Many everyday household items contribute to poor indoor air quality (I.A.Q.). Particles found in carpeting, furniture, upholstery and drapery fabric consistently emit gas or fumes. Other sources of pollutants can include, but are not limited to, cleaning agents, paints and personal care products.
Also, newer homes that are tightly sealed for energy efficiency tend to limit air circulation, which can contribute to a buildup of contaminants. Likewise, things like weather stripping and storm doors keep stale air in and fresh air out. There are several everyday steps you can take to reduce the pollutants circulating in your home, including:
- Store household cleaners, paint solvents and chemical products in tightly sealed containers. If possible, keep them outdoors.
- Clean and vacuum at least once a week.
- Regularly wash bed linens and stuffed toys.
- Keep windows closed when pollen, pollution and humidity levels are high.
- Ask you local Healthy Climate dealer to test the air in your home for dust, pollen, chemicals and other pollutants (data is evaluated by an independent testing agency).
- Make sure your home is properly ventilated. (Modern homes are well insulated and sealed to conserve energy, which means airborne pollutants have no way to escape).
- Keep humidity levels within a healthy, comfortable range to prevent growth of mold and mildew (25% - 55%).
- Avoid using scented deodorizers and odor-masking air fresheners, which may cause toxic chemicals.
- Have your HVAC system regularly inspected to make sure it is clean and in good operating condition.
- Choose furnishings that emit the smallest possible amount of chemical vapors.
- Do not allow smoking inside your home and make sure all gas appliances are properly vented. Allergies and asthma are two health problems that can be helped with clean indoor air. When airborne irritants are removed, allergy and asthma sufferers often find relief from their symptoms. Even healthy people who have never suffered from allergies can benefit from clean air. Dust, smoke and other particles float around in the air, causing your drapes and furniture to gather dust. By removing airborne dust particles, you reduce the amount of exposure your respiratory system has to them.
With central heating, people are confined indoors with unnaturally dry air for many months each year. Humidifiers help to keep comfortable levels of moisture in the air, which is essential for your respiratory health.
Whole-house humidifiers work like old-fashioned room humidifiers: They put moisture into the air, making harsh, dry air easier to breathe. And whole-house humidifiers use water mists instead of hot steam, which keeps the entire house at the desired humidity level—no more carrying a humidifier from room to room in the winter.
Methods to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Optimal indoor air quality can be obtained by using four strategies in your home environment: Eliminate sources of poor air quality....Ventilate the home properly....Clean contaminants from the home Monitor the indoor air quality to maintain a health home environment.
Eliminate sources of poor air quality
Identify and remove or reduce the sources of poor indoor air quality in the home. Pollutants which may affect indoor air quality include:
Dirt and Dust:Prevent filtration of dirty air and dust from unconditioned spaces (i.e. attics) into the HVAC system. Seal the ducts using mastic or aluminum foil tape along all joints. Use a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter to permanently remove small dirt particles, rather than simply redistributing them, as is the case with a conventional vacuum cleaner.
Odors and Chemicals: Remove sources of odors and chemical contamination from the home and use products that minimize contaminant levels in the air. Lennox PureAir air purification system removes and destroys odors and chemicals.
Mold: Minimize mold by controlling moisture in the home. Prevent roof and water pipe leaks. Contact a contractor if your home develops a water leak. Control the relative humidity in the home to keep it between 30 percent and 50 percent. Contact your Lennox dealer about products that reduce the humidity
levels in the home variable speed air handlers, furnaces and compressors, humidity controls and dehumidifiers (85X74)
If mold is in the home, it must be properly removed. After the mold has been removed, Lennox Healthy Climate
PureAir air purification system (model PCO−12C) (75X69), PCO−20C (75X61), PCO−12U (X1179) and PCO−20U (X1183)] will help to remove mold spores from the air. Optional Healthy Climate germicidal lights [models UV−500 (46X85), UV−1000 (46X87) and UV−2000 (46X89)]greatly reduce new mold growth on illuminated surfaces. An accumulation of dirt and dust in the air ducts provides an ideal site for mold growth. To ensure optimal indoor air quality, non−porous insulation or externally insulated ducts should be used, particularly on the supply side (i.e. externally insulated metal plenums and ducts or smooth−lined flex duct are preferred). If your home has significant existing active mold growth, you should contact a company that specializes in mold removal.
Ventilate the home properly
Contaminants in the home can be reduced by adequate ventilation. Open windows will allow natural ventilation; however, this is not a good option for people who are sensitive to pollutants in the outdoor air (pollens, chemicals, etc.). Lennox Healthy Climate Energy Recovery Ventilators [models ERV1−150 (64X66) and ERV1−200 (64X69)], Heat Recovery Ventilators (models HRV1−150 (64X65) and HRV1−200 (64X67)) and Ventilation Control System [model LVCS (X4141)]provide filtered ventilation. If you, or someone in your family is sensitive to outdoor pollutants, ask your Lennox dealer about these products. Exhaust fans which vent stale or contaminated air to the outside should be installed in the kitchen, bathroom(s) and laundry areas to effectively remove contaminants. Clothes dryers should be vented to the outdoors also. If there is a sudden source of contamination in your home (caused by burned food, oven cleaner, paint or hobby work that releases chemicals (model airplanes, soldering, furniture refinishing, etc.)), the PureAir air purification system WILL NOT reduce the odor immediately. In cases of sudden source contamination, open windows and doors to rapidly reduce the concentration of the contaminant.
Clean contaminants from the home
The PureAir air purification system helps to significantly reduce levels of airborne volatile organic compounds, cooking odors, common household odors, airborne dust particles and mold spores, and pollen in residential spaces. The PureAir air purification system includes a MERV 9 pleated filter (PCO−12C/20C) or MERV 8 pleated filter (PCO−12U/20U), UVA lamps, and a metal insert that is coated with a titanium dioxide catalyst. As air enters the system, a percentage of airborne particles and bio aerosols, such as mold and bacteria, larger than .3 microns are captured by the pleated filter. The smaller airborne particles, odors, and chemicals continue through the system. The UVA lamp activates the catalyst on the metal insert. The catalyst combines with water vapor in the air to form hydroxide radicals that destroy a percentage of the remaining odors and chemicals.
The PureAir air purification system is NOT intended to be used for removal of active mold growth or high levels of chemicals in the air. For existing mold growth, the mold must be properly removed PRIOR to installation of the PureAir air purification system. Filtration: Lennox offers a portfolio of products to
remove airborne pollutants such as pollen, dust mites, and mold spores: a 1" MERV 8 pleated filter requires
quarterly replacement; a 5" MERV 8 pleated filter requires annual replacement; a high−efficiency, collapsible Merv 10 media air cleaner requires annual maintenance depending on the home environment; and
an electronic air cleaner which is equivalent to a MERV 10 filter requires monthly maintenance (washing) to
obtain maximum energy efficiency. The MERV rating of a filter describes the size of the
holes in the filter that allow air to pass through. The higher the MERV rating, the smaller the holes in the
filter, providing enhanced filtration. The dirtier the filter, the better the filtration, however, the filter does need to be changed for maximum efficiency over time. With electronic air cleaners, however, the filtration capability diminishes over time. Filters need proper maintenance to ensure optimal system performance. Filtration products are designed to remove particles and capture bio-aerosols, providing a comfortable living environment. Purification: Organic chemicals are reduced by converting them to carbon dioxide, water and minerals (as done by the PureAir air purification system). Molds can be killed or de−activated on illuminated surfaces by the Healthy Climate germicidal lights. For optimal indoor air quality, the Healthy Climate ® germicidal lights are recommended as a companion product to the PureAir air purification system. Germicidal lights should be installed near the indoor coil to sterilize the surface to prevent mold growth on the damp coil. Monitor the indoor air quality to maintain a healthy home environment The air quality in homes should be continuously monitored for temperature and relative humidity (%RH). Ask your Lennox dealer about long−term monitoring of temperature, relative humidity and carbon monoxide levels (CO detector −− X1124), as well as other monitoring options as they become available.
Humidification: Dry, cold air in your home can make your nose and throat feel dry. It may also cause or aggravate other respiratory ailments. It may be necessary to add moisture to your home’s air to ensure comfort in your home and to reduce the occurrence of dry skin, chapped lips and annoying static shocks. The Lennox Healthy Climate humidifiers (WB2−12 (35X51), WB2−17 (35X52) and WP2−18 (35X50)) are available in by−pass and power models. Of course, these humidifiers are designed to work in conjunction with the PureAirair purification system.
Maintenance: A healthy climate can be sustained ONLY with regular maintenance of the home system.The homeowner must change filters, germicidal lamps, metal inserts, humidifier pads, etc. Air ducts and indoor coils must be cleaned and units must be properly charged to ensure optimal efficiency. Maintenance is particularly critical if there are people in the home who have allergies, asthma, or other environmental sensitivities. The best way to ensure that the HVAC system and optional indoor air quality equipment are well−maintained is to take advantage of a semi−annual service contract offered by your Lennox dealer. For a better understanding of the triggers that are related to allergies and asthma, please contact the
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (www.aafa.org). Lennox is a sponsor of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America to promote improved consumer education about indoor air quality. Refer to the installation and maintenance instructions included with your new Lennox Healthy Climate product for recommended maintenance.
* #1 rated professionally installed, whole-home filtration system as ranked by a leading consumer magazine*
* Provides whole-home filtration for optimal home comfort and air quality, with no additional energy costs
* MERV 16 Precision Pleat media filter (MERV 16)
* Hospital inpatient care/general surgery level filtration
* Removes More than 95% of particles ranging in size down to 0.3 micron***
* Removes More Than 90% of bioaerosols and microorganisms down to 0.01 micron***
* Effective filtration to protect the HVAC equipment
* It would take at least six of the top-rated portable room air cleaners to equal the performance of one Healthy Climate 16 Media Air Cleaner
* No cleaning required
* Cartridge slides out for quick and easy replacement
* Cartridge lasts as long as one year. Depending on house environment, as with any filtration product.
|
