Many people are aware of how harmful outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the average house might 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 an average of 90% of their time indoors, excellent indoor air quality is vital for decent 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 must 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 recognize 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 (smaller 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 destroyed.
MERV
Minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV expresses the effectiveness of an air filter. With ratings ranging from 1–16, you should pursue a max rating that reveals the filter will destroy more contaminants and allergens from your air without restricting the airflow of your home comfort system. Ask us which MERV-rated filter will work best for your home.
At Redhawk Heating & 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 average adult breathes about 11,000 liters of air each day. Give us a call at 432-237-0168 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.