Most people are aware of how dangerous outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the usual living space might be more polluted—depending on actual situations, it can be up to five times more. Things have become so dangerous, the EPA has indoor air pollution tiered as a top five environmental danger. Mold, pollen, pet dander, radon and even formaldehyde are commonly found inside. Since Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors, good indoor air quality is a necessity for good health, despite if it’s in our homes or our workplaces. To help manage this pollution and better our indoor air quality, we can take different measures. But first, we need to absorb some terms consistently used to discuss indoor air quality.
HEPA
HEPA is a term many people have heard or seen, but did you know it stands for “high-efficiency particulate air” or “high-efficiency particulate arrestance”? HEPA filtration systems are designed—and certified—to confine at least 99.97% of .3-micron particles (tinier than the diameter of a human hair) from the air that passes through the system. This drastically increases your home’s indoor air quality when dust, pollen, mites and other contaminants are destroyed.
MERV
Minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV expresses the effectiveness of an air filter. With metrics ranging from 1–16, you should find a top rating that indicates the filter will remove more contaminants and allergens from your air without limiting the airflow of your home comfort system. Ask us which MERV-rated filter will work best for your home.
At B&D Air Conditioning, we can help you understand the importance of indoor air quality and help you work on breathing the best air possible. After all, the typical adult inhales about 11,000 liters of air each day. Give us a call at 928-432-6018 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.