Many people realize how dangerous outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the typical house can be more polluted—contingent on actual conditions, 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 indoors. Since Americans spend around 90% of their time indoors, excellent indoor air quality is vital for good health, despite if it’s in our homes or our workplaces. To help handle this pollution and increase our indoor air quality, we can take several measures. But first, we must 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 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 filters through the system. This drastically increases your home’s indoor air quality when dust, pollen, mites and other contaminants are captured.
MERV
Minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV describes the effectiveness of an air filter. With metrics ranging from 1–16, you should find a higher rating that indicates the filter will remove more contaminants and allergens from your air without limiting the airflow of your home comfort system. Ask us which MERV-rated filter will work best for your home.
At Titan 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 inhales about 11,000 liters of air each day. Give us a call at 541-286-6617 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.