Most people realize how detrimental outdoor air pollution like car emissions can be, but they don’t realize that the air inside the average home can be more polluted—contingent on actual situations, it can be up to five times more. Things have become so bad, the EPA has indoor air pollution ranked as a top five environmental danger. Mold, pollen, pet dander, radon and even formaldehyde are commonly found indoors. Since Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors, good indoor air quality is a necessity for great health, despite if it’s in our homes or our workplaces. To help handle this pollution and increase our indoor air quality, we can take different measures. But first, we need to grasp some vernacular consistently used to discuss indoor air quality.
HEPA
HEPA is a term many people have heard or seen, but did you know it stands for “high-efficiency particulate air” or “high-efficiency particulate arrestance”? HEPA filtration systems are created—and certified—to capture at least 99.97% of .3-micron particles (tinier than the diameter of a human hair) from the air that passes through the system. This greatly increases your home’s indoor air quality when dust, pollen, mites and other contaminants are trapped.
MERV
Minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV refers to the effectiveness of an air filter. With rankings ranging from 1–16, you should find a higher rating that specifies the filter will destroy more contaminants and allergens from your air without restricting the airflow of your home comfort system. Ask us which MERV-rated filter will work best for your home.
At MPC Heating & Cooling, we can help you understand the importance of indoor air quality and help you work on breathing the best air possible. After all, the normal adult inhales about 11,000 liters of air each day. Give us a call at 308-832-4321 if you have any questions or concerns about your home comfort system or if you want to schedule an appointment with us.