Many people are aware of how detrimental outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the average house might be more polluted—reliant on actual circumstances, it can be up to five times more. Things have become so bad, 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, superior indoor air quality is a necessity for great health, regardless if it’s in our homes or our workplaces. To help manage this pollution and increase our indoor air quality, we can take multiple measures. But first, we need to grasp some vernacular often used to discuss indoor air quality.
HEPA
HEPA is a term a lot of 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 designed—and certified—to capture at least 99.97% of .3-micron particles (tinier than the diameter of a human hair) from the air that passes through the system. This significantly increases your home’s indoor air quality when dust, pollen, mites and other contaminants are destroyed.
MERV
Minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV describes the effectiveness of an air filter. With metrics ranging from 1–16, you should find a higher rating that reveals the filter will filter more contaminants and allergens from your air without limiting the airflow of your home comfort system. Ask us which MERV-rated filter will work best for your home.
At Contra Costa Heating & AC, 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 510-343-9841 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.