Many people realize how detrimental outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the usual living space can 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 classified 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, superior indoor air quality is a necessity for decent health, despite if it’s in our homes or our workplaces. To help contain this pollution and increase our indoor air quality, we can take multiple measures. But first, we need to grasp some terms commonly 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 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 drastically increases your home’s indoor air quality when dust, pollen, mites and other contaminants are trapped.
MERV
Minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV describes the effectiveness of an air filter. With rankings ranging from 1–16, you should pursue a max rating that indicates 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 Farris Heating & Air, 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 breathes about 11,000 liters of air each day. Give us a call at 918-333-0376 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.