Many people understand how dangerous outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the average house can be more polluted—depending on actual circumstances, it can be up to five times more. Things have become so bad, the EPA has indoor air pollution tiered as a top five environmental danger. Mold, pollen, pet dander, radon and even formaldehyde are commonly found in homes. Since Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors, excellent indoor air quality is a necessity for good health, despite if it’s in our homes or our workplaces. To help contain this pollution and improve our indoor air quality, we can take several measures. But first, we need to grasp some vernacular consistently used to discuss indoor air quality.
HEPA
HEPA is a term most people have heard or seen, but did you recognize it stands for “high-efficiency particulate air” or “high-efficiency particulate arrestance”? HEPA filtration systems are created—and certified—to confine at least 99.97% of .3-micron particles (tinier than the diameter of a human hair) from the air that moves through the system. This greatly increases your home’s indoor air quality when dust, pollen, mites and other contaminants are captured.
MERV
Minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV refers to the effectiveness of an air filter. With metrics ranging from 1–16, you should find a top rating that reveals the filter will remove more contaminants and allergens from your air without confining the airflow of your home comfort system. Ask us which MERV-rated filter will work best for your home.
At B & B Heating & Cooling, we can help you understand the importance of indoor air quality and help you work on breathing the best air possible. After all, the normal adult takes in about 11,000 liters of air each day. Give us a call at 314-325-7552 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.