Most people realize how dangerous outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the average living space might be more polluted—contingent on actual circumstances, it can be up to five times more. Things have become so dangerous, the EPA has indoor air pollution classified as a top five environmental danger. Mold, pollen, pet dander, radon and even formaldehyde are commonly found indoors. Since Americans spend around 90% of their time indoors, excellent indoor air quality is vital for good health, regardless 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 must to absorb some vernacular consistently used to discuss indoor air quality.
HEPA
HEPA is a term a lot of people have heard or seen, but did you realize it stands for “high-efficiency particulate air” or “high-efficiency particulate arrestance”? HEPA filtration systems are designed—and certified—to trap at least 99.97% of .3-micron particles (less than the diameter of a human hair) from the air that moves 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 rankings ranging from 1–16, you should find a max rating that reveals the filter will destroy 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 Anderson Heating & A/C, 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 inhales about 11,000 liters of air each day. Give us a call at 775-230-7628 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.