Consumer s Guide to Home Comfort #3: Selecting the Right Healthy Air Solutions for Your Family

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1 Consumer s Guide to Home Comfort #3: Selecting the Right Healthy Air Solutions for Your Family Understand your options BEFORE meeting with our salesman. What can be done to relieve my family s allergy and sinus symptoms? What can be done to protect my family from common flu viruses? What can be done to reduce missed school and work days? What can be done about our damp musty basement? What can be done to control dust in our home? What can be done to protect my furniture, furnishings and electronics? How much do I need to spend to solve these problems? The more comfortable you are with your decisions, the better we will have served you. Call or visit us online for these additional Consumer Decision Guides: 33 Ways We Professionals Lower Energy Use in Our Own Homes Guide to Choosing the Right Replacement System Bath Design for Family Safety & Senior Comfort Checklist for Choosing the Right Contractor Guide to Healthy Water Solutions Trust The Family That Has Served Over 43,000 DE, PA, & MD Families & Businesses Since PERKOSKI Licensed in DE 1409 PA MD 67493

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Air pollution isn t just outside Indoor air and your family s health The sources of indoor air pollution How energy-efficient home construction made the problem worse Portable air cleaners and humidifiers provide only partial solutions Your first line of defense: Regular maintenance Your second line of defense: Keep relative humidity below 50% Your third line of defense: Humidify in winter Your fourth line of defense: Upgrade to air cleaning Air filtration systems Air sanitizing systems Hybrids Your fifth line of defense: Bring in fresh air while conserving energy Conclusion Page 2 of 10

3 Air Pollution It Isn t Just Outside Indoor Air Pollution: among the top five environmental risks to public health... reaching levels as much as 10, 25, even 100 times higher than outside air. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency E.P.A) Everyone even healthy family members is affected by poor indoor air quality. Because of smaller and narrower respiratory systems and higher breathing rate, children are the most sensitive of all. Conditions associated with poor indoor air quality* include: Headaches Watery (itching) eyes Wheezing Rashes Fever Asthma onset Fatigue Coughing Chills Nausea Vomiting Anorexia Lung disease Cognitive impairment Nasal congestion Dizziness Tachycardia (a dangerous heart arrhythmia) Myalgia (chronic muscle pain) *This is a partial list excerpted from Indoor Air Pollution, An Introduction for Health Professionals. A co-production of the American Lung Association, The American Medical Association, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. There are many sources of indoor air pollution. Dust, smoke, mold spores, pet dander, dust mite waste, and chemicals from aerosols, cleaning products, air fresheners, pesticides, carpeting, stain resistant upholstery are just a few. Then there are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in paints and synthetic building materials found in every area of modern construction and from composition wood materials in cabinets, furniture and flooring. These all contain resins and chemicals that give off gasses. In addition, viruses and bacteria invade our homes daily. Today s energy-efficient home construction adds to the problem. Homes are being built tighter than ever before, and we are adding energy-efficient doors, windows, insulation and weather stripping to older homes. All these save energy but limit the exchange of outdoor and indoor air leading to a build-up of contaminants inside your home. Portable air cleaners, humidifiers & dehumidifiers provide only partial solutions. A large number of portable air cleaners, humidifiers and dehumidifiers have come on the market in recent years. These range from relatively ineffective small table-top units to large noisier units that can at best treat the air in a single room. Their contribution to healthy air is largely a factor of the volume of air they handle. Professional equipment and whole-home solutions are by far the best and most economical approach to improving indoor air quality. These treat far more air at far less cost. Whole house solutions treat air as it circulates through the duct work as it is collected, conditioned then recirculated through every room in the home. Page 3 of 10

4 In the following pages, we will explain the most common systems available for improving the air quality in your home. 1. Your first line of defense: Inspect and maintain your heating/cooling system annually. According to the Delaware Health and Social Services website ( If not maintained properly, your home s heating and cooling systems can produce excessive levels of carbon monoxide and become breeding grounds for mold, bacterial, allergens and viruses. They recommend inspection and maintenance at least once a year. 2. Your second line of defense: Keep relative humidity below 50 percent. That s the recommendation in the previously cited joint publication of the American Lung Association, the Environmental Protection Agency, the American Medical Association, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Higher levels are responsible for a host of respiratory and lung diseases, including asthma, allergies, sinus conditions and nasal congestion. This is a problem in older homes or those with damp basements and crawl spaces. Many of our clients tell us that chronic symptoms that have plagued them or family members for years disappear once we have installed de-humidifying treatments in their homes. Humidity levels over 70% encourage the growth of molds. Mold spores are among the most virulent allergens plaguing allergy and asthma sufferers. Although molds themselves are generally isolated to damp areas like bathrooms and basements, their spores can infect your entire living space. Always present, mold spores become airborne and stay so for long periods. Another significant allergen associated with high humidity are the feces of dust mites. These microscopic creatures live in upholstered furniture, Microscopic image of a common household dust mite carpets and mattresses. They feed on shed human and animal skin cells and get their moisture from the air. As relative humidity climbs, their appetites increase as do their waste products. When relative humidity drops below 50 percent, dust mites, deprived of moisture, desiccate and die. In a home which maintains relative humidity levels below 50%, dust mite infestations will be eliminated. Fortunately, today s home comfort technologies offer effective energy-efficient solutions. The most advanced air conditioners and heat pumps now include electronic controls that keep humidity levels under control. Unlike conventional systems, they respond not only to room temperature but to a sophisticated analysis of outdoor temperatures as well as indoor temperatures and humidity levels. When, for example, temperatures are too low for a standard air conditioner to turn on but when humidity levels are high these systems will operate at very low fan speeds to reduce humidity while not significantly cooling your living space. The problem is that most standard air conditioning and heat pump systems don t keep humidity levels below 50 per cent all of the time. And in homes with damp basements or crawl spaces, even the most advanced systems will be challenged. A Wright University study found that even a short period of dust mite activity was enough to dose a house for a year because the dust mite allergen remains potent for up to nine months. Page 4 of 10

5 Now you can have a dry, odor-free basement and keep your home s humidity in check. The best way to combat the problem to combat indoor humidity is to pressurize your home with dehumidified air. Depending on your home s size, this can be accomplished with either: Compact stand-alone units, or Whole house systems that tie into your forced air system and offer the option of fresh air ventilation to dilute indoor air pollutants and maintain high oxygen content in the air. (For more on ventilation, see page 5 of this report.) These professional systems cost more than standard dehumidifiers, but they offer triple the performance (removing more than 100 pints a day) at less than less than two-thirds the operating cost (only about $20 per month). And unlike standard dehumidifiers that lose their effectiveness below 65, these units will continuously dehumidify in the coolest of basements. You ll see results quickly too. We installed a compact unit in one old farmhouse that literally had a stream running through its basement. In the summer, humidity levels reached 90 percent. In three days, humidity dropped to 45%. This basement is now a usable storage space. Here s what some who have installed these systems have had to say: We wanted to finish our basement and couldn't get rid of the odor. Within three days after installation, the Santa Fe had our basement odor free. Our basement couldn t be used to store our model trains because of excessive humidity. When we installed the Santa Fe, not only did the humidity drop, but we saw another benefit. The windows in the house don t sweat in winter anymore. We had mold in our basement and the children couldn t play there because of their allergies. The Santa Fe dropped the humidity below 50%, and the mold problem is gone. Our old stone basement walls sweat and needed to be whitewashed every year. Once we installed the Santa Fe, the sweating disappeared. No more whitewash needed! Before, we used three dehumidifiers and still couldn t get rid of humidity. Your unit did it all. No emptying of drain pans, either. And, the other humidifiers wouldn t run when the temperatures got cooler. Yours runs throughout the year with great results. We wanted to finish our basement with the humidity level below 50% year-round to prevent musty smells. We installed a Santa Fe, and now we can use the basement as a family room. Stan Perkoski s. Consumer s Guide #3 Healthy Air Solutions Page 5 of 10

6 3. Your third line of defense: Humidify in winter Just as too much humidity can be a problem, too little humidity can lead to significant health problems, particularly during the winter months when homes are plagued by dry heated air. The mucus membranes of your throat and sinus cavities are your body s first line of defense against disease. When you breathe in, pollutants and germs are caught in these moist linings. The mucous then drains at the back of your throat into your stomach where germs are killed by digestive acid. Dry heated air deprives the mucous membranes of the constant bath of moisture that keeps them pliable. They crack opening a direct channel for germs and viruses into the bloodstream. While spraying your nose with over-the-counter saline solution and gargling salt water can help, your best defense against respiratory infection is to maintain 35% to 45% humidity levels in your home with a central humidifier. Some additional benefits of home humidification: Lower heating bills What s the driest place on Earth? Consider this: The relative humidity of the Sahara Desert is 23%. The relative humidity in the average home with a forced-air system on a 10 F day will be in the single digits. Your body is a self-regulating system. More important to your comfort than the temperature of your surrounding environment is how your body regulates its own temperature. That s why your comfort in summer requires conditioned air air that is not only cooled but more importantly de-humidified. In the winter, relative humidity is just as important. The drier the air, the more rapid the rate of evaporation and the quicker your body cools. The higher you turn up the heat of your forced hot air system, the drier the air becomes and, oddly enough, the more your body cools as it evaporates moisture. By keeping the relative humidity of the home higher, you will feel warmer at lower temperatures. In fact, at 70 F, your perceived temperature is abut 1 F higher for every 10% increase in relative humidity. That means that you can lower the thermostat and still feel comfortable if the humidity levels are higher. And for every degree you lower your thermostat, you will consume about 5% less energy. With proper humidification, homeowners can save 20% to 30% or more on heating costs during the coldest days and nights of the winter! Longer life for your furniture, home furnishings, computers and electronics. With proper winter home humidification, you can say goodbye to creaking floors, peeling wallpaper, and loose furniture joints. These are all problems associated with dry home air. Your furniture, rugs and draperies will last longer. The piano will stay in in tune longer. Your computer and other electronics will last longer. And you won t send sparks when you reach out to your loved ones. Page 6 of 10

7 Humidification Systems For winter energy savings, greater comfort & improved family health as well as longer life for your electronics, furnishings, wood work, floors and artwork. Type Tabletop Room Humidifiers (Evaporative) Tabletop Room Humidifiers (Steam) Console Room Humidifiers Central Evaporative Humidifiers TrueSTEAM by Honeywell Recommended Only for homes without forced air furnaces Technology A fan blows air through a saturated medium. A disposable filter captures dissolved solids left behind Disperses water vapor into the air in the same way as a boiling kettle. Larger than a tabletop model, employs evaporative methods, often with saturated medium attached to a revolving wheel. Controlled by a humidistat that monitors home humidity, the evaporative humidifier is attached to home s heating system and delivers desired humidity via heated air throughout your home. Standard models use the heating system s ductwork and blower & thus have no motor. High output models have their own blower. Also controlled by a humidistat that monitors home humidity, produces steam and delivers via the heating system s blower independent of furnace operation or season. Advantages Relatively inexpensive to buy, and easy to transport from room to room. Relatively inexpensive to buy, and easy to transport from room to room. Because water is boiled, only water vapor is dispersed. Minerals and other contaminants remain in the water reservoir. Because they are larger, console units deliver more humidity and require less filling less often Out-of-site and out-ofmind except for annual maintenance. Connected directly to home plumbing for automatic refill. Can output up to 25 gallons a day, enough to humidify an entire home. Water trickles down through a metal mesh pad, so there is no reservoir and hence no chance of biological growth or contamination. Out-of-site and outof-mind except for annual cleaning and maintenance. Connected directly to home plumbing for automatic refill. Delivers humidity to entire home regardless of season or furnace operation. Especially effective in larger or drafty homes or those with lots of woodwork, large furniture, or artwork. Uses 70% less water than evaporative models. Self-cleaning except for once-a-year cleaning with soap & water. Disadvantages Desirable Features Labor intensive ; must be filled (more than once per day). Output varies between two to four gallons per day, only enough for a single room. With a pad sitting in a reservoir of water, these are prone to biological contamination and thus require daily cleaning. Labor intensive ; must be filled more than once per day. Uses more energy than evaporative models. Output varies between two to four gallons, only enough for a single room. Because boiling water is used, must be place where children cannot reach it. Still relatively labor intensive ; must be filled (usually once per day). Can humidify more than a single room, but cannot treat the entire home. These are also prone to biological contamination and thus require daily cleaning. Evaporative models with multiple speeds and quiet night-time setting. Light to indicate that filter needs changing. Evaporative or steam models with a humidistat that shuts down operation when desired humidity level is reached. Can only be used with forced-air systems. Humidification is tied to seasonal furnace operation. Requires annual replacement of humidifier pad. Can only be used with forced-air systems. Uses more electricity but less water than evaporative models. Require annual maintenance and replacement of steam canister. NOTE: The once popular ultrasonic models disperse tiny water droplets containing calcium, other minerals and possibly micro-organisms. These can leave a fine white dust on surrounding objects that can pollute the air. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued health warnings about such systems. Page 7 of 10

8 4. Your fourth line of defense: Upgrade to cleaner air In a typical year, the average home accumulates 40 lbs. of dust for every 1,500 square feet of space. That s a lot of dust and that s not even mentioning chemicals and biologicals including molds, germs and viruses. One way to control pollution in the home is to remove or reduce the sources. You could remove your shoes on entering, keep windows closed, give up your pets, eliminate smoking. You could open windows and use fans when cooking, burning candles or using paints and chemical products. Air cleaning, particularly with whole house cleaners linked to your heating/cooling system, is a more reasonable solution. Today, a whole range of air filtration choices are available depending on your needs and your budget. The following tables cover the entire range from filters you can buy at your local hardware store or home center to more advanced solutions available from your home heating professional. Type Air Filtration Systems Solutions for Particulate Contamination 1 Disposable Spun Glass 1 Disposable Pleated Medium Efficiency 1 Disposable Pleated High Efficiency 4-inch Almost HEPA Media Filters Trane Clean Effects Recommended + ++ Percentage Particulates Filtered Less than 10% Almost 45% 1 micron or larger Up to 95% 0.3 micron or larger 90-95% 0.3 micron or larger 99.98% 0.3 micron or larger Advantages Only protects blower motor & other system components Moderately effective in reducing atmospheric dust, pollens, pet dander, dust mite feces and some mold and mildew spores Reduces atmospheric dust, pollens, pet dander, dust mite feces and some tobacco smoke, mold and mildew spores and bacteria. Very effective trapping 0.3+ micron particles including pet dander, and some tobacco smoke, mold spores and bacteria. Removes up to an astounding 99.98% of airborne allergens and over 99% of the common flu virus from your home s filtered air, making it 8 times more effective than even the best HEPA room filters and up to 100 times more effective than a standard 1" filter. TRANE CleanEffects has been performance-tested by LMS Technologies and Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc. (EH&E), and the results verified by professors from the Harvard School of Public Health. Disadvantages No protection to home environment Not effective in trapping tobacco smoke, bacteria, viruses, or chemical fumes These filters fill up quickly and can impede airflow resulting in inefficient performance and potential damage to the system. No effect on chemical fumes, bacteria, viruses, smaller mold spores and some tobacco particulates. Maintenance Should be changed monthly Should be changed monthly Use not recommended Change 2-3 times per year. Vacuum or rinse every 3 to 9 months depending on usage. Availability Hardware stores & home centers Hardware stores & home centers Hardware stores & home centers Your Heating/ Cooling Professional Your Heating/Cooling Professional Page 8 of 10

9 Air Sanitizing Systems Solutions for Biological and Chemical Contaminants Type UV-C Germicidal Lamp Photo-catalysts for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Recommended + Advantages Disadvantages Maintenance Very effective in killing germs and eliminating odors associated with them only when properly installed. UV-C light is damaging to the eyes and plastics. Problem better addressed with humidity control and other methods noted here. Change lamps every year. Effective in neutralizing odors and fumes by oxidizing volatile organic molecules and converting them to harmless carbon dioxide and water vapor. UV -A lamps not damaging to eyes or plastics. Change lamps and catalyst insert every two years. Availability Your Heating/Cooling Professional Your Heating/Cooling Professional ++ Hybrids Several leading manufacturers now offer combination air quality packages for example a single unit that will hadle particulates, odors, biological and chemical contaminants. These offer the most economical way to achieve a total air quality improvement for your home. 5. Your fifth line of defense: Bring in fresh air while still conserving energy According to the EPA, the air in your home can be anywhere from 10 to 100 times more polluted than outside air. In the past, home ventilation was not much concern. Before today s tight energy-efficient construction, homes were drafty. And when people wanted more fresh air, they simply opened their windows. This method still works, but with increased fuel costs and conservation concerns, today s homeowner is not likely to throw open the windows on a cold winter or hot humid summer day. I suddenly realized I was no longer taking the second allergy pill of the day.... It had been over two weeks. Now I don t even take the first pill if I know I ll be home all day. A home owner describing her experience with the combination media and photocatalysts hybrid system installed in her home. Since the energy crisis of the 1970s, homes have been built tighter and tighter. Older homes have been retrofitted with increased insulation, weather stripping and energy-efficient windows and doors. However, an unanticipated by-product of energy efficiency has been a decline in air quality. Simply put, today s homes do not get adequate air. The easiest way to improve air quality in the home is by replacing stale air with fresh air. Pollutants are thus removed, and those that remain are diluted. As homes have gotten tighter, pollutants now accumulate.. New engineered building materials and stain resistant carpeting, upholstery and decorating fabrics complicate the situation by introducing new chemicals into the home environment. The trick is to exchange inside air with fresh outside air without having to heat, cool or dehumidify it. The solution has been energy recovery systems that are routed through the air circulation and filtering systems. These systems exhaust stale air through a tubular heat exchanger. At the same time, outside air is pulled in around the tubes. These systems do not recover all of the heating or cooling from the inside air, but they do reduce the temperature difference and the energy needed to bring the fresh air to the desired inside temperature. Page 9 of , Strategic Edge, LLC

10 Despite problems brought about by the advances in home energy efficiency, innovative solutions are giving homeowners more control over their home s air quality than ever before. We hope that this report has helped you understand the options available to you and your family. Once you understand your choices, give us a call to schedule a consultation with one of our home comfort engineers. He will help you select the right solutions for your home, for your goals, and for your budget Marsh Rd., Wilmington DE Third Point Rd., Chestertown, MD PERKOSKI LEAKSNHEAT.com Check out these additional FREE companion decision guides at LEAKSNHEAT.com Checklist for Choosing the Right Contractor: What to look for & what to look out for Guide to Choosing the Right Replacement System: Compare home heating and cooling systems BEFORE meeting with a salesman. 33 Energy-saving Tips: Energy-saving secrets we professionals use in our own homes. Guide to Clean Water Solutions for Your Home Download yours today or call 866-PERKOSKI with your request or questions. Then, when you re ready to talk, call for your FREE home comfort design consultation. Page 10 of 10