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.