Posts Tagged ‘Air Quality’

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Maintaining Your CO Detectors

December 29th, 2010

If your home doesn’t have carbon monoxide detectors installed, you could be putting your family at risk on a daily basis. However, poorly maintained detectors could still be putting your family in danger. Carbon monoxide detectors warn us when levels of carbon monoxide become hazardous to our health, and even if you take very good care of your gas powered appliances, accidents can still happen. Properly caring for the carbon monoxide detectors in your home is part of the responsibilities of being a homeowner, but many people don’t really know where to begin when it comes to taking care of these units. Here are a few quick tips that will help you and your family care for the carbon monoxide detectors in your home:

  • Install detectors within 10 feet of bedrooms throughout the home. You should also have them installed on every floor including the basement and near an attached garage.
  • Never install a detector too close to the furnace, boiler, or any other gas powered appliance. This could cause false readings because levels of CO are always going to be higher right next to these appliances. » Read more: Maintaining Your CO Detectors

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Posted in Air Quality, Heating, Home Services, Maintenace, Safty

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Recognizing Gas Leaks and What to Do if You have One

December 27th, 2010

Any time you operate a natural gas powered appliance in the home, there is a potential for gas leaks. Professional installation and maintenance should be enough to keep these units in check, but accidents still do happen. If you have ever had a leak in your home, you have probably experienced the odor that is emitted when gas is leaking.

Although it may be unpleasant, the smell emitted by natural gas is often the signal that alerts the homeowner to the presence of the leak in the first place. Without it, explosions and fires would be an even more common occurrences in this country. However, if you miss the alert, the consequences could be very severe. So, we have provided some other ways that you can detect gas leaks and a list of things you should and should not do when you suspect a gas leak in the home. » Read more: Recognizing Gas Leaks and What to Do if You have One

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Posted in Air Quality, Heating, Home Repairs, Safty

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Filter Confusion

December 15th, 2010

Ever notice how your thermostat will occasionally will flash the word “filter?” If you have a digital thermostat, chances are your thermostat has this capability, and if you have been ignoring it, now is the time to pay attention to it! That flashing word is a maintenance reminder for you to check the filter on the furnace. Depending on the type of filter you use, you may have to change it more or less frequently than the reminder advises. However, neglecting to change the filter enough can cause serious damage to the furnace and to the air quality in the home. So how do you know how frequently to change it?

Unfortunately, there isn’t one clear cut answer to that question. You should check the recommended filter life on the manufacturer’s packaging, and consult a professional if you are not sure. However, there are many factors that could contribute to more frequent filter changes. These include: » Read more: Filter Confusion

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Posted in Air Quality, Duct Cleaning, Furnace, Information, Maintenace

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Furnace Filters: MERV Ratings

November 15th, 2010

If you do nothing else to care for your furnace, you should at the very least replace the furnace filter on a regular basis. Some people get lucky and the only negative consequences of furnace neglect are poor air quality and low efficiency, but failing to replace the filter regularly could potentially choke the life out of your furnace. Chances are you don’t want any of these problems in your home, so now is the time to give your furnace and the air in your home a little TLC by replacing the air filter. But, how do you know which one to choose?

Look for a MERV Rating

MERV ratings make it easier to choose the perfect filter for your furnace. A MERV rating is a measurement of the filters ability to remove particles from the air down to a specific micron. A micron is extremely small. 1 micron is equal to 1/25,000 of an inch, and the human eye can only see down to 10 microns. We would need a microscope to see anything smaller. The smaller the particles that a filter can capture the higher the MERV rating that filter receives on a scale from 1 to 16. » Read more: Furnace Filters: MERV Ratings

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Posted in Air Quality, Furnace, Heating, Information, Maintenace, Safty

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Understanding Your Furnace Air Filter

September 23rd, 2010

When you have a central furnace and air conditioning system, air quality often becomes an issue. These types of systems use duct work to transport air throughout your home. As one vent delivers the heated or cooled air to the room, another vent is drawing air into the duct work to be sent back to the furnace or air conditioner. The air in your home will cycle through the system at least 45 times or as much as 140 times a day, depending on how much you run your HVAC systems. Dust, dander, pollen, mold spores, and many other microscopic particles are being cycled along with the hot or cold air. This constant recycling of polluted air is often what leads to poor indoor air quality.

Your furnace and air conditioner should have an air filter as your homes first line of defense against these nasty particles. But, finding the right air filter for your home can become very frustrating once you find out how many choices you have. The four main types of air filters that are on the market for residential HVAC systems include: » Read more: Understanding Your Furnace Air Filter

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Air Quality, Furnace, Information

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UV Lights in Your Duct Work

September 13th, 2010

When you think of ultra violet light chances are the first thing that comes to mind are the harmful rays of the sun and not your HVAC systems. However, UV light can be harnessed and put to good use in the duct system of your home. If installed properly by a reliable HVAC contractor, UV lights can improve indoor air quality by destroying odors and harmful particles, and it may even boost the efficiency of your heating and air conditioning systems.

What is a UV light and how does it work?

A UV light is a machine that is mounted into your duct works supply and return vents or over the air conditioning coil. It uses a light bulb that emits powerful UV-C rays into the duct system. UV-C is an invisible part of the sun’s light spectrum. It has the ability to alter the DNA and RNA of microorganism which will sterilize them. Once sterilized, the microorganisms can no longer grow or reproduce and are killed off in a short amount of time. » Read more: UV Lights in Your Duct Work

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Air Purifier, Air Quality, Duct Cleaning, Heating, Home Improvements, Money Saving, Safty

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Ozone Air Purifiers: Harmful or Helpful?

August 25th, 2010

Every air purifier is not created equal. In the world of air purifiers, there are several options to choose from. From HEPA to ionic to ozone air purifiers, the process of choosing the right unit for your home can become confusing and maybe even a little overwhelming. But, you can check ozone air purifiers off your list right now! Contrary to what you may have heard about ozone air purifiers, these units are in reality very dangerous and most don’t even effectively purify the air.

What is Ozone?

Many of us have probably already heard about ozone. This is the gas that is commonly associated with our atmosphere. It is made up of 3 oxygen atoms. We normally breathe oxygen in its most stable form that consists of only 2 oxygen atoms. The third atom of oxygen that is present in ozone makes the molecule unstable. This instability is what allows that third oxygen atom to break off and combine with other organic molecules in the environment. The combination of the lone oxygen atom will alter the chemical make-up of the molecule it binds with. » Read more: Ozone Air Purifiers: Harmful or Helpful?

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Posted in Air Purifier, Air Quality, Consumer Protection, Information, Safty

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Changing your filter?

June 30th, 2010

Check your filter every month, especially during heavy use months (winter and summer). If the filter looks dirty after a month, change it!

As a general rule, you should change your filter every 3 months at a minimum.  If you have a lot of people living in your home or have pets and animals you should really consider changing it more frequently than that. » Read more: Changing your filter?

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Air Quality, Furnace, Heating, Value

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Duct Cleaning Questions Answered

May 27th, 2010

When considering having your ducts cleaned, there are many questions that you may be confronted with. How much should I be paying? How do I know if I am being scammed? What are the benefits? What is duct cleaning in the first place? It can become overwhelming to search and search for answers, and often times you will receive mixed answers that confuse you even further. So, this article is an attempt to answer those questions and more based on the what the credible sources have to say when it comes to duct cleaning. The sources used were the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA). » Read more: Duct Cleaning Questions Answered

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Posted in Air Quality, Consumer Protection, Contractors, Duct Cleaning, Information

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Radon and home contaminants

January 22nd, 2010

Their are many topics of concern when it comes to indoor air quality.  The degree of impact to health of each is varied depending on personal susceptibility.  However some such as Radon gas can endanger anyone.  Here are some things you should know and do if Radon is a concern for you. » Read more: Radon and home contaminants

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Posted in Air Quality, Go Green, Money Saving, Safty

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