The majority of people are aware of how dangerous outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the typical house often is more polluted—reliant on actual conditions, 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 inside. Since Americans spend an average of 90% of their time indoors, excellent indoor air quality is a necessity for decent health, regardless if it’s in our homes or our workplaces. To help manage this pollution and improve our indoor air quality, we can take different measures. But first, we are required to absorb some lingo consistently used to discuss indoor air quality.
HEPA
HEPA is a term a lot of people have heard or seen, but did you know it stands for “high-efficiency particulate air” or “high-efficiency particulate arrestance”? HEPA filtration systems are created—and certified—to trap 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 significantly increases your home’s indoor air quality when dust, pollen, mites and other contaminants are destroyed.
MERV
Minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV describes the effectiveness of an air filter. With rankings ranging from 1–16, you should pursue a higher rating that specifies the filter will filter 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 The Frazier Company, 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 takes in about 11,000 liters of air each day. Give us a call at 402-628-0206 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.