The majority of people understand how dangerous outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the typical home often is more polluted—depending on actual circumstances, it can be up to five times more. Things have become so damaging, 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 an average of 90% of their time indoors, good indoor air quality is crucial for good health, despite if it’s in our homes or our workplaces. To help contain this pollution and better our indoor air quality, we can take several measures. But first, we need to understand some vernacular commonly 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 engineered—and certified—to capture 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 captured.
MERV
Minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV expresses the effectiveness of an air filter. With ratings ranging from 1–16, you should find a higher rating that specifies the filter will destroy 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 1st Choice Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., 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 breathes about 11,000 liters of air each day. Give us a call at 949-204-0859 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.