Saddleback Plumbing Heating & Air Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Air Filtration’

Your HVAC Filter Is NOT a Way to Purify Your Air

Monday, September 21st, 2020
air-filter

People are more concerned about indoor air quality than ever before. During the fire season, we often bring up the topic of making sure to change the air filter in your HVAC system regularly, since it can trap ash and other harmful pollutants that get into the air because of drifting smoke.

But we also want to make something clear about cleaning and purifying your air: the HVAC air filter, the same one we want you to change regularly so not to damage air quality, is not actually an indoor air quality system. It isn’t an air purifier, it isn’t an air scrubber, it isn’t designed to improve the quality of the air you and your family breathe. If you are looking for better indoor air quality, talk to us to install a dedicated air purification system and/or install an air purifier in Mission Viejo, CA.

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What Contaminants Can an Air Purifier Remove From the Air?

Tuesday, June 30th, 2020
virus-cells

If you are concerned about the quality of the air inside your home—and many people share your concern—then one option to consider is installing an air purifier in Ladera Ranch, CA. If you don’t already have an air filtration system in place (and the filter on the air conditioner cabinet does not count), we suggest you start with that. Mechanical filters are excellent at straining out larger contaminants that circulate through a household ventilation system: dust, dander, lint. Once you have the right filters installed, you can consider an air purifier to take care of the smaller particles that often slip through the mesh of a mechanical filter.

And what are those particles? Let’s take a closer look at what an air purifier can eliminate from your home’s air.

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Beware of IAQ Problems During Wildfire Season

Monday, November 4th, 2019

dramatic-smokeWe often do a post at this time of year to caution people about the potential effects of wildfires during this season in indoor air quality in Irvine, CA. It’s different this time, because California is already in the midst of major wildfires across the state. Although Orange County isn’t dealing with a specific wildfire now, trouble with air quality will spread through large parts of the state, and more fires are always a possibility we need to be aware of.

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Why You Should Install an Air Filtration System This Winter

Monday, February 1st, 2016

When it comes to indoor comfort during the winter, most people tend to focus on getting their heating systems in order. While this is certainly a good idea, it’s not the only thing that you should be doing. Indoor air quality is also a concern in winter. While indoor air quality is technically something that should always be a concern, it’s exacerbated by certain conditions and behaviors during this season. Read on to find out why indoor air quality tends to decrease in winter, and how an air filtration system can help it improve.

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HVAC Tip 1: Factors Contributing to Poor Air Quality

Monday, September 10th, 2012

The truth is that most people don’t even realize that they have poor indoor air quality in their Irvine homes. It is imperative that you be aware of this problem if it exists. The following are some signs and symptoms that point towards poor air quality.

  • Irritable eyes, throat and nose with cold like symptoms
  • Dry skin
  • Rashes and other skin irritations
  • Sleepiness, fatigue and headaches
  • Other symptoms such as wheezing, dizziness, nausea as well as hypersensitivity reactions can also be attributed to poor air quality

The onset of most of these symptoms is not very direct or immediate. They usually build up gradually and become a part of your daily life without you even realizing it. These symptoms are highly subjective and can also be brought about by a variety of other co-existing factors such as stress, so you might not realize right away what’s causing you to feel the way you do.

This is why it is very important to evaluate the problem of poor air quality in an objective and scientific manner. The following are some of the primary causes of poor air quality.

  • Poor ventilation system leading to inadequate supply of fresh air in the house
  • Pollutants coming from the paints and chemicals on the walls and furniture in your home
  • Pollutants arising from various other building products, cleaning material, gases, new materials, pesticides, office machines and stationery
  • Micro-organisms, as well as other contaminants coming from the atmosphere
  • The presence of allergens such as pollen, pet dander, mold spores or dust mites

The primary reason for all these problems taking root in your home is poor ventilation which does not allow enough air circulation and exchange between indoors and outdoors. That means not enough fresh air enters your home, making the air rather stale and providing no way for any types of pollutants to get out, and these contaminants tend to increase in concentration over time.

Luckily, all of these issues can be addressed by adding a good indoor air quality system to your home. A professional Irvine HVAC contractor can tell you exactly what types of pollutants are causing trouble in your home and get the right systems in place to eliminate them effectively. Call Saddleback Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning today to learn more about how to improve the air quality in your home!

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Will My Air Cleaners Reduce Health Risks? A Question from Mission Viejo

Friday, November 18th, 2011

There is a lot of talk these days about how important it is to have a good air cleaner in your Mission Viejo home. If you don’t have one, you’re putting yourself at risk, or so says common knowledge. But, do air cleaners really reduce health risks, and if so, by how much?

What Air Cleaners Do

Before we can say whether an air cleaner has any positive health effects, we must first look at what they do. Air cleaners are designed to remove certain particles from the air inside your home. Different air cleaners are designed for different levels of removal.

Ratings like the MERV of an air cleaner measure how small of particles the device can remove. Additionally, the type of cleaner will determine what it is best at removing. Mechanical filters are the most efficient at removing dust, pollen, and dander while electronic filters are best for smoke, bacteria and mold spores.

So, What Impact Does this Have on Health?

The big question then is what kind of health benefits you will gain from a high end air cleaning system. If your home isn’t prone to a large number of contaminants and you have good ventilation, the difference may not be that big, but for those with a well-sealed home, pets, humidity problems or any number of other indoor air contaminant sources, an air cleaner has a tremendous impact on your health.

The problem is that when the house gets sealed up so tightly, we put our bodies at risk of contamination from gasses and pollutants that would otherwise dissipate into the air. Those with asthma are put at an increased risk as they breathe in a variety of different triggers like dust, mold and dander.

An air cleaner removes these threats and while they don’t have a proactive effect on your health – you won’t suddenly lose weight or never again get the flu – they can remove many of the negative effects that poor air quality has on your body.

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How Can I Be Sure My Home’s Air is Safe? A Question from Santa Ana

Monday, October 17th, 2011

There are many ways to ensure your Santa Ana home’s air is safe to breathe, but the easiest is to have it tested regularly and to use proper filtration and ventilation. However, there are a lot of different filtration methods, so here are a few known to work best.

Air Filtration

If you have pets or a lot of plants, air filters are a great idea because they remove most of the larger particles that get into our air supply. This includes things like pet dander, pollen, mold, and other particles like dust. If you have allergies or someone in your home has asthma of any kind, this is the best way to be sure they don’t breathe anything they shouldn’t.

Air filtration is also very simple to install and inexpensive to maintain. Just be sure you opt for HEPA air filters. They are the best on the market and are certified to capture much smaller particles than any other filters, plus they tend to last quite a bit longer.

Air Purification

For big time air cleaning, you want to go with an electronic air purifier. These machines will actually ionize the air in your home to separate out smaller particles such as gas, smoke, or pathogens like bacteria and viruses. They can also capture some larger particles like mold and dust mites. The key to effective air purification is to use it in conjunction with a good air filter.

Also, consider the use of a good UV filter with your air purifier. UV filtration can be installed in your air ducts or vents to kill any unwanted pathogens as the air is circulated.

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Pollen’s Effects on Indoor Air Quality

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Unsure what’s got you feeling down? It might be indoor air that’s been compromised by high pollen levels in your Villa Park home. But, how do you know when pollen is the culprit as opposed to something like pet dander or simple dust? Luckily, there is a clear difference in the symptoms you might suffer from as a result of being exposed to pollen as opposed to another allergen.

Symptoms of Pollen in Your Home

Pollen is most often associated with seasonal allergies, though even perfectly healthy people without allergies are susceptible to pollen reactions if there is enough of it in the air. The most common symptoms of a pollen allergy include:

  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Eye and Nose Irritation
  • Cough
  • Asthma (made worse)
  • Allergic Reactions

Other symptoms, like throat irritation or skin rash tend to be caused by other pollutants like tobacco smoke or bacteria build up. So, if this sounds like what you’re facing, what is the next step? There are a few things you can do to tackle pollen in your indoor air.

Getting Rid of High Pollen Levels

Step one when the pollen levels in your home are too high is to find the source of the pollen. If it’s an indoor plant, air cleaning upgrades may not get the job done. But, if it’s an outdoor source or a single room in your house, solutions abound.

The first step is to install filtration in your house. Pollen is relatively big so a simple MERV 10+ filter will usually remove it from the air. However, if you have other pollutants that need to be removed, consider getting a HEPA filter. Designed to capture particles as small as 0.3 microns, HEPA filters are a fantastic solution to the pollen problem.

Once you have a good air filter in place, supplement with proper ventilation to remove pollen filled air from your house. Ventilation with energy saving technology allows you to retain any heat or cooled air in your home. A contractor can help you select the best system to tackle your pollen problem.

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The Effect of Dust Mites on Indoor Air Quality: A Guide From Northwood

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

There are three types of indoor air pollutants that affect your Northwood home – particles, bioaerosols and gases. Dust mites are a special case because they are nearly invisible to the eye, but represent a substantial bioaerosol that can make it harder to breathe and result in a number of sometimes debilitating symptoms.

What Are Dust Mites?

Dust mites are tiny arachnids related to ticks and spiders that cling to fabric like curtains, carpet and upholstery. They resemble dust in the air and thrive in high humidity conditions. So, the easiest way to treat a dust mite problem is with proper dehumidification. Knowing whether dust mites are a real problem if you simply have a lot of dust and pollen floating around is tough. Here are some common symptoms to look for:

  • Dizziness
  • Nose Irritation
  • Respiratory Irritation
  • Cough
  • Chest Tightness
  • Asthma (made worse)
  • Allergic Reactions

Because dust mites are alive when you breathe them in, they can cause severe irritation to your throat and lungs and result in a number of uncomfortable reactions – ranging from a runny nose to a full blown allergic reaction.

Getting Rid of Dust Mites

So, how do you get rid of these tiny arachnids? The first step is to improve the humidity level in your home. Anything under 50% humidity makes it impossible for dust mites to survive, so air conditioning in the summer and dehumidification in the spring and fall are the best steps to remove the threat of these little bugs.

Tiny dust mites are among the larger air pollutants and can be captured by most MERV 10+ filters on the market. A HEPA filter will absolutely remove them as well, along with any other particulate or bioaerosols in your home.

If you suspect you have a dust mite problem, call an HVAC contractor for indoor air quality testing. They can provide you with a better overview of what actual issues you might have and the best possible solution.

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The Advantages of an Air Conditioning System in Aliso Viejo

Monday, August 1st, 2011

Just about everyone knows that air conditioning systems keep your indoor environment cool and comfortable during the hot summer months, which is very important when you live in a place like Aliso Viejo. While this may be enough of a benefit for you, there are also some other benefits to having a central air conditioning system installed in your house as well.

For instance, if you have someone in your household who is more susceptible to extreme temperatures than most people, an air conditioning system can actually help improve their overall health. Babies certainly fall into this category, as they have more difficulty than older children or adults do controlling their body temperature.

Also, many elderly people or people suffering from certain medical conditions, particularly heart conditions, are especially sensitive to the heat. If they are unable to stay cool, it can be very dangerous and damaging to their health, and an air conditioning system helps to guarantee that they will be able to stay cool and comfortable even on the hottest days of the year.

Aside from direct health concerns, air conditioning systems can also help to alleviate the symptoms of colds and allergies. They do this by controlling the level of humidity inside your home. If the air in your house is too moist or too dry, it can exacerbate cold and allergy symptoms, as well as dry out skin and make the indoor environment generally uncomfortable.

Proper humidity control is also important because it helps to ensure that any air filtration or purification system you have in place is able to operate at peak efficiency. Many of these units have a hard time extracting particulate contaminants from the indoor air that circulates through them if that air is too humid or too dry. With a state of the art air conditioning system in place, however, you will not have to worry about whether or not the humidity level in your home is out of balance.

It is also worth noting that a central air conditioning system can be preferable to a window mounted unit because it provides for a more even distribution of cool air throughout the house. Also, when you have a central air conditioning system, the condenser which is the source of most of the noise and vibrations that air conditioners make will be located outside and out of earshot. With window mounted units, on the other hand, there is really no way to block out or diminish the noise.

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