Lisa E. Crosley, Lifestyle Comfort Solutions’ President, explains options to clean and protect the air you and your family breathe.
Recent Canadian wildfires darkening Dayton skies reminded us of the importance of the air we breathe. However, indoor air pollution is often greater than outdoor air pollution. On average, we spend 90% of our time indoors, exposed to contaminants like dust, pollen, mold and mildew, viruses, and respiratory irritants, trapped there by today’s tighter houses.
Put your heating and cooling system to work protecting the air you breathe. Air filters are your first line of defense against indoor air pollution.
Lifestyle Comfort Solutions can help you choose what is best for you and your budget. Your Dayton heating/cooling system does double duty when you put it to work creating comfort and cleaning the air you breathe.
Air filters are available in two basic types: media filters create a physical barrier that traps minute particles and, electronic filters use a high-voltage charge to attract and capture contaminants.
Flat Filters
A heating and cooling system comes equipped with a simple air filtration system in the form of matted-fiberglass filters which should be changed about once a month, more if needed. Due to the recent uptick in pollution levels due to the wildfires, homeowners are urged to check their current filter and replace immediately if it appears clogged with dust and debris.
A Flat Filter system actually protects your furnace, more than the air you breathe. Consider adding additional protection.
Extended Media Filters
A special frame holds the rough equivalent of a stack of filters, 8 inches thick. This choice requires professional installation to work seamlessly with your heating/cooling system. After a one-time installation cost for the frame, replacement filters are affordable.
Electronic Filters
Installed within your heating/cooling system, electronic filters discharge an electrical charge that grab particles too small to be stopped by media filters. Highly effective, these filters never need replacing but should be cleaned every few months with soapy water.
Electronic filters may require upgrades to a home’s electrical system, and the filters themselves may be more costly. In some cases, trace amounts of ozone are created by an electronic filter.
However, many homeowners find that electronic filters well worth additional cost.
Ultraviolet Filters
Ultraviolet filters are a system enhancement, a component add-on to your heating/cooling system. The ultraviolet light zaps airborne bacteria and viruses. UV filtration is commonly used in hospitals.
Moreover, UV lights help control dust on surfaces, lightening the housekeeping load in your home. (For this reason, Lisa ranks her ultraviolet light filter among her most cherished home appliances!)
UV lights require professional installation and replacement of the lighting component from time to time.
You can learn more by talking to Lifestyle Comfort Solutions at 937.202.4520, or visiting www.lifestylecomfortsolutions.com.
Lifestyle Comfort Solutions is an award-winning, family-owned heating and cooling company serving Dayton and surrounding communities including Kettering, Springboro, Centerville, Bellbrook, Englewood, Huber Heights, Beavercreek, Riverside, and Fairborn.
