Most people understand how detrimental outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the average house might be more polluted—contingent on actual conditions, 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 inside. Since Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors, excellent indoor air quality is crucial for great health, despite if it’s in our homes or our workplaces. To help handle this pollution and increase our indoor air quality, we can take several measures. But first, we need to understand some terms often used to discuss indoor air quality.
HEPA
HEPA is a term many 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 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 moves through the system. This significantly 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 rankings ranging from 1–16, you should pursue a higher 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 J & J 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 254-355-3833 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.