The majority of people understand how detrimental outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the typical home can be more polluted—reliant on actual conditions, it can be up to five times more. Things have become so damaging, the EPA has indoor air pollution classified as a top five environmental danger. Mold, pollen, pet dander, radon and even formaldehyde are commonly found in homes. Since Americans spend around 90% of their time indoors, good indoor air quality is a necessity for great health, despite if it’s in our homes or our workplaces. To help manage this pollution and better our indoor air quality, we can take multiple measures. But first, we are required to grasp some terms commonly 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 created—and certified—to capture at least 99.97% of .3-micron particles (less than the diameter of a human hair) from the air that passes through the system. This drastically increases your home’s indoor air quality when dust, pollen, mites and other contaminants are destroyed.
MERV
Minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV expresses the effectiveness of an air filter. With rankings 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 Precision Mechanical, we can help you understand the importance of indoor air quality and help you work on breathing the best air possible. After all, the typical adult breathes about 11,000 liters of air each day. Give us a call at 605-206-3766 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.