Well, the EPA claims that indoor air quality is 2-5 times more polluted as compared to the outdoor air!

There are two major factors that impact indoor atmosphere – air circulation and moisture levels.

According to the ALA, the most effective way of maintaining clean and healthy indoor air is to eliminate the sources of air pollution, such as cigarette smoke and chemicals. Here are the other air filtration techniques suggested by ALA:

Regular maintenance of air conditioners or dehumidifiers:

Asthma is a leading chronic illness that plagues most American children. The problem is generally triggered by dust particles, and leaks and drips that encourage the growth of mites and molds. Cleaning the AC or dehumidifier filter at least once a month can go a long way in keeping your home free of contaminants.

Proper ventilation:

Proper ventilation is a must for improving the indoor air quality. High moisture levels can increase dampness and the growth and spread of mold and mildew, which threaten to damage the walls and furniture as well as health. Even regular household activities, such as cooking, bathing and breathing, produce vapors.

Tips to help the humidity level below 50%:

1. Install exhaust fans in bathroom

2. Remove mold-damaged item

3. Fix all leaks

Proper dryer venting is much more important than most homeowners realize. Considering the stakes involved and the frequency of residential dryer fires, the topic of dryer venting deserves more attention than it gets.

Take a look behind just about any dryer and you’ll see what I mean. In most cases, one may find the flexible duct hose having multiple bends and crushed against the wall. Add to that picture some lost socks, an empty fabric softener box and a considerable accumulation of lint dust and you’ve described a rather dangerous condition.

Besides the danger of fire, these annoying conditions prolong drying times, waste energy and contribute to additional lint build-up. Poor quality workmanship, improper terminations and long duct runs add to the dilemma.

Fact!  These Five Conditions Promote Lint Build-Up In Your Dryers’ Exhaust Duct.

Duct Run May Be Restrictive or Excessive
New construction trends are placing laundry rooms in nontraditional areas of the house, further away from exterior walls than in the past. These locations require longer dryer duct runs and more elbow fittings in order to reach an outside wall.

Bird and Rodent Nests in the Vent Hood
In some parts of the county, birds and rodents build nests within the exterior termination hood.

Flex Hose Crushed or Kinked Excessively

The transition hose behind the dryer tends to get crushed or kinked excessively when the dryer is moved back, either inadvertently or by vibration. This kink or partial blockage drastically reduces the unit’s ability to efficiently vent the air.

Incorrect Vent Hood with Screen-Like Features
It’s not uncommon to find an exhaust termination hood or vent that is not specifically for dryer venting or that has some sort of lint catching grill or screen feature. Even so, dryer specific vent hoods require an inspection and regular cleaning, as they too get debris buildup.

Condensation within the Conduit Duct
Running the exhaust system through an un-insulated area like a crawl space or attic in cold northern regions may cause condensation within the pipe. Condensation within the pipes attract and promote accumulation of lint to the duct walls.

Summary

A clean, unobstructed dryer vent improves the safety and efficiency of your dryer. As the dryer vent becomes obstructed and filled with lint, drying time increases and causes the dryer itself to overheat. Likewise, this prevents the adequate removal of air and moisture from the dryer, and a typical 40 minute cycle turns into an hour and 40 minute cycle, resulting in a waste of energy, additional clothes fibers lost and the frightening possibility of a fire. Clothes dryers are one of the most expensive appliances in your home to operate. The longer they run, the more money they cost you.

What are airborne contaminates and what can we do to prevent them?

Most people would be surprised to learn that some everyday household items contaminate the air we breathe. These items include: pollen and spores, pet dander, human skin flakes, candle soot, infiltrating dust, viruses, bacteria, and fungi, radon gas, tobacco or wood smoke, cooking smoke and airborne grease and various chemical fumes.  With every breathe we breath, millions of airborne particles are taken in. And believe it or not, the smallest of particles are the one that cause the most concern. Viruses, bacteria, smoke and grease are at the top of the list of these small indoor contaminates that can do the most damage to our health and home.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the demand for cleaner air in our homes has been on the rise.  The effectiveness of the filtration process depends on the type of air cleaner used, and the number and size of the particles in the air. When visiting our customers, we often learn that they are not aware that the basic throw away fiberglass filters collect as little as 3% compared with more effective HEPA filters that capture approximately 99.9% of airborne particles.

These are some of the main air cleaners and filters and how they are categorized:

Basic Filters, which come standard with most HVAC systems. These filters do very little in preventing the small particles and are primarily useful in collecting the large dust that can clog your equipment.

Media Filters, which filter the air using webs of polypropylene fibers. These are the least used filters amongst residential consumers although they are probably among the best available when it comes to efficiency and cost.

Electronic Air Cleaners, Electronic air cleaners draw air through an ionization section where particles obtain an electrical charge. The charged particles then accumulate on a series of flat plates. Ion generators disperse charged ions into the air, similar to the electronic air cleaners but without a collector. The more effective electronic air cleaners capture up to 99.9% of airborne particles.

High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filters are composed of a mat of randomly arranged fibers, generally made of fiberglass. They are designed to block pollutants and particles by trapping airborne particles to the filter fibers using one of three techniques: interception HEPA filters, impaction HEPA filters and diffusion HEPA filters.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) claim that indoor air is 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor.  The two main reason are is the air circulation and moisture levels.

The most effective way to reduce the pollution at home is to avoid smoking indoor and reduce the chemicals that is use at home.  Also, try to open the window and circulate some fresh air.

Dust particles, mites and molds at home can harm your health.  You should clean your AC or dehumidifier filter at least once a month.  Perferrably every 2 weeks to keep your home free of contaminants.

Consider getting proper ventilation to improve the indoor air quality.   High moisture level at home could increase dampness and the growth of mold and mildew.  It will damages the walls, furniture, books and also your health.  Other household acitivities such as cooking, bathing and breathing also produce vapors. There are several tips to reduce the humdity level by 50%.  Install an exhaust fans in your bathroom. Fix all the leaks and throw out mold damaged stuff at home.

In Edmonton, an average person spends majority of the time indoor. However, the air quality indoor is at least 5 to 6 times worse than outdoor. There are many things in your home that could reduce the air quality. For example, anything from the building material, furnishings to products can have an impact on the air quality. These elements that surround your home have pollutants that could affect your health.

Biological contaminants are living organisms such as Fungi, moulds, Dust mites, Bacteria and animal dander. Chemical contaminants are gasses and particales that come from your furniture and carpets, tobacco smoke, combustion by-products (furnaces, stoves, fireplaces), Chemical from cleaners, paints, solvents and glues, Perfumes and fragrances, Pesticides, plastics and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), lead and Asbestos. Lastly, physical contaminants are Electromagnetic radiation, Radon gas and Heavy metals. As you can see, most of them are common in any home.

To reduce energy, many homes built in the 1970 and 80s, as well as some conversion homes today, are well insulated and tightly built. Less fresh air can get in and out. The levels of contaminants inside a home can build up until they are many times greater than the levels in outdoor air. This is why modern homes usually have heat recovery ventilators installed, and apartment buildings have heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. This equipment conserves energy, but at the same time ensures an adequate supply of fresher, outside air.

Exposure to poor indoor air quality could cause possible health effects long term. Common symptoms are headaches, Dizziness, trouble concentrating, fatigue, eye dryness and/or irritation, stuffy nose and/or sneezing and sinus congestion, sore throat and/or husky voice, dry cough, wheezing and/or shortness of breath, nausea, and skin dryness and/or rashes.

There are several ways to improve the air quality at home.

-Buy an Air filter. The most common type is HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate air) filters, which remove even the tiniest of airborne pollutants from you air. Some purifier also has ionizer, charcoal or carbon filter to reduce the odor at home.

-Get a vacuum with a HEPA filter built in. It works like magic, the vacuum will clean the air and the floor at the same time.

-Start using natural and organic cleaning products! They do not release the same dangerous chemical into your home compare to regular cleaning products that compose with harsh chemical.

- When making a purchase decision for a furnace or air conditioner, always consider the impact it might have on indoor air quality.

Allergies are mainly caused by indoor pollution. To control allergies one must control the indoor air quality. Here are 10 tips on controlling those nasty allergies:

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Indoor air quality is an essential factor to be considered in big industries and also in homes. In our present world, constantly polluted by human activities, one must take several measures in order to maintain indoor air quality in our homes. (more…)