IAQ and Air Cleaners

For many of us the spring time brings much awaited warmer temps and green grass, but the spring time also tends to bring water with it too.   From melting snow to April showers spring seems to be the wettest time of year for much of the United States. 

Unfortunately for many homeowners that water can end up in our basements or crawlspaces causing not only physical damage to the house, but it can also lead to very unhealthy situations.  Moisture that seeps into your home, or under your home in the case of a crawlspace, can cause mold and mildew growth as well as that nasty smell and sticky feeling the moisture causes. 

If you have a leaky basement you should call a trusted basement remediation specialist and have them survey your situation. Often times they can make some very affordable fixes that will end your problems.  But don't just fix the leaks, fix the air quality of your basement or crawlspace as well and get yourself an Aprilaire Model 1710 portable dehumidifier. 

The Model 1710 dehumidifier is a 90 pint per day unit that is much more efficient and durable then the regular units you see at the big box stores.  It can remove moisture from the air down to 40 degrees and comes with a 5 year bumper to bumper warranty.  For those of you who have ever bought one of the portable dehumidifiers from a big box store you know that if you can get a summer or two out of it before it stops working you got lucky.

Remember if your basement or crawlspace has too much humidity and is unhealthy so is the rest of your home.

Allergy season is starting to gain momentum in some areas while others are in full swing.  A couple of weeks ago I took a much needed vacation in the Tampa, Florida area.  The weather was beautiful and I was able to see family that I hadn't seen in quite a long time.  The Tampa area had recently had a pollen "bloom" that was causing both my Aunt and Uncle some very annoying allergic reactions.  They had red, itchy and watery eyes along with headaches, sore throats and runny noses.

They mentioned that some of the trees are releasing pollen and that they deal with this every year during Florida's allergy season, which pretty much runs from early spring to late summer.  I of course mentioned to them that they should look into a whole home air cleaner that has the efficiency to catch pollen, mold, dust, fungi and all the other small junk that is so bad for our health.  While I was still visiting they called a local Aprilaire contractor and had them come out to install an Aprilaire Model 4200 air cleaner.  They were very excited to see what type of difference it would make for them.

I haven't had a chance to check in with them yet but, I will be sure to report their thoughts in a later posting. 

Also check out the PollenCast brought to you by The Weather Channel...very good info regarding allergens for your area.

I've been seeing a bunch of commercials for a COPD medication called ADVAIR.  Before I starting seeing the commercials I had never heard of COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, but I Googled it and found that it's a really debilitating disorder.  According to the Mayo Clinic "Initially, COPD is often silent. Signs and symptoms may not appear until there's significant lung damage, but once symptoms begin, they typically worsen over time. COPD symptoms may include:

    * Persistent cough
    * Increased mucus production
    * Shortness of breath, especially during physical activities
    * Wheezing
    * Chest tightness
    * Frequent respiratory infections"

Mayo Clinic goes on to describe the causes of COPD "In the vast majority of cases, the damage in the lungs that leads to COPD is caused by long-term cigarette smoking. But other irritants can cause COPD, including cigar smoke, secondhand smoke, pipe smoke, air pollution and certain occupational fumes."

COPD can be a nasty thing to live with, but by not smoking and working to keep your homes air clean you can protect yourself from ever developing COPD and if you've already been diagnosed see this study regarding COPD and the effects of poor indoor air quality on symptoms.

Since most people spend the majority of time indoors the importance of making sure the air in your home is clean is magnified.  Check out our website for ideas on how to clean the air in your home.

The positive effects that clean indoor air can attribute too seem to be endless...isn't it time you look into improving the air for your family?

It's getting to that time of year for spring cleaning again and the blogosphere has definitely increased chatter on the best ways to go about spring cleaning. 

One of the things that caught my attention was the importance of using natural cleaning solutions.  Using cleaning solutions that are filled with all kinds of nasty chemicals can be hazardous to your health.  Basically, you are filling your house with toxic gaseous fumes, so if you do need to use the strong stuff open up a couple of windows to replace the toxic air with some fresh outside air. 

Another thing that many people do in the spring is make some type of investment into bettering their homes.  It can be anything from a new refrigerator that you've been talking about getting for the last few months to having some landscaping done.  One thing I would suggest, especially for those of you who have your HVAC contractor come out for a spring check up, is an investment in making your home a healthier place. 

If you don't have a whole home air cleaner ask your contractor about putting one in, if you live in an area where humidity is high or you have a newer "tight" home ask your contractor about installing a whole home dehumidifier, if you don't have a programmable thermostat have your contractor put one in.  All of the above will make your home a healthier, more comfortable and more sustainable place.  On top of it you will also save money.  An air cleaner will help to keep your heating and cooling equipment running a peak efficiency, a dehumidifier will allow you to turn your thermostat up and feel more comfortable and a programmable thermostat will allow you to reduce your energy use when your not home or when your in bed.

Every year thousands of people in the United States die from asthma.  Researchers from Glasgow University recently discovered that asthma in children is likely caused by a couple of very preventable things.

First, children who sit for prolonged periods of time double their risk of developing asthma.  The study goes on to say that because the lungs aren't fully functioning while sitting at rest, kids aren't breathing fully.  The researchers say kids need to get more active, that's no surprise.  Not only are inactive children often over weight, but they have an increased risk of developing asthma too...all the more reason to make sure your kids are active.

The second part of the study links asthma in children to pollen and mold.  The researchers don't specifically say it would be a good idea get a whole home air cleaner installed, but that would be my recommendation.  Since most of us spend more then 90% of our time indoors a high quality whole home air cleaner just makes sense.

Indoor air quality studies seem to come out every other day, but to my amazement people don't do anything about protecting their family.  Since I started here at Aprilaire I've told all my friends and family how much healthier they can be by taking steps to improve their indoor air quality.  I hope you will do the same to protect your friends and family.

Retrofit zone your house with Aprilaire' Retrofit Zoned Comfort Damper.  The new product from Aprilaire allows you to easily upgrade your current HVAC system to a zoned HVAC system.  Zoning is a wonderful way to add value to your home while making it more comfortable and saving money.  

Zoning allows you to only heat or cool the areas that need it.  Instead of having just one thermostat to control the temperature in your house you have multiple thermostats for the different parts of your house.  Most people that zone their homes will put thermostats in bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and on the different levels of the home.

If your looking a for a home improvement idea zoning should be under serious consideration.

It’s a hot summer day in the middle of July and you are in the kitchen making lunch.  You have that uncomfortable hot and clammy feeling as you build your cold cut sandwich.  When you’re finished making your sandwich you pour yourself a glass of iced tea and head over to the thermostat, which is on the wall in the living room, and turn it down a few degrees.  Now you move to the den to enjoy your lunch and see if your  favorite baseball team is winning the days game.  As you get yourself comfortable and flip through the channels you’re suddenly become chilled.  You think to yourself, I was just uncomfortably warm when I was in the kitchen and now that I’m in the den I uncomfortably chilled.

If you have ever had this problem you are an excellent candidate for a retro fit zoning system.  I like to compare zoning your HVAC system to light switches for your home lighting system.  Imagine if you had only one light switch for all the lights in your home.   That’s crazy you say no one would ever do that?  Well, that’s pretty much what having only one thermostat for your HVAC system is like.  Zoning your HVAC system allows you to have the most energy efficient and comfortable home possible.

Many people believe that zoning can only be done on new homes, but not anymore.  Aprilaire offers retro fit zoning that can be used on your current home and it can all be done without pulling out your current ductwork.  Check out more about Aprilaire Zoning Systems here.

Did you know that programming your thermostat is one of the easiest ways to save energy and money?  In just the few minutes it takes to program your thermostat you can save 10% or more on your heating and cooling bills.  According to Energy Star, in the winter you should set your heat to 70 or less and then when you’re away or asleep set it back at least 8 degrees from there.  Meaning if you set your thermostat at 68 degrees when you are home then when you leave set it back to at least 60.  During the cooling season Energy Star recommends setting your thermostat at 78 or more when you’re home; when you’re not home set it back at least 7 degrees and when you’re asleep set it back at least 4 degrees. 

Amazingly most people don’t use the programmable settings or they use the HOLD function to override the thermostats program.  In this day and age where energy costs are rising and each and every dollar makes a difference take the time to program your thermostat, you will enjoy the benefits.

With all the bad news out there these days I hate to write a blog about anything negative, but let’s see if I can’t spin something seemingly negative into a big ball of positive.  One of District Sales Mangers in Pennsylvania called me up.  He had one of his best Aprilaire dealers giving out an article about the dangers of particulate pollution to every homeowner he saw.  He wanted his valued customers to be aware of the risks they were being exposed to if they decided not to install a whole home air purifier.

The article talks about the short term and long term effects of exposure to particulate of different sizes in the air.  The effects can be astounding; they range from more severe asthma attacks to a premature death.  Sounds pretty grim right?  Well there is hope.  A whole home air cleaner is a great way to protect against the harmful effects particulate pollution can cause. 

Aprilaire offers some wonderful options to make your home a safe place for you and your family.  We have 3 different levels of protection the 2000 series, 4000 Series and our flagship air cleaner the Electronic Model 5000(which won best air cleaner 3 years running).  So no matter what level of protection you want Aprilaire can provide a solution.

The picture below is showing the difference between an air conditioning coil that had an Aprilaire air cleaner and a coil that just had a normal 1” filter.  As you can see the one without the Aprilaire air cleaner is in complete disarray.  The problem with a dirty coil is it loses its efficiency and effectiveness.  As the cooling coil in you air conditioner fills with debris the air flow across the cooling coil is decreased.  The decreased air flow across the coil means your cooling efficiency is decreased.   In some cases a dirty coil can cause your compressor or fans to fail permanently, a very costly fix.  

If you currently don’t have an air cleaner and you are interested in protecting your HVAC equipment and saving money there is no better time then now to have an Aprilaire air cleaner installed.  Just make sure that you clean your coil before applying the air purifier.  You can attempt to do it yourself, but I would recommend you have your trusted Aprilaire contractor do it for you.  It can usually be done for a minimal fee.

These days it seems everyone is trying to “go green”; the problem is everyone has a different definition of what it means.  Does it mean saving energy, recycling, driving less, biking more, buying locally produced products…the list goes on and on.  To me “going green” means being conscious of how our actions effect the environment and then doing all we can to reduce our negative impact.

One thing that is often forgotten when it comes to reducing your impact on the environment is indoor air quality.  Indoor Environmental Quality is one of the 8 main sections of a LEED certified home.  When most people think of making their home green they think of changing their light bulbs, adding insulation or installing energy efficient windows, but often times they neglect to look at the indoor air quality of the home.  Good indoor air quality benefits health, comfort, energy savings and home preservation.

One important facet of IAQ is air filtration; this is demonstrated by the popular LEED rating system which requires air purification to earn certification.  It is a prerequisite for a LEED certified home to have at minimum MERV 8 filters.  Additional certification can be earned points by installing filters with increased efficiency.  A MERV 10 filter qualifies as a “Better Filter” (1 point) and a MERV 13 filter qualifies as a “Best Filter” (2 points).   

All Aprilaire whole home filters are MERV 10 or better.  The 2000 Series Air Cleaners come with MERV 10 filters and are easily upgradable to MERV 13 efficiency.  The 4000 Series Air Cleaners come with MERV 13 efficiency plus One Touch Control. 

So you’re in the market for an air cleaner?   Most likely you’re interested in making your home a more healthy, clean, and safe place for you and your family to live.

Before you make a purchase you should be aware of the misconceptions that surround air cleaners.  About 3 out of 4 people who purchase an air cleaner end up with a portable unit.  Unfortunately a portable air cleaner is usually just a false sense of security.  They are often undersized and not efficient at removing the smallest and most dangerous particles from your homes air.

Don’t get me wrong a portable can be effective if you are interested in cleaning some of the air in your home.  For instance, if you want to clean the air in a bedroom buy a portable and keep the door closed. 

If you want to clean the air in a bedroom along with the rest of the house install an Aprilaire whole home air cleaner and enjoy fresh clean air throughout all your homes living spaces. 

Another misconception is that those 1” filters are the answer to protecting your family from polluted indoor.  This too is incorrect; not only are 1” filters inefficient but they also don’t last long.  Most need to be changed every month where an Aprilaire filter only needs to be changed annually.

There are many other reasons a portable air cleaners aren’t an effective way to clean your homes air…to many to list here, but check out this comparision for more information.

P.S.

Amazingly you can get an Aprilaire air cleaner for near the same price as one portable air cleaner.

 

Indoor air quality is always important when it comes to the health, comfort and preservation of your home.  In the winter it is even more important to take the necessary steps to insure good indoor air quality.  It’s a given that we spend more time indoors during the winter months due to the sometimes nasty outdoor conditions.  It doesn’t matter where you are in the country; when the weather outside becomes frightful we tend to spend more time in the house.

I recently read an article about the increased importance of indoor air quality in the winter.  In the article the columnist mentions that it’s not the stuff in the air you can see when the sunlight hits it, it’s the stuff you can’t see that's the most dangerous for your families health. That is why it is important to have a high efficiency whole home Aprilaire air cleaner. 

An Aprilaire air cleaner will surely help increase the quality of the air in your home.  Check out the latest Aprilaire air cleaner with a One Touch Control that gives you the ability to clean your air at the touch of a button.  Another major indoor air quality problem in the winter is dry air, so couple your Aprilaire air cleaner with an Aprilaire humidifier and have your own healthy winter oasis…your home!

 

With the flu season upon us it is important to take the necessary steps to prevent being infected by the nasty virus.  Other then getting vaccinated there are bunch of other things you can do to protect yourself from the flu this year. 

I did a Google search for “Preventing the Flu” and it kicked back over 8,000,000 results, but one thing most of the “Preventing the Flu” to-do lists don’t reveal is how to manage the flu virus aerosols that are in the air.  Anytime someone coughs, sneezes or even speaks they can emit aerosols into the air that contain the flu virus.  Other than covering your mouth when you cough, sneeze and speak what can be done to control the airborne particles?

 

Aprilaire’s Model 5000 Electronic Air Cleaner which has been rated as the best whole home air cleaner three years running by an independent consumer goods company is a great solution.  The Model 5000 traps and KILLS up to 99.9% of harmful airborne particles. 

A normal 1” air filter will allow the tiny flu virus particles that are in the air to continually circulate through your home dramatically increasing the chances that someone will inhale them. 

The flu season historically starts in October and then continues to gain momentum until it peaks in mid-February.  There is no better time than now to invest in your family’s health and indoor air quality.  The Aprilaire Model 5000 has been tested and proven to be the best whole home air cleaner available, and it won’t only help with deterring the flu, but it will make your home a healthier place year round.

Back in 1973, Aprilaire developed a cutting edge filter technology that utilized glass fibers to capture the harmful particulate in your home.  At the time, this type of air cleaning technology was the best of its kind, but recently, Aprilaire developed new air purifying technology that performs better than any other air filter on the market.

True to the tradition of developing the most innovative indoor air quality products available, the engineers at Aprilaire developed a new electrostatically charged, depth loading MERV 13 (What’s MERV?) filter for the latest line of Aprilaire whole-home air cleaners. 

The new Aprilaire air cleaner line has been a hit with homeowners.  It’s no wonder people love it.  With increased efficiency, easier maintenance, longer filter life, and no pleat spacers, it’s all good!  

If you already have an Aprilaire whole-home air filter, you can benefit from our new filtration technology too!

We put our engineers to task to create an Upgrade Kit for the Model 2200/2400/2120/2140 and SpaceGard air cleaners.  They were able to develop a very easy to install, no tools required Upgrade Kit that enables you to take advantage of all the benefits of Aprilaire’s enhanced air cleaner media with your currently installed unit.

The Aprilaire Upgrade Kits offer many benefits.

A one-time upgrade will:

1.) Improve Filter Performance- The new electrostatically charged media achieves MERV 13 performance levels.  That means you get almost two times as much contaminant removal over the original Aprilaire MERV 10 media.

2.) Eliminate Pleat Spacers (black plastic combs)- No more fighting with pleat spacers.  The new media is collapsible, slide-in media that can be replaced in 30 seconds or less.

3.) Keep your heating and cooling system running at peak efficiency-which means you save energy.

4.) Make your home a healthier, cleaner, more energy-efficient place to live.

According to the American Lung Association, “American adults spend about 90% of their time indoors, and thanks to our more tightly insulated/sealed homes and workplaces, the concentration of pollutants indoors may be even higher than outdoors.”

What’s even more astonishing, the EPA reports that indoor air pollution may be up to 100 times worse than outdoor air.

When you hear reports like that you may think, well I better go get a gas mask to wear at home, but you don’t need to do that.  Instead, just find your nearest Aprilaire dealer here.   Give them a call and ask about upgrading your current Aprilaire Whole Home Air Cleaner today.   It takes just minutes to install and comes with media so when you upgrade, you get your replacement filter too.  Aprilaire makes it easy to clean your indoor air!

 

I have to admit, when I started working here at Aprilaire just over 10 months ago, I didn’t even know what a whole home air cleaner  was.  Of course, I knew about that skinny little filter in my furnace that you can literally watch the nightly news through.  You know what I’m talking about that so called “air purifier” that is supposed to be changed every month—does anybody actually change their furnace filter every month?  I was also aware of portable air cleaners since I had one sitting right in the middle of my living room.  (In the interest of full-disclosure it happened to be an Ionic Breeze.)

I think it was my second day here at Aprilaire when we began training on the Aprilaire High Efficiency Air Cleaner product line.  That’s when I realized that the 1” furnace filter connected to my HVAC system wasn’t worth its weight in lead and my portable air purifier was really nothing more then a false sense of security. 

I remember saying to our corporate trainer “This is a no-brainer.  Everyone needs to have a whole home air cleaner.  I just wish I had known about them before now."  His response really hit home with me, he said "Being that your in marketing you have the opportunity to help others like yourself.  You can educate people so they don't have to live with poor indoor air quality."

And that folks is the challenge Aprilaire faces on a daily basis.  How can we let more people, who care about their family’s health, comfort, and overall indoor air quality recognize that they need a high efficiency whole home air cleaner--preferably an Aprilaire:-)  We know people are aware of the importance of clean indoor air, but they just don’t know the best means to get there.  Aprilaire is doing everything we can to get the word out…we’ve even teamed up with doctors to communicate the health benefits and importance of clean indoor air.

Thankfully for everyone, the importance of Indoor Air Quality has gained more and more attention in recent years.  The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm, recently announced that due to consumers’ growing concerns over indoor air quality, demand for whole house air cleaners is expected to increase.

So if you’re looking for an easy and inexpensive way to improve the health, comfort and sustainability of your home look into an Aprilaire high efficiency whole home air cleaner.  You can find an Aprilaire dealer in your area here   In the meantime check out this article from the Farmers Almanac; they offer some other easy ways to reduce indoor air pollution.