What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You “Unfortunately, most homeowners believe the standard throwaway furnace filter is doing the job and they couldn’t be more wrong”, Gilluly says. “The typical one inch filters people use on the furnace only traps about 5-15% of airborne dust and contaminants, leaving 85% to 95% to accumulate in their homes.” “Additionally, with homes being built or remodeled tighter than ever, many homes are nearly draft-free. So, while we’re making homes more energy efficient, we are also trapping pollutants, biological contaminants, and odors or vapors:” Airborne pollutants – dust, dust mites, pet hair, dander, pollen, particulates from clothing and furniture Biological contaminants – bacteria, viruses, mold spores, mildew Odors and vapors – tobacco smoke, cooking grease Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) Portable air purifiers can take a limited amount of particulate out of the air and can help in only a single room or small apartment. For homeowners, an installed whole-house air cleaner removes more particles from every room where you have a return air duct. While more expensive initially than furnace filters or portables, an installed system is a one-time expense to provide cleaning for the entire home; then just simple, inexpensive maintenance once a year. “When you consider what can occur without cleaning your home’s air”, says Gilluly, “it’s hard to believe more people don’t do it automatically for their health’s sake”. pAccording to Gilluly, using high-efficiency filtration also means you are doing a better job of protecting your expensive HVAC system from harmful build-up of dirt and grime. “I see it all the time. It’s amazing how dirty a system can get when a standard filter is used”, Gilluly concluded.
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