Indoor Air Can be 70 Times More Polluted than Outdoor Air

NEWS RELEASE

 

Contact: Noah Wood, Star Quality Air Conditioning, Inc.

Phone: 772-299-9818

  

You want your home to be safe, secure, and comfortable.  You want it to be warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and to not cost you a fortune in the process.  But what if the very system that brings you this security is also a breeding ground for serious health issues?

 

Don’t pack up just yet.  There could be a low cost, easy solution.

 

“The more your ‘sealed’ home is for energy efficiency, the more germs, pollutants, and allergens it’s keeping in,” says Noah of Star Quality Air Conditioning. “In order to maintain humidity and temperature levels, the same air is continuously recycled throughout a home. This increases comfort, but it can also increase health risks. Breathing certain mold spores can cause illness – or even death – and they can develop inside the dark and damp environments of your duct system”

 

In fact, indoor air can be up to 70 times more polluted than the air outside your home.  So what can you do? Star Quality Air Conditioning recommends these measures for maintaining a healthy home:

 

·         Have ventilation systems cleaned annually to help eliminate dirt and mold growth.

·         A qualified technician should check to be sure that all return air is run through the filter system.

·         Verify that the filter system meets size requirements for peak operation.

·         Ask about purification devices that can eliminate condensed moisture from the air conditioning systems. Technology has yielded many inexpensive, easy solutions.

 

Noah told us “You don’t have to choose comfort or health.  You can have both for your family.  It’s simply a matter of taking minor precautions.”

 

These precautions are part of Star Quality Air Conditioning’s effort to educate the public.  Star Quality Air Conditioning wants to show homeowners certain energy and health saving techniques that can save hundreds of dollars in needless expenditures each season.

 

You can get a free indoor energy survey and more tips on maintaining a healthy home by calling Star Quality Air Conditioning at 772-299-9818. 

 

 “What better way to celebrate being a heating and cooling professional than to offer real benefits to our customers and community?  That’s what being in service is all about,” says Noah.

 

For more on Indoor Air Quality

 

Indoor Air Quality Concerns Pushed Higher

As America reacts to bioterrorism, officials remind us that more people risk death from the flu than from anthrax infection.   For the foreseeable future, there’s no reason to think otherwise.  Yet planning for a future where those risks increase is another matter. 

 

Long before “anthrax” became headlines, indoor air quality was a concern for heating and air conditioning contractors.  In America today, people spend up to 93% of their time indoors.  Because tighter, more energy efficient building construction has led to reduced natural ventilation, indoor air pollution can be up to 10 times greater than outdoor levels. 

 

Noah of Star Quality Air, points out that his industry is now taking indoor air quality discussions to a new level.  

 

“Air conditioning and heating systems filter the air we breathe,” he said.  “Their protection - especially in commercial establishments - will become even more crucial as we deal with threats of bioterrorism.”

 

Security procedures for people who maintain air conditioning and heating systems will be a consideration, Noah noted.  “So many times, a technician will walk in and say, ‘I’m here to look at your air conditioning system’ and be waved right on through.  I’m not promoting paranoia, but there are some simple steps to take such as verifying the name of the individual and the company, verifying the work to be performed and informing security about the maintenance.”   

 

“Just as cockpit doors are being strengthened on airplanes,” he added, “we may also have to look at making access to air conditioning systems more difficult.” 

 

For additional protection, ultraviolet (UV) lights and their ability to destroy airborne germs are among options being considered. “We’ve installed UV lights as a means of sterilizing indoor air and are encouraged by the potential here,” said Noah.

 

“Air filtration has advanced with technology. Home filters can stop particles is down to about 3 microns; even smaller for special applications. So there is a potential defense here and I’m confident that research is going on around the clock.

 

“This is a new day, and these discussions will be ongoing,”Noah said.  “But we’re doing what we can to be reasonable and safe.”

How to Avoid 90% of All System Failures

Dirt.  Five year olds love it, plants can’t live without it, and you’re breathing it in every day.  Not just breathing it in—you’re paying to inhale the largest cause of your home’s dust and allergy problems.

 

You’re probably thinking that’s an exaggeration.  But the simple truth is that you are paying to run your heating and cooling system, more and more as the weather heats up.  And since dirt is the number one cause of system failure—90% of all failures, in fact—chances are good that dirt is keeping your system from running at peak efficiency.

 

Before you invest in a family set of gas masks or prepare for a nomadic existence in the Sahara (hey, at least then you won’t be paying for the dirt), you might want to give your heating and cooling professional a call.

 

“Your system works hard,” says Noah of Star Quality Air Conditioning. “It’s constantly circulating and cooling the air that keeps your family comfortable. Like anything else that works, it gets dirty and has to be cleaned.”

 

There are a few questions to ask yourself before having your system cleaned:

 

·         How long has it been since your HVAC system was cleaned?

·         Are there pets in the home?

·         Do any family members experience burning in the eyes, nose, or throat while in the home?

·         Does your climate have high humidity?

·         Do any family members show symptoms of mild to severe allergies?

 

Noah told us “System failures caused by dirt, as well as expensive repairs, can be avoided with a little preventative maintenance.  Most people don’t realize how much money they can save by making sure their system runs efficiently.”

 

Learning the precautions is part of Star Quality Air Conditioning’s effort to educate the public during “Appreciate Your Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling Professional Week”.  Star Quality Air Conditioning wants to show homeowners certain neglected maintenance items that can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs or system replacements.

 

You can get your ventilation system inspected, plus receive other energy saving tips for free by calling Star Quality Air Conditioning at 772-299-9818 or visit our service plans.