The Clean Air Act Blog: Archive for November, 2012

What Can an Air Cleaner Filter Inside My Home?

Monday, November 26th, 2012

What is one thing that you need at every moment of every day? It’s air! You breathe in about 400 cubic feet of air every day. That’s about 35 pounds of air every single day. Many of us spend most of our time indoors which means that the air we breathe is provided to us by an air conditioning or heating system.

When you’re at home, you want to make sure that all the air you breathe is as clean as possible. The EPA says that indoor air quality is one of the top five dangers to respiratory health. That’s why it’s important to have a good indoor air quality system in your home. Below we’ve outlined some air quality issues that an air cleaner or other IAQ system can help improve the air quality inside your Oregon City home.

Allergens

If the air inside your home is too dry in the winter, the air can cause all kinds of allergy-related irritation. When it’s dry, you tend to create more dust from dry skin. Without moisture in the air, allergens like dust, pollen and pet dander can travel freely through the air and into your respiratory system.

Viruses

Viruses are another type of air-born problem that can be associated with poor air quality. These can be solved by installing UV germicidal lights in your home.

Asthma

In poor air quality situations, asthma related irritations can flare up. Not only is this due to increased dust levels, but also because of dry air.

Dry Skin and Throat

Without moisture, the mucous membranes in your throat and nasal passages can dry out. With proper humidity, these air passages offer our bodies a defense against viruses and infections. This can also lead to bloody noses and scratchy throats.

How Indoor Air Quality Systems Can Help

Indoor air quality systems can do a number of things for your home. When you have an indoor air cleaner, like a filter or an electrostatic system, they can help remove dust particles, bacteria, mold spores and even viruses from your air.

On top of that, some models also include humidity control features. In a dry climates, this can be almost as important. Properly humidified homes are more comfortable to live in and can be potentially cleaner.

If you’re having problems with the indoor air quality in your Oregon City home, then call the experts at The Clean Air Act.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 22nd, 2012

From all of us here at The Clean Air Act, we want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. We hope that you are spending time with the people you care for most and taking this day to remember all the things that you are grateful for in your life.

We also want to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all of our customers for your loyalty and the opportunity you have given us to provide you with service. As you know, we couldn’t do what we do without YOU!

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What Type of HEPA Filter Should I Buy?

Monday, November 19th, 2012

Are you concerned about allergens and indoor air contaminants inside your home? While there’s a lot of information about HEPA filters out there, there are still a lot of questions we get from Portland area customers about indoor air quality and HEPA filters. Many of these questions are about how to choose the right HEPA filter for their air cleaner or HVAC system. If you have further questions, feel free to give the indoor air quality experts at The Clean Air Act.

Meanwhile, here’s some basic information about HEPA filters and how you can determine which one is the most cost-effective for your home. Keep in mind that there are different ratings for the different types of materials for media filters.

Most mechanical air cleaners use some type of HEPA filter, and the efficiency of the filter is determined by how effectively it can filter the type of contaminants you are trying to eliminate from your home. While an electronic air cleaner uses an ionizer to attract microscopic particles, a mechanical air cleaner will use a particle filter to trap larger ones. The efficiency is measured by a number called the minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV), and if you want a standard filter that will get the job done, look for a MERV of at least 5, or between 7 and 13 for a slightly more efficient filter.  A true HEPA filter will have a MERV between 17 and 20.

While HEPA filters are designed to remove several indoor air pollutants, such as pollen, pet hair, dust mites, mold spores, and other irritants, they are not designed for use in a home heating and air conditioning system. This is due to their size and shape, but you can find true HEPA filters for most mechanical air cleaners. Check your owner’s manual or ask your contractor when you have the air cleaner installed.

Call the Portland indoor air quality experts at The Clean Air Act with all your questions about HEPA filters. We can help by going over all the different options so that you make an informed decision.

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How Do I know if I need a Dehumidifier or Humidifier?

Monday, November 12th, 2012

Humidity is a critical factor in your home in Beavercreek. Most people know that the winter is dry while the summer tends to be more humid. While there are many humidity control products available on the market, few people know how to tell if they need more or less humidity in their home. Here at Clean Air Act, we thought it would be helpful for the community in Beavercreek if we put together a quick checklist so you can know if you need more or less moisture in your home.

Why is Humidity So Important

Humidity in your Beavercreek homes plays a large part in how comfortable you are there. Humidity can impact your health as well as the quality of the air inside your home. For example, when your home is too humid, dust mites and mold can thrive. If the air is too dry, it can also cause your wood furniture to dry out and crack.

Too Little Humidity

There are a number of indications that you might have too little moisture in your air.

  • If you start to notice that your lips or hands are drying out, this probably means that the humidity in your home is too low. You may also notice that your throat and nasal passages are dry as well. This could result in a cough or a bloody nose.
  • The increase of static electricity in your home is more evidence of low humidity. If this is the case, you’ll notice that you get shocked when you walk across your home or that your clothing sticks to you.

Too Much Humidity

Here are a few indicators that you have too much humidity in your home.

  • Too much moisture can make your home feel stuffy and uncomfortable.
  • If you notice an increase in mold growth around your home, that can also mean you have too much moisture in your air.

Hydrometer

If you really want to be sure if your air is too dry or too moist, a hydrometer can be useful. Hydrometers, as you can probably guess, measure how much water is in the air as a percentage. On rainy days, a properly calibrated hydrometer would indicate a 90% humidity level.

If you would like more information about humidity control systems for your home in Beavercreek, then call the experts at Clean Air Act. We can help you measure the current humidity levels in your home and let you know if a humidity control product is right for you.

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Benefits of a ductless mini-split HVAC system

Monday, November 5th, 2012

There are a lot of home heating and air conditioning systems on the market today. At Clean Air Act we understand that deciding which heating and cooling option is right for your Oregon City home can be a challenge. In order to make it a little easier for you have some information about a great home heating and air conditioning option that not everyone is aware of. If you are in the process of researching a new heating and air conditioning system, we recommend that you consider the potential benefits of a ductless heating and air conditioning system in Oregon City. Here is some basic information to get you started. If you have any other questions feel free to contact us for the answers you need to make the right choice for your home.

Ductless Mini Splits in Oregon City

The primary benefit that ductless mini splits have to offer is the fact that they are indeed totally ductless. Central heating and air conditioning systems are very popular home comfort options, and with good reason. They can both heat and cool your home and they do so very effectively throughout the entire house. However, ductwork is one of the most common sources of energy loss with these systems, and it is necessary for them to distribute the air that they have conditioned. Ductless heating and air conditioning systems eliminate this problem by eliminating the source.

Rather than use ductwork to distribute conditioned air throughout your home, ductless mini splits use wall-mounted air handlers to do so directly into individual rooms. These air handlers are connected to the outdoor unit by a simple conduit containing refrigerant and power lines. Because no air is circulated, there is no chance for any of it to be lost. This is just one feature of ductless mini splits that help increase energy efficiency.

The individual air handlers, up to four per outdoor unit, make it easy to create different temperature zones in your home using individual thermostats. This is another great way to increase energy efficiency while keeping everyone happy. Now there is no need to keep all of the bedrooms the same temperature, for instance. Everyone in a different temperature zone can have the temperature set just the way they like it.

To learn more about the features and operation of ductless heating and air conditioning systems, call the heating and cooling experts at Clean Air Act today. We have the expertise and high-quality ductless mini split services to help you take advantage of all the benefits that these systems have to offer. Contact us today to schedule service in your Oregon City home.

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