Many people understand how harmful outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the average living space often is more polluted—contingent on actual circumstances, it can be up to five times more. Things have become so bad, the EPA has indoor air pollution ranked as a top five environmental danger. Mold, pollen, pet dander, radon and even formaldehyde are commonly found inside. Since Americans spend around 90% of their time indoors, superior indoor air quality is crucial for decent health, regardless if it’s in our homes or our workplaces. To help manage this pollution and better our indoor air quality, we can take different measures. But first, we must to understand some terms often used to discuss indoor air quality.
HEPA
HEPA is a term most 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 (less 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 refers to the effectiveness of an air filter. With metrics ranging from 1–16, you should look for a max rating that indicates the filter will filter 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 Air Service Co., 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 918-212-8943 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.