Zack Hammonds is happy to post our IAQ blog part 2 to further educate Atlanta homeowners on the purpose and importance of indoor air quality products.
If this is your first reading, you should catch up with our first IAQ blog post that talks about UV Lamps and how they help the efficiency of your air conditioning system while protecting your home's indoor air from mold. Now we are moving on to advanced air cleaners.
If you are not familiar with the layout of a typical air conditioning and heating system, take a look at the image below. See the bubble identifying the Advanced Air Cleaner. It is installed after the return air duct, and before the furnace (or air handler). Normally there is a small filter that comes with your HVAC system. These filters are thin, and made to just capture larger particles in the air. They do not filter at very high levels.
Remember that the job of a UV Lamp is to kill mold growing in an evaporator coil (or a fan coil). A UV lamp does not clean the air, but protects the air. The job of an advanced air cleaner is to clean & filter the air returning being drawn from your home before it goes back into the HVAC system, and then back into every room of your house.
What are the advantages? We're so glad you asked. Read on:
1) Cleans your indoor air. When we say these air cleaners clean your indoor air, we really mean it. Down to microscopic things like pet dander, chemicals, smoke, and bacteria. Some can even kill the flu virus! Think about that....someone has the flu at home. What does your current system do? It potentially pumps those germs throughout the entire house. Not anymore. Advanced air cleaners are also great ways to remove seasonal allergens from your air.
2) Protects your air conditioning system. An advanced air cleaner keeps your air conditioning and heating system clean and running more efficiently. Every system has a filter - they are typically 2 inches thick and made to be replaced monthly. These filters keep out the big stuff, but are not the ideal choice for really keeping your system clean, and definitely do not do much for indoor air quality.
Measuring the ability of an Air Cleaner
The ability of air cleaners or filters is measured with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV). MERV ratings tell you what an air cleaner is capable of doing. MERV 16 is high end for residential applications. MERV 17-20 is most often found in labs with radioactive or carcinogenetic materials...meaning, not your place. MERV 16 will filter most tobacco smoke, all bacteria, and many other things including hair spray, mold spores, pollen, dust mites and the list continues. Imagine your home with the dust, bacteria and chemicals filtered every time your system turns on. Now that is a great start to pure indoor air.
Another note to consider when using an Advanced Air Cleaner: a variable speed fan motor in your furnace or air handler will also increase your air quality, as these fans control climate and air flow much better than traditional fan motors in older HVAC systems.
Thanks for reading the Zack Hammonds blog! We are your finest choice for Atlanta air conditioning and indoor air quality solutions. Visit our website at Atlanta Air Conditioning.
The next IAQ blog is Indoor Air Quality Part III: Ventilators.
No comments:
Post a Comment