Reduce Allergies in Your Home By Reducing Dust

Dust, dust mites and other allergens annoy all of us. For someone with asthma or other sensitivities, dust can trigger coughing, wheezing, stuffy nose, skin rash and more severe allergic reactions. You can reduce allergies in your Broken Arrow home by reducing the amount of dust that enters and collects inside your home.

Air Filters

By keeping windows closed and using your HVAC system, you reduce allergies by reducing the amount of contaminants that enter your home. Before air enters your living area it passes through the air filter. This filter traps pollen, pet hair and other pollutants. These particles collect on the filter surface and eventually will restrict air flow. With too much buildup, dust begins to break loose and enter your air. It is important to change air filters on a regular basis for them to perform effectively.

The more expensive, high efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA) do not necessarily last longer. They trap smaller particles and may need to be replaced more often. Not all HVAC systems are designed for these dense filters. Too much air restriction could result in system damage as well as air leaks and defeat the original intent of the filter. Consult with an HVAC technician before switching to HEPA filters. If reducing allergies is a major concern for you, you may benefit from a whole-house air purifier.

Cleaning

• Run a damp mop over hard surfaces each day.

• Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Paper bag vacuum filters allow dust to re-enter the air.

• To further reduce allergies: Wet-vacuum and use a steamer when possible. Wet-vacuum cleaning washes the carpets and the heat from steam cleaning kills dust mites.

• Choose tight-weave pillow and mattress covers. They are easier to clean and dust is less likely to penetrate.

Contact Air Assurance for more information about protecting the air inside your home. We began serving the residential and commercial HVAC system needs of the Tulsa metropolitan area in 1985. Our experts will evaluate yours system and consult with you so that you can make informed decisions about maintaining your air quality and HVAC system.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Allergies Are Out of Control in Tulsa: Here's One Solution

Allergies Are Out of Control in Tulsa: Here's One Solution

Are you or someone in your household suffering from allergies? If so, then you may be familiar with the multitude of indoor airborne contaminants and allergens that arouse common allergy symptoms of sneezing, watery and itchy eyes and worse in allergy sufferers. You may also have heard that HEPA filtration is one of the leading solutions for an effective indoor-air quality (IAQ) strategy. But, do you know what HEPA filtration is?Understanding HEPA filtrationHEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. HEPA filters are the most efficient filters for capturing airborne contaminants, including biological contaminants and particulates. HEPA filtration systems are most common in commercial buildings, hospitals and places where very clean air are a high priority. However, residential HEPA filtration systems are gaining in popularity.A whole-house HEPA filtration system is installed in the duct system by your HVAC contractor. It is a thick media filter composed of a web-like configuration of fibers which alter the path of airborne contaminants and capture them by impaction. A HEPA filter is 99.97 percent efficient of removing particulates and biological contaminants down to 0.3 microns in size.The MERV number of an air filter determines if it qualifies as a HEPA-grade filter. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The MERV scale spans MERV 1-20, with MERV 20 signifying the most efficient media filter available. HEPA filters are rated MERV 17-20.HEPA limitationsHEPA filters aren't for every HVAC system. HEPA filters create a significant pressure drop across the blower, due to their thick size and resistance to airflow. Your HVAC contractor needs to inspect your heating and cooling equipment to make sure it has the power to pull airflow through a HEPA filtration system.Another consideration for controlling allergies in your Tulsa home is using an air filter with slightly lower MERV ratings. MERV 9-16 filters are more than adequate, and capture the following common allergens and contaminants:

• Mold, pollen and dust mites

• Pet dander

• Auto emissions

• Legionella

• Tobacco smoke and more

Contact Air Assurance if allergies are a concern in your Tulsa home, and you're ready to do something about it.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Looking For An Air Filter? Knowing MERV Will Help

If you’re looking for the right air filter, understanding MERV can be to your advantage. MERV is a rating given to air filters based on their minimum efficiency reporting value; in other words, it's a rating of their capacity to efficiently remove airborne particulates down to 0.3 microns. This value can range from 1 to 20, with higher MERV ratings indicating a higher-efficiency air filter.With regards to shopping for air filters, MERV can be broken down as follows:

• For use in residential settings, air filters with a MERV between 1 and 4 are often lower-quality, disposable filters.

• A MERV between 5 and 8 would represent a better variety of residential air filter.

• A MERV between 9 and 12 might be found in superior residential settings or commercial buildings.

• In hospital settings and superior commercial settings, air filters will likely carry a MERV between 13 and 16.

• Capable of removing 99.97 percent of airborne particulates down to 0.3 microns, True HEPA filters carry a MERV between 17 and 20 and are used in applications such as laboratory clean rooms and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

What's surprising is that there is really no mandate set on how a MERV rating is performed.  Therefore, it's highly likely that MERV ratings on a filter may be tested at levels that don't work with the amount of air your comfort system produces.  In other words, a higher MERV rating could be a marketing ploy, and actually damage your system or it's performance.When choosing an air filter, you have to take the specifics of your system into account. Filters may not fit your system, or in some cases may be entirely too powerful for practical use in your home. With those things in mind, MERV should be used as one reference point for filter comparison, but not as the sole reason for your filter decision.That's why Air Assurance has tested all of the filters we offer to our customers with the air flo commonly used by the comfort systems we service and install.  To ensure that the air filters you choose are the most efficient and system-appropriate available today, let our trained technicians guide you through the process. For expert consultation, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, today!Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.

What Separates The Cheap Filters From The Expensive Filters?

Furnace and air conditioning filters are your first point of attack against indoor air pollution. Filters that claim to efficiently remove allergens are not all the same. Do you have to pay more for an allergy-filtering product?HEPA Air Filters In order to qualify as HEPA, filters must catch 99.97% of particles that are at least 0.3 micrometers in size. This means the particles are much smaller than anything we can see. HEPA filters catch mold, pollen, dander, dust and other household allergens, and they are used in environments where clean air is a must for those with allergies or asthma. Because of the restricition they cause on air, most of these filters are free standing, and not available for whole-home use.  In recent years, regular furnace filters have began to reach to higher and higher efficiency levels because of the demand by homeowners to better clean the entire indoor air environment more efficiently, but by doing so,  they have made some sacrifices.Filter QualityWhile filters that restrict allergens from indoor air are a great idea, these types of filters can sometimes damage heating and cooling equipment. Often, such filters have a thick material that restricts those allergens; at the same time, this means air flow is restricted. This is a tightrope act: there needs to be enough air flow to maintain the equipment while still catching allergens. When there is not enough air flow, the unit works harder, uses more energy and breaks down.CLIMATE-CLEANAir Assurance has created a custom filter that uniquely solves this problem. Our CLIMATE-CLEAN filters creatively work to filter allergens, while air flow restriction is cut by half. It also lasts twice as long.Air filters are typically given a MERV rating, which tests efficiency, but filters are not required to test at the same rate of cubic feet per minute (CFM). Therefore, if a filter is tested at 600 CFM, the filter would get a good rating at this CFM. However, that same filter, if used on a 2000 CFM unit, would not operate correctly. All of Air Assurance’s air filters are tested at 2000 CFM.Quality does not always mean higher cost, especially with Air Assurance’s CLIMATE-CLEAN air filters. Visit our website to learn more.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air filters and other HVAC topics. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas.  To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.