and comfort is tied to the quality of the air in your home and business. The newer the home, the tighter it is sealed leaving more contaminants trapped inside. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has determined that indoor air pollution is one of the top five environmental dangers to the public. For more information call us at 505-888-1616.
If the air quality inside your home were a puzzle, it would have three parts:
- Filtration
- Purification
- Humidification
Let’s look at each piece of that puzzle:
1. Filtration
According to the NAFA (National Air Filtration Association) 95-98% of indoor air is made up of particles smaller than one micron. Bacteria, smoke, viruses, and lung damaging dust all fit into this category.
When you purchased your home heating system, you probably bought the best air filtration system offered to you. It probably uses the same old fiberglass or pleated filter that’s been around for years. Here’s the problem: the filter you have in your home is designed to protect your heating and cooling system between its annual check-up and cleanings. It is NOT designed to protect you and your family. These filters don’t even keep your system clean much less filter out the other contaminants in your air. Trying to catch airborne particles that are harmful to humans with a standard filter is like using a tennis racket to kill mosquitoes. You may get a few bugs, but it’s pure luck when you do.
Most of us drink a 1/2 gallon of water a day which is either purified bottled water or filtered at the tap. In contrast, the average person breathes about 3,750 gallons or more of polluted air per day. According to the EPA, our indoor air is usually 2-5 times worse than outside air because of our tightly constructed homes and offices. Studies show we spend about 90% of our time indoors, thus increasing our exposure.
The good news is there are affordable filters available that can capture up to 95% of contaminants down to .3 microns. This is the same level of filtration used by hospitals for in-patient and general surgery areas. These filters will fit in your existing heating system with little or no modification. There are even filtration systems available with carbon built-in to help remove odors, formaldehyde, and other VOC’s (volatile organic compounds).
2. Purification
The next step is to kill what you can’t capture. There is a whole new class of air purification systems out there that actually kill dust mites, bacteria, flu virus and even MRSA (this is an extremely resistant bacteria). These systems use the power of the sun to purify the air. Research done by Kansas State University on the Activetek Air Scrubber has shown it has a 99% effective kill rate on bacteria on surfaces and can even kill 78% of germs within 3 foot of a sneeze. The savings from preventing one illness can more than pay for the installation of the Air Scrubber.
We all know how diseases decreased when we started filtering and purifying the water. We are in the same position with our air today that people faced with water systems a hundred years ago. If cleaning the water we drink is a good idea, why not apply the same concept to cleaning the air we breathe?
Quick Facts:
– Your central heating and cooling system circulates the air in your home every 11.5 minutes. It is the perfect location for cleansing your air. Many people spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on advertised room air cleaners that, according to Consumer Reports, simply don’t work or are limited in their effectiveness.
– A central air conditioning system is the perfect breeding ground and incubator for mold, fungi, and bacteria. It’s cool, dark, and damp with a supply of food brought to it by the air stream. If we were looking at nature, your indoor unit would be an old, dark musty cave. If you have had a heating and cooling system leaking water, that overflow could easily create a build-up of slime and mold in your system.
– A standard air filter is only 2% efficient at capturing particles smaller than 5 microns. Since 95-98% of all airborne particles are smaller than 1 microns according to the EPA, that means it is largely ineffective.
– A particle of 5 microns or smaller will pass through the lining of the lungs directly into the blood stream. (American Lung Association)
3. Humidification
The final piece of your home or office indoor air quality puzzle is effective humidification. Dry itchy skin, static shock, and dry sinuses are all caused by the lack of humidity in the winter. Our homes suffer as well. Dry air cracks wood and plaster, and it damages antiques, musical instruments, and electronics.
A whole house humidifier will comfortably manage the humidity in your home. Proper humidity improves your health and saves you money on your heating bills by making you feel warmer.
Clearly, effective management of your home or office indoor air quality will result in greater comfort, better health, and more money in the bank for you and your family. For more information call us at MCS at 505-888-1616.
