Indoor Air Quality: Protect yourself from the flu!

Good Afternoon Bloggers!

It has been a very up and down winter recently and I have been seeing a lot of news channels reporting how bad this year's flu is. In fact it is so bad that hospitals are setting up tents outside to treat patients because there is no room. What is really exciting is the flu and common cold can be much  more easily prevented by having better Indoor Air Quality for your home. Here are some quick facts about Indoor Air Quality I think you should know before I explain how I can help!

1. One ounce of dust contains nearly 42,000 living dust mites. Each mite is expelling 20 fecal pellets every day into the air you breathe.

2. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental dangers to the public. 

3. One of the main reasons for heightened public concern about deteriorating indoor air quality is the alarming increase in the number of children and young adults with severe allergies and asthma.

4. Allergenic particles such as pollen, dust, mold spores, fungi spores, tobacco smoke, dust mites, pet hair and pet dander all contribute to poor indoor air quality.

5. Air pollution in U.S. cities may cause twice as many deaths from heart disease as it does from lung cancer and other respiratory ailments, a surprising new study suggests.

To sum this up the air you breath in your home is about two to five times more polluted than outside air. People do not even realize how much there health is affected. Now let's take this a little further, a micron is a measurement used to analyze very small particles. One micron is just about equal to 1/25,400 of an inch and just food for thought 98% of all indoor air particles are less than one micron in size. 5 microns or smaller will pass through the lungs (American Lung Association).  This gives us an idea how small these particles are that you are breathing.
     Next let's talk about filtration because clean air is determined by the efficiency of a filter or an air cleaner. Filter efficiency ratings are called MERV which is (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value). The MERV rating is used to rate the ability of a filter or air cleaner by removing air borne particles as they pass through the filter.

Examples:

1. MERV 1-4  Little effect less than 1%: Visual dust & dirt, invisible dust & particles, some airborne spores.

2. MERV 5-8  Minimal effect less than 2%: Some Pollen, skin flakes & mold spores.
      
3. MERV 9-12 Moderate effect 4%: Most pollen, skin flakes, mold spores & pet allergens.

4. MERV 13-16 Maximum effect 97%: Germs & bacteria, Smoke & aerosols, dust mites & feces.

5. MERV Exceeding 16 Maximum effect 99.97%: Viruses, pesticides, certain gases & toxic compounds.

     At Dial One Sonshine we are able to offer our customers any upgraded filtration they would like. Here are a few products we have that can keep your air cleaner. Keep in mind bloggers that some of these products greatly reduce the risk of getting sick from airborne particles that are not seen by the naked eye. A regular pleated filter that you throw away every 3-6 months to replace rates at a MERV 1-4, to bring it up a step you can get a washable filter that rates around a MERV 5-8. The next few products are rated very high due to the effectiveness of removing air born particles. We also have a Micro power guard electro-static filter that cleans the air of contaminates that can aggravate asthma and allergies, this also helps your HVAC equipment operate more efficiently by keeping it cleaner. Lastly the most effective is our Honeywell electronic air cleaner, this cleaner is actually used in hospitals and is stamped by the American Lung Association. This filter is so good that when your house is completely closed up you are able to circulate with your HVAC system up to 99.97% clean air how amazing is that! Not only will this product keep your house cleaner from dust it will also greatly reduce your risk of catching airborne viruses and colds. Take it from me everyone because I was somebody that suffered every year from allergies and cold's, ever since I have installed an air cleaner for my home I almost never get sick and my allergy symptoms have completely disappeared. 

     So if you are like me and the other millions of Americans that get knocked our for a few weeks every year because of the flu or bad allergies then give Dial One Sonshine a call to get a free Indoor Air Quality assessment for your home. There is no obligation and I promise you will be 100% satisfied with the outcome. You can reach us @ 800-427-4909! Thank you all for reading and have a great week!

Sincerely,

 Austin Chase




SOURCE'S: (www.4natureshome.com & nature's home homeowner guide)

       
     

Test Your Toilet For Leaks

Avoid Losing Money Due To A Leaking Toilet
A leaking or constantly running toilet does one thing really well - waste water. Not only does that hit your water bill, but it also is annoying to listen to as the toilet starts and stops throughout the day and night.

So what causes a leak? Typically it is the result of a bad stopper. If you lift the lid off the tank of your toilet, you'll see the rubber stopper on the bottom that shuts and creates a seal after flushing. If you think your toilet might be leaking, here is an easy test you can do with food coloring that doesn't require a plumbing service call:

1. Take the lid off of your tank, and temporarily remove any toilet cleaners you may have inside the tank that discolor the water.

2. Grab a bottle of food coloring and add some to the water in the tank. Add enough to make the water color change visible.

3. Allow the toilet to sit for 15-30 minutes without use. See if any food coloring has entered the toilet bowl. If it has, you have a leak.

 This is an easy test to do before you spend money on a plumbing service call. We hope that this proves helpful! For more information about plumbing services, visit our Irvine plumbing page! Thanks for reading our blog.





Toilet Repair

Toilet Repair Service

What do you do when the most important fixture in your home has a problem? Call Dial One Sonshine for fast, professional Irvine toilet repair service!

Although a toilet is a reliable part of your plumbing system, most of us have experienced toilet problems randing from continual running, to weird tank noises or severe clogging. Dial One Sonshine is an Irvine toilet repair company who is an expert on anything toilet related. From needing a new filler valve to an entire toilet, we have the experience and plumbing certification required to do the job right.

Many of the plumbing related calls we receive is in fact related to toilets with a problem. Our plumbers will respond promptly, identify the source of a problem, and get it fixed promptly! If repair isn't an option, we can give you solid recommendations on how to proceed, and we offer top-of-the-line products that you can trust for your home!

Even if your toilet repair need isn't an emergency, don't let toilets that don't stop running waste water and raise your water bill! If you think you might be experiencing a slow "silent" leak, simply add some food coloring to the water in your tank, and see if any of it makes its way into the toilet bowl. If it does, you're toilet isn't staying sealed like it should be. Read more: Irvine plumbing

6 Way's To Save Money On Heating Bills!

1. Install a programmable thermostat to manage Orange County Heating & Cooling needs.

     Home owners can save around $180 dollars a year by properly programming your thermostat. It can be even more simple by installing a new WIFI T-stat that you can manage your heating and air from the touch of your computer or phone. This is a great benefit when your out on vacation or if your elderly parents have trouble programing the thermostat.

2. Keep your filters clean!

     Also clean and check your filters at least once every other month. A dirty filter can increase your energy cost and damage your equipment.

3. Get annual furnace tune-ups & get them early. 

     I can not stress this enough how important a heating tune-up is. Not only will it save you money on your energy costs but it is also to make sure your furnace is safe to operate. Carbon monoxide is a very dangerous gas and if your heater is not venting properly you could be exposing your family to the deadly gas. Also make sure to get your tune-up early, every single year people wait until the first cold spell and we are bombarded with calls and we may not be able to get to you that day. Make sure before the cold hits you give us a call so when you do turn that heater on it will work and work safely.

4. Invest in energy efficient equipment. 

     Heating and air systems that have the energy star label on them meet the federal standards for energy efficiency. You can save up to 50% on your heating and cooling energy costs and even over time your system will eventually pay for it self with the savings you will get.


5. Weather-strip and caulk your door's & windows. 

     No need to explain this one just got to do what it says.

6. Make sure you have the right insulation for your home.

     You can lose up to 40% of your home's heat loss just because you don't have the right insulation or if you attic is not insulated enough. Call a professional that can look at what you have and make the proper recommendations. 

    

Today is Wednesday and it is customer appreciation day and we are offering $100 dollars towards a plumbing service drain stoppages excluded.

Call Dial One Sonshine @ 800-427-4909 and if you give us your email we will give you 10% off any service that Dial One Sonshine offers. Just so we can send you specials and plumbing tips once a month.

Thank you for reading everybody!

     -Austin Chase

Air Condtioning Special

Spring is here everybody and I want to make sure you all take advantage of my spring air conditioning sale. We have lowered our price from our regular $120 dollars down to $77! The idea is to help our community and customers this spring by offering our excellent service at a discounted price. Your Air Conditioner is the single most expensive appliance in your home and if you don't take care of it with regular maintenance if could cost you thousands in repairs or worse have to replace it before it's life time. 

What your Air Conditioner Maintenance will include:

1. 20 point inspection on all mechanical and electrical components of the unit.

2. Check all filters and clean them if they are cleanable.

3. Make sure unit is running manufacturer specifications to up hold any warranty's

4. More importantly you get a NATE certified technician which is the highest level you can achieve in the HVAC industry. Our guys are like doctor's!

So call today to get a spot in line because we will be expecting lot's of calls when it gets hot. Don't miss out call Dial One Sonshine today "Your Neighborhood Contractor" (800) 427-4909

My best,
Austin Chase

Duct Cleanings dirty little secrect!

Hello and good afternoon bloggers!

Today we are going to be talking about duct cleaning and why it can benefit you and your family. Also I will explain what is the right way to have your ducts cleaned and the wrong way. I'm sure you have all seen those advertisements for $120 to clean your entire home ducting system, do you really believe that it can be done for that price? The good news is I am hear to educate you and help you make a good decision on getting your ducts cleaned by the right professional.

So lets start off with WHY you should clean your ducting system. Number one reason is for your health because years of operation and use of your heating and cooling system will generate lots of dust, bacteria, hair, animal dander, skin particles and more that is actually circulation in your home. I don't know about you but when I use my air conditioner I close up all the windows and doors to make sure my home is sealed tight, well if my ducting is extremely dirty than my family and I are basically sitting and breathing in a chemical soup. That is just the beginning since we don't know if you have asbestos ducting that is damaged and you could be breathing in those particles. Or you could have mold growing in the ducting because of water damage that you are unaware of. Now I am not trying to scare you however most people don't even think about cleaning their ducts which are the lungs of there home. Do you want to be breathing all this junk everyday? I can tell you that they have done numerous studies on home indoor air quality and they have found that peoples homes are much dirty than the outside air we breath and we spend on average 75% of our time indoors.The EPA states that "One of the main reasons for heightened public concern about deteriorating indoor air quality is the alarming increase in the number of children and young adults with severe allergies and asthma"

     So when choosing the right contractor you need to do a little research on duct cleaning because you don't want to have a company take your money and just push a bunch of dirt back into your furnace which is how the "blow and go guys" do it.  Our method is much more clean and sanitary, we use the top of the line air care vacuum system with the proper brushes to clean all the ducting. At the end we use special products that are used in hospitals to sanitized your entire system and ducting. If you have any more questions don't hesitate to call us at 1-800-427-4909.

Thank you for reading everybody!

-Austin Chase