"Those with asthma are four-times more likely than those without the
respiratory disease to end up hospitalized if they contract H1N1, and Dr.
William Busse of the UW School of Medicine says that's raising concerns about
the effectiveness of the vaccine among that population.
Researchers at the UW School of Medicine are now looking for possible
interactions between asthma sufferers and the H1N1 vaccine. They're conducting
clinical trials to determine how much of the vaccine needs to be given to people
with asthma, along with what impact any medication they're taking could have on
its effectiveness."
When we seal-up our homes for the on coming flu season, it's important to remember to take preparations to prevent sickness in ourselves and family. Gargle with mouthwash or salt water, wash hands regularly, keep your hands away from your face and keep your home as clean as possible. One way to do this is install a whole home air cleaner. Getting a high efficiency air cleaner can removes up to 98% of the airborne particulateit traps from your air, down to .3 micorns (including virus sized particulate).
Aprilaire makes the model 5000 electronic air cleaner that captures and kills small virus sized particles. Go to www.aprilaire.com to learn more about high efficency air cleaners today.
Pet dander is an uncomfortable reality for many people. Swollen eyes, itchy nose, and sneezing are all symptoms of a four leg allergy. If this describes the relationship between you and your fuzzy critter then read on Scratchy!
Interestingly, airborne dander and hair can be captured by a whole home air cleaner. A whole home what, you ask. Yes, a whole home air cleaner. This air cleaner attaches to your air handler and cleans the air of particulate as small at .3 microns. Go to Aprilaire.com and learn how a whole home air cleaner can be the foundation of a beautiful relationship between you and your furry four legger.
You know you need a humidifier. You understand all the benefits that come with properly humidified air: health, comfort, protection of assets, and energy savings. Now comes the tricky part; which humidifier do you buy?
Answer these three questions before you purchase
There are three simple questions you need to ask yourself to determine which humidifier is best for you:
1) Is noise important?
2) Do you have children?
3) How much humidification do you require?
We covered items one and two in our last blogs. Let's finish up with number three today by asking how much humidification do you require. Or, put another way, how many rooms do you have and how big are they?
Your house has more than one room
Unless you live in a one-room efficiency, you probably have 2-3 bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and more. It would take one portable humidifier for every room in your home to adequately increase your comfort and protect your valuable possessions. That's five or more units to fill and clean every day. And, have the remote control for your TV handy as you'll have to crank up the volume to get over all the noise.
A whole-house humidifier from Aprilaire is your best solution. It works in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system to add soothing, protecting moisture to every room in your home. It operates quietly and efficiently, with only annual maintenance required: no tanks to fill and clean, no noise, no hassles.
Call your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house humidifier today. You'll be glad you did.
Aprilaire - providing all the humidification you need for over 50 years!
You know you need a humidifier. You understand all the benefits that come with properly humidified air: health, comfort, protection of assets, and energy savings. Now comes the tricky part; which humidifier do you buy?
Answer these three questions before you purchase
There are three simple questions you need to ask yourself to determine which humidifier is best for you:
1) Is noise important?
2) Do you have children?
3) How much humidification do you require?
Today, let's explore question number one. How important is noise in your home? Portable humidifiers have fans to move the moisture from the holding tank into the room. Fans can make quite a bit of noise. If your humidifier is sitting in your living room, will you have to turn up the television or stereo so you can hear it over the humidifier? If it is in your bedroom, will you be able to sleep with all that noise? Also, portable humidifiers only provide moisture to the room they are in, so you will need several of them to properly humidify your home. That's a lot of extra, unnecessary noise.
If noise is an issue in your home, Aprilaire is your humidification solution. An Aprilaire humidifier installs on your home’s HVAC system, out of sight and out of mind, quietly providing soothing humidification throughout your entire home. And, unlike portable humidifiers, Aprilaire has no tanks to fill and clean and only requires annual maintenance.
Call your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house humidifier today and quietly add soothing moisture to your home tomorrow.
Aprilaire - quietly adding moisture to homes for over 50 years.
Did you know...proper levels of humidity can reduce influenza survival, transmission, and seasonality. Studies done at Oregon State University indicate the key to reducing airborne tranmission of the flu is maintaining the proper levels of humidity as measured by absolute humidity. Absolute humidity is the measure of the actual water vapor content of the air irrespective of temperature. 
Adding moisture is the key
In cold winter months when your furnace is heating and drying the air, you cannot sustain proper levels of humidification without adding moisture. In other words, you need a humidifier. The addition of a humidifier to your home will make you more comfortable, protect your belongings from the ill-effects of dry air, and, as this study shows, protect your health from the devastating effects of the flu.
Your local Aprilaire dealer has your best solution for proper humidity. Aprilaire humidifiers work in conjunction with your home's HVAC system to add moisture to every room of your home, ensuring your health and comfort regardless of which room you are in. Call your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house humidifier today. This is one of the most important calls you can make in protecting the health of your family this upcoming flu season. Maintaining healthy humidity levels is an important part of a comprehensive strategy you can use to reduce the spread of viruses. Keeping surfaces clean and avoiding contact with others infected are also essential.
Aprilaire - protecting your family’s health for over 50 years.
Do you live in just one room of your house? Do you cook, eat, and sleep in the living room or do you move around from room to room as the mood hits you? How about one floor? Do you spend all your time in the basement? Of course not. Then why would you place a dehumidifier in just one room of your house?
Excess humidity is everywhere
Humidity doesn't just hang out in the living room to watch TV with you. It's in the kitchen, the bathroom, bedrooms, and basement. Excess humidity is everywhere. So why would you purchase a portable dehumidifier and put it in just one room of your house? You wouldn't. In fact, portable manufacturers recommend different size units depending on which floor of your house you’re putting it on, with the overall recommendation to purchase a dehumidifier for every floor. Ouch! Not only do you purchase three dehumidifiers, but you have the hassles of emptying three tanks every day and the joy of paying to operate all three.
A whole-house dehumidifier from Aprilaire is the solution to excess humidity. It works in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system to efficiently remove moisture from every room of your home. Aprilaire also means hassle-free maintenance as there are no tanks to empty and clean Also, it's in your equipment room so you aren't constantly tripping over it. Contact your local Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house dehumidifier today.
Aprilaire - providing hassle-free comfort and protection for over 50 years!
Did you know....Portable humidifiers are a pain. Literally. Here is a list of "Things to Remember" regarding portable humidifiers. This list can be found on a major home improvement retailer's website.
ufacturer for application with the humidifier.
Portable humidifiers are a hassle
If all of the above sounds like a lot to worry about, you're right. Aprilaire takes away all the hassle and worry with a whole-house humidifier. It installs right on your HVAC equipment, out of sight and out of mind. There are no hot surfaces, no special water, no additives, no tanks to empty and clean. Just soothing, properly humidified air that protects your family’s health for years to come.
Call your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house humidifier today. You'll be glad you did.
Aprilaire - Hassle free for over 50 years!
What is a MERV Rating?
MERV, which stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is a rating that was developed by ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) used to assess the filtering power of a furnace filter/air cleaner.
The MERV scale consists of ratings from 1 to 16, with filter performance being greater as the number increases. On the MERV scale, dirt particles are graded from 0.3 microns to 10 microns. A micron is 1 millionth of a millimeter, and to give you an idea of just how small that is, you can look at the size of a single human hair. The average strand of human hair is about 100 microns thick, so imagine just how small 0.3 microns of dirt is!
Why is MERV Rating Important?
When you’re purchasing an air conditioner or furnace filter for your home, you want to be sure that you are buying a filter that will keep the air in your home clean. While all Aprilaire air cleaners will provide you with the filtering efficiency needed to improve the air quality of your home, depending on the particular needs of your family, you may require a filter that has a higher MERV rating, like the Aprilaire Model 5000 Electronic Air Cleaner.
Cases in which this is likely are those when you or someone in your home suffers from allergies, respiratory problems, or other similar incidences. Then again, you may just want to get the best filter for your family so that the indoor air quality around your home is the best it can be.
With Aprilaire AIr Cleaners, it's Garbage in, NO Garbage out!
Aprilaire Sponsors Terre Verde Green Renovation Project
Control of indoor air quality at the forefront of “Greenovation”
Madison, Wis. – Aprilaire, manufacturer of products that provide whole-house solutions to indoor air quality problems, is sponsoring a massive renovation project in Florida by providing the latest technology in air filtration, humidity control and zoned temperature control systems.
The project is Terre Verde, a 1970’s Florida-style ranch home adjacent to the Ocala national forest in central Florida. The home has been virtually untouched with any improvements in its entire 40 years.
Dr. Anna Marie, health specialist for The Weather Channel and host of the syndicated better living show YOUR LIFE WITH DR. ANNA MARIE, is leading this green renovation project to transform this home into an eco-friendly, energy efficient and ultimately healthy home.
Part of the renovation will employ new building technologies to make Terre Verde much tighter in order to save energy. While good for the pocket book and the environment, these kinds of advancements lead to the increase of indoor air pollutants – houses that don’t breathe like they use to.
Working with local Aprilaire representatives and indoor air quality specialists, Aprilaire has installed the latest in air cleaning technology with One Touch active control, allowing the homeowner to control when and how much air cleaning takes place based on their lifestyle and need. Also provided is Aprilaire high-capacity Central Dehumidification and Zoned Comfort Control; a system which provides for focusing temperature control in specific areas of the home only where and when it is needed.
“These products help save energy by providing comfort while running air conditioning less often, but that’s just the beginning, noted Dr. Anna Marie, “They also provide for a much healthier, more sustainable environment by dramatically controlling the growth of mold and mildew, and trapping airborne allergens and other harmful particles from the entire home. Aprilaire products work together to protect the home’s furnishings, materials and of course it’s inhabitants. And that’ll be me, eventually!”
“Aprilaire is committed to the project and to help promote sustainable living, said Tom Ruse, Marketing Communications Manager. “We’re excited to help showcase the latest technologies available to make homes healthier, more comfortable and energy efficient”.
Terre Verde will be showcased at the Lake County Florida Builder Association’s Parade of Homes in March 2010.
Aprilaire (www.aprilaire.com)
Aprilaire has been a brand leader in the indoor air quality industry for over 60 years. The company designs, develops, manufactures and distributes whole-home indoor air quality products that provide comfort, health, energy efficiency, and the protection and preservation of the home. For more information on central air cleaners, visit www.aprilaire.com.
Even though it's summer time, you need to make sure that your HVAC system (which pushes the cold air from the air conditioner through your house) has plenty of air so the motor isn't straining. Much of the new equipment being installed today has a variable speed motor. This means that the motor has multiple speeds to move the air through you house.
This equipment is expensive and will run on high unnecessarily if the filter isn't changed often. Imagine trying to run with a towel over your face! When you cannot get enough air your breathing becomes more and more labored. This is what's happening to that expensive stuff in your basement that heats and cools your house! And it's totally preventable.
To prolong the life of your investment and to make it run as efficiently as possible, make sure that you check your filter every couple of months and change it per the manufacturer’s recommendations.
The filter in Aprilaire media air cleaners can last one year or more and can keep your HVAC equipment clean and help it last as long as possible. Contractors throughout the country install Aprilaire air cleaners because many of them see it as the best protection for their customers’ equipment and homes; not to mention because they provide a cleaner, healthier home environment.
Whether updating a home to be healthier, more energy efficient and sustainable or building a new home and trying to achieve green certification, Aprilaire, a leader in the indoor air quality industry, offers homeowners a complete indoor environmental quality package that features the most innovative products on the market. Over the past several years, research and experience have improved the understanding of what is involved in maintaining good indoor air quality. Four key indoor air quality components that help ensure the sustainability and health of the home and its occupants are moisture load control, ventilation, air filtration, and energy efficiency.
Moisture Control
Aprilaire addresses high indoor humidity problems and/or concerns in the home with an innovative, effective and affordable whole-home solution – the Model 1750 Central Dehumidifier. The Aprilaire central dehumidifier provides 24-7 moisture control in two critical ways: first, it works independently from the central air conditioner to control excess moisture on days that do not require cooling. Second, it works in conjunction with the central air conditioner to provide the most efficient complete humidity control solution while maintaining an optimum home temperature. An Aprilaire Dehumidifier provides the ability to automatically control moisture levels through the whole home in order to ensure the sustainability of the home, as well as a more healthy and comfortable indoor environment.
The 90-pint/day Aprilaire dehumidifier is a whole-house unit that can be installed in attics, closets, crawlspaces, garages, basements, and in new construction or existing homes. Built-in intelligence provides automatic control for not only whole-home dehumidification, but also for fresh air ventilation, air cycling, and air filtration. Automatic air cycling allows for improved humidity and temperature balance throughout the house. The built-in automatic fresh air ventilation provides not only the control of fresh air, but also the dehumidification, if needed, of that fresh air upon entering the home. The fresh air ventilation control will meet ASHRAE 62.2 standards where and when required.
Just as important as removing excess moisture is adding the right about during the winter months is cold climates. The National Association of Home Builders’ Model GREEN Home Building Guidelines recognizes that controlled humidity is an important health element for those living in regions where furnaces are used during the winter season. As the innovator of controlled whole-home humidifiers, Aprilaire offers a full line of automatic whole-home humidifiers that provide just the right amount of humidity based on outdoor temperature and indoor relative humidity. By utilizing an automatic whole-home humidifier, homeowners are protecting their health, preserving their home and saving energy.
Ventilation
Aprilaire’s innovative Ventilation Control System offers an affordable and effective means for not only mechanically ventilating homes, but to ventilate them to ASHRAE 62.2 when required. The system consists of a six-inch damper, controller and transformer. The system provides time‑based control with outdoor temperature and indoor relative humidity operating limits. The control opens a damper with a fan or equipment call to meet a desired ventilation requirement that is set by the installer with the ventilation knob (0 – 60 minutes) and cycle time setting (1, 2, 3, or 4 hours). Once the ventilation requirement is met, the controller will close the damper. If the fan and equipment run times do not meet the ventilation requirement, the controller will turn the fan on and open the damper until the desired ventilation is met.
Air Filtration
Aprilaire central air cleaners are attached to the heating and cooling system and permanently trap the airborne contaminants that can aggravate health and allergy and asthma symptoms. In a recent standard industry test, the Aprilaire 5000 achieved 99 percent efficiency against airborne particles. The unit captures and kills virtually all contaminants including those that most affect personal health—viruses, bacteria, spores and allergens 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Aprilaire also offers homeowners a one-of-a-kind air cleaner control that allows them to actively clean the air in their entire home based on personal preference and event triggers:
Installed next to the thermostat or on the air cleaning unit, the new control also provides validation the air cleaner is working by indicating through a sequence of bars that rise when the blower on the heating and cooling system is energized. It also indicates when the filter needs to be replaced based on blower run time.
Energy Efficiency
Heating and cooling costs are the #1 expense in most American homes. Energy Star states that the average home spends about $1,500 annually on energy bills. All of Aprilaire Programmable Thermostats are Energy Star Rated — and according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a programmable thermostat can save you up to 30% on your energy costs.
Good Tips from the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
(ACCAI) and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) • Avoid hugging and kissing pets if you’re allergic to them. • Wash hands after handling a pet to help avoid the spread of dander. • Remove litter boxes from direct contact with pet allergy sufferers and place them in areas away from vents. Have a non-allergic family member clean the litter boxes. • Wear a dust mask to vacuum. Use a vacuum with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter if possible. • Wash your pet on a weekly basis. Check your local pet store or ask your veterinarian for shampoos that may neutralize or inactivate allergens present on your pet’s skin. • Don’t use carpeting in your home, try using throw rugs that can be washed in hot water instead. If you must have carpeting, choose ones with a low pile and vacuum and steam clean often.
Rick from St. Joe, Michigan
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