ASI Hastings Heating and Air Conditioning - San Diego, Ca.
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Important facts about Indoor Air quality:

People spend 80 – 90% of their time indoors where the air they breathe can be up to 100 times more polluted than outside air.  We can only see about 15% of the dust & dirt in the air with the naked eye.  Since we breathe about 200,000 liters of air daily and we derive about 60% of our energy from that air; it is critical to breathe the best air possible.

Although we are surrounded by indoor air pollution there are ways to control the problem.  We will discuss two of the most effective ways.

• Source Control is the most effective way of controlling indoor air pollution. In the case of our recent fires even though much of the visible smoke has cleared from our skies, we will be dealing with the ashes for quite some time.  By taking our shoes off before we enter our homes we limit the amount of ash, mold & pollens from our gardens and lawns and other allergens that get tracked into our homes and beaten into a fine air borne particulate by our vacuum cleaners and normal daily activities.

• Filtration is one of the most advertised and misunderstood ways of dealing with smoke odors and air borne pollutants.  There are so many products making so many claims that it is easy to get confused.  The following is a brief overview of different air filtration technology available today.  By properly applying these products to fit your needs, you can have a dramatic effect on your indoor air quality and more importantly your health.
• Disposable fiberglass & washable foam filters represent about 90% of the filters in use today.  The primary function of these filters is to keep large particulate from clogging your heating & air conditioning equipment before the warranty expires.  These filters are ineffective in removing small dust particles, smoke particulate or any harmful gases or odors. This product is a whole house filter with little to no health benefit.

• Self-charging electrostatic filters rely on straining, impaction and static electricity to clean the air.  The media consists of plastic fibers such as polypropylene to generate static electricity as the air moves quickly through the filter. They are slightly more effective in removing large dust particles but have little to no impact on smoke particulate or harmful gases and odors. Once again, this product is a whole house solution with little health benefit.

• Electronic Air Cleaners work on the principal of sending the air through a pre-filter to remove the larger particulate matter and then electrically charges the smaller particles before passing through a series of electrically charged collection plates.  The charged particles stick like glue to these collector plates until they are washed away.  Electronic air cleaners are one of the most effective residential solutions for removing fine dust particles, smoke particulate and allergens from the air.  This product provides a whole house solution and may provide health benefits. 

Note: The electronic air cleaner does not address harmful gases.  For best result combine with an Ultraviolet light to reduce small particulate & harmful gases.  

• HEPA Filters use deeply folded media to trap particles.  With efficiency ratings of close to 100% true HEPA filters are top performers.  It takes a powerful blower to move air through a HEPA filter, which rules out a typical residential central system.  (True HEPA can be customized to work in homes but is very expensive)  These filters are perfectly suited for portable air cleaning and are very effective for cleaning one room at a time.  They deal with particulate matter only and have no effect on smoke and harmful gases.  HEPA filter may provide a heath benefit if properly used.

• Ultraviolet Lights have been used in many applications including water treatment, surgical rooms, laboratories, dairies, etc.