Reed Barich

We spend a lot of time in our homes. From watching TV and eating, to sleeping or taking in a good book, most people spend the vast majority of their lives inside the home. But we rarely consider the air quality inside our homes, and how our health might be affected by the indoor air pollution to which our lungs are subjected. How dirty is the air we’re breathing? How much are our lungs and bodies actually suffering because of the invisible indoor air pollutants we inhale from inside our own homes?

The standard residential HVAC system (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system) has a fiberglass filter that protects the heating and cooling unit, but little else. And if you have problems with pollen, mold spores, dust mite debris, smog, pet dander, smoke or dust than you need a home air filter to protect your health as well as your home appliances. Luckily there are many commercial air cleaners and filters that will help remove these allergens and pollutants from your home.

It’s true that different types of filters all attempt to do the same thing, but different filters work with different degrees of effectiveness. The Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) only requires a filter to capture medium to large particles, which only makes up about 1% of the contaminants. But a Microparticle Performance Rating (MPR) on a filter is better, because it measures a filter’s ability to capture particles between .03 and 1.0 micron, which means it captures 99% of contaminants in the air.

With the rising cost of living in the US, many people are being forced to make difficult financial choices. In a struggling market such as our own, people often make the decision to purchase less-expensive lifestyle products. However, when it comes to home appliances an extra up-front investment could end up saving you cash in the future. All too often homeowners decide to purchase the cheaper home appliances, which end up costing them more in the long run. This is often the case with the purchase of dehumidifiers. While portable dehumidifiers require a less substantial up-front investment, the whole-house dehumidifier is a more energy-efficient and cost effective alternative in the long run.

The difference between an authentic HEPA filter and a normal home furnace filter is huge. There are many filter products being sold in stores and on the internet which claim to be "HEPA type" or "HEPA rated" filters. What these descriptions are attempting to get around is the fact that there are very specific qualifications for HEPA which may prevent these less-than-qualified filters from being represented truly as "HEPA."

Even if you are one of the lucky few who doesn't suffer from a breathing condition, there are still benefits to cleaning the air inside your home and guarding against an overly-humid environment. Scientists have reported for years that cleaner air can increase the quality and quantity of one's life. Since the majority of us spend more time inside then outside, investing some time and money to improve your indoor air quality is a wise decision. Excessive levels of humidity in your home can cause the growth of mold, which can cause severe health problems for the members of your family, as well as expensive problems with your house.

Most people understand what dehumidifiers do – that is, remove humidity from the air – but not many people understand exactly how dehumidifiers work, and more importantly, what factors help or hinder the dehumidifier's operation and filtration. These are important details to understand when deciding which type of dehumidifier to purchase. This article will show you what to look for when deciding on a dehumidifier.

Take a look around your house - you probably don't see any green and grimy mold growing, do you? Of course not. You maintain a clean home and take pride in providing a healthy environment for your family, especially through indoor air quality. But what you don't know about your own home may make you extremely ill. Mold is a silent home invader which is present in far more homes than you might imagine – causing allergies, asthma, and other serious illnesses. Whether growing beneath flooring panels or inside of walls or behind appliances, it's important to be able to recognize that indoor air pollution may be caused by the presence of mold in the home. In humid environments, mold can grow and create airborne spores, which cause health problems for you and your family.

In these days of sky-rocketing energy costs, saving money with efficient home energy is becoming a necessity. Contrary to popular opinion, going green will save a large amount of money in the long run. There are many simple, DIY steps to help improve your home’s energy efficiency – which will be beneficial to Mother Nature as well as your pocketbook.

Many people tend to think all their allergies come from being outside. The truth is, home allergens are quite common, causing sickness and other health problems.

When selling your home a few simple things can be done to increase your house worth without breaking the bank. Your real estate agent is an invaluable resource beyond estimating house values based on comparable homes. They have seen thousands of home walk throughs and know what gives pause to potential buyers and, yes, it is usually the little things.

Water quality in the United States has a great deal of variation. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes and enforces water quality standards for the entire nation. However the EPA does not test the water in every state and city. The EPA holds the individual states responsible for water quality testing. States must keep detailed records, which the EPA uses to ensure compliance with federal law. Private water suppliers must follow the same procedures.

When you first turn on your furnace in the Fall, do you notice a dusty smell throughout the house? This should be a reminder to you that you should have changed the furnace filter. Changing the filter frequently is important for a couple of reasons: it reduces indoor air pollution, and it improves home efficiency. You should not wait for that dusty smell to remind you to replace your furnace filter.

HEPA furnace filters are high efficiency filters that screen airborne particles from the air. First created by the government in mid-1950, HEPA furnace filters work by providing several layers of fibers through which circulated air passes. As the air passes through the layers of a HEPA furnace filter, particles are caught, or filtered, in the sheets of fiber. A HEPA furnace filter removes 99.97% of the particles in the air.

High Humidity in your home can result in a number of home damages and health problems. The foggy condensation on your windows and sliding glass doors in an indicator that there is high humidity in your home – which may be resulting in hidden and costly damages to your home and to your health. Excess humidity in your home can result in peeling paint, rotting wood, buckling floors, deteriorating insulation, moisture spots on walls and ceilings, and mold.

Asthma, allergies, and general breathing difficulties have led to an increased and more intensive movement to improve home air quality. Indoor air quality contamination is most often accidental and simply a result of home neglect – resulting in dust and mold inside the ventilation system.

There are many ways to increase home air quality, save energy, and reduce costs at the same time. Making these changes will not only save money, but will increase your home's value as it becomes more energy efficient. It is no secret that a home's efficiency is a major selling point for today's home buyer. If you are thinking about selling your home, it is possible to dramatically increase your selling price by making your home inexpensive to heat and maintain.

Because today's homes are built "tight"  -   pollutants are trapped indoors and can concentrate to harmful levels.   The health hazards from indoor air pollutants are broadly recognized as one of today’s top environmental hazards.  An ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilator) or HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator) can help expel contaminated air and bring in fresh air.  These ventilation products and also protect your home from extremes in humidity