Many people understand how harmful outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the usual home often is more polluted—depending on actual situations, it can be up to five times more. Things have become so dangerous, 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 an average of 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 contain this pollution and increase our indoor air quality, we can take multiple measures. But first, we are required to grasp some vernacular often used to discuss indoor air quality.
HEPA
HEPA is a term many 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 engineered—and certified—to confine at least 99.97% of .3-micron particles (smaller than the diameter of a human hair) from the air that moves through the system. This greatly 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 find a max rating that specifies 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 Faust Air Conditioning and Heating, 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 inhales about 11,000 liters of air each day. Give us a call at 979-323-6130 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.