Tag: air quality

AC Heroes: The Ultimate Air Conditioner Air Filter Guide

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A Basic Guide To Understanding AC Air Filters

What Do You Risk By Installing The Wrong AC Air Filter?

Professional HVAC technicians recommend replacing air filters every three months at a bare minimum. Changing filters on a monthly basis is ideal for maintaining optimum air quality in your home. There are other benefits to frequent filter changes, though – one’s technicians care about even more than indoor air quality. A clean filter does a better job of protecting your air conditioner. That is, in fact, the filter’s primary purpose. If you installed the wrong filter, you may be putting your air conditioner at significant risk.

How Your AC Air Filter Really Works

While modern filters do an effective job of filtering allergens and other unwanted contaminants out of the air in your home, their point and purpose remain to safeguard the equipment in your AC system. Without a filter, your air conditioner could easily suck in particles large enough to damage its working parts. A filter needs to defend against this possibility without unduly restricting the amount of air flowing through the system. As a filter accumulates more particles, it also starts restricting more airflow. This is why your filter needs to be changed regularly to keep the system running smoothly.

Considering An Air Filter Upgrade?

An increasing number of homeowners are interested in improving the quality of the air in their homes. This leads many people to consider installing more potent filters in their air conditioning systems. The problem here is that a densely-woven filter that traps very small particles may also reduce airflow so significantly that your HVAC system cannot work efficiently. Fortunately, both air conditioners and the ac filter are rated to protect against this situation. Every filter has a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value or MERV. Standard residential air conditioners usually operate with filters in the 1-4 MERV range. Depending on your specific equipment, though, your system may accommodate a filter as strong as MERV 8. AC air filters that is too strong for your air conditioner might inadvertently cause damage.

A Better Option: A Whole-House Air Purifier

If the quality of the air in your home is unsatisfactory, there are many possible causes. Some potential contaminants are easy to diagnose, like dust, dirt, and the presence of pets or smokers. There are other sources that are harder to detect and which might be impossible for you to solve on your own. Examples include automotive contaminants from nearby roads or construction particles from nearby work sites. If you are looking for repair solutions for your home ac, check out AMH.

How Mechanical Air Filters Work

The range of purifiers and air cleaners currently being sold today operate on
a number of different principles in order to improve your home’s air quality. In many situations, the most effective solution is also the most straightforward one. A “mechanical” air filter, for example, is simply one that attaches directly to your home’s air ducts. It uses no electricity or moving components, relying strictly on their material construction to filter the air moving through your ducts. Because the pollutants being filtered out of your air are trapped in the filter, it needs to be changed regularly to maintain both air quality and heating/cooling efficiency. Consult with professional service technicians to confirm that you’re using the right air filters for your air conditioning system.

Electronic Air Purification

An electronic air purifier or cleaner is an option worth considering if you want to take more active steps to improve your home’s air quality. Electronic air purifiers rely on a range of different techniques – often in combination – to remove pollutants from the indoor air you breathe. In an electrostatic precipitator, for example, pollutants are given an electrical charge so that they will be attracted to and trapped on a collector plate. All the pollutants thus collected can be easily disposed of by removing the plate and cleaning it.

If you are interested in checking out more articles on AC Air Filters from AMH click here. You can also Call today or contact an A/C specialist for assistance.

How To Maintain Your Indoor Air Quality

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The Importance Of Keeping Pollutants Out To Maintain Better Indoor Air Quality

Outdoor air pollution is important, too, but approximately 90 percent of people’s days are spent indoors. People forget about indoor air pollution and air quality. Considering how much time people spend inside, indoor air quality concerns need to be addressed appropriately.

In fact, a study done by the EPA showed that the indoor air pollution levels in homes could be quite often up to five times worse than outdoor pollution. You have to ask yourself why. Then the study also showed that sometimes the pollution indoors could be 100 times worse. That is a staggering statistic, and remember, that’s from a study conducted by the EPA.

AC Man Houston | HVAC Pollutants in Houston TexasThree Types Of Pollutants

Particles are one type of pollutant in your home. Any type of construction or cleaning can, of course, stir them up even more. It makes you realize that when you clean, you really need to get to everything and do it right. You don’t want to be breathing in harmful particles.

Chemicals are also indoor air pollutants, and they can at times be quite harmful. Smoke from tobacco products falls into this category, and you know cleaning supplies make the list. It makes you remember that there are all natural cleaning solutions like essential oils that might be much better to use.

The third group of indoor air pollutants is biological contaminants. Pet dander is part of this classification of pollutants, as are viruses and bacteria of course and more. Cleaning is naturally important when it comes to biological contaminants. A property also needs to be ventilated properly.

Health And Air Quality Indoors

Health conditions can stem from bad indoor air quality, and it’s important to know what some of the symptoms are. For example, allergic reactions can occur, and people can experience shortness of breath. Common symptoms like sneezing and coughing are also on the list. There are plenty of other associated symptoms, too.

It is important to focus on prevention measures when it comes to the quality of the air inside your home. For instance, air filters always need to be changed out on time, which is typically after three months.

It is also suggested to have air ducts cleaned approximately every five years by a local HVAC company. Humidity levels are also important to monitor, and you might want to think about getting an air purifier or dehumidifier.

Whether you need your ducts cleaned, maintenance done, or you have a problem that needs to be repaired, AC Man Houston can help. They will get your home in shape when it comes to better indoor air quality. For residential HVAC repair in Houston, call AC Man Houston or contact us today.

How Poor Indoor Air Quality Can Impact Your Health

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Poor Indoor Air Quality and The Effects It Can Pose On Your Health

There has been a lot of talk about indoor air quality, with many trying to keep their homes clean and look for the best cordless vacuums to help with this task. You have probably seen many tips, products, and services regarding indoor air quality, but we have noticed something about this. What we’ve noticed is that so many people are quick to tell you that you have to solve the problem fast, but they don’t really tell you why this is.

As a leading Houston HVAC maintenance company, we feel that it is a bit odd that people try to tell people they have to do things, but they don’t give a good reason or any reason for that matter. Some of what we have witnessed has been misleading, but now we are going to talk about it. If you want to find out what this whole indoor air quality thing is, why it’s an issue and how to fix it, then read on.

Poor Air Quality: What Is It

Indoor air is not all that different from the air outside. Everything from pollen, dust, mold spore, pollutants and more are all right there. The big issue is that when this stuff is indoors, it is more concentrated. Usually, this is the case.

The reason why is the air comes in via the HVAC system, windows, doors, ducts and many other sources. Once inside, the air doesn’t really have anywhere to go, and it gets cycled over and over again by your HVAC system and fans. Eventually, this leads to a horde of junk in your air and eventually it could end up in your respiratory system.

How It Affects Your Health

The issues that can be caused differ due to various factors and who the person in question is, as well as how bad the quality of air has become. If you have animals in the house, this will definitely be a mark against the quality of air and so is indoor smoking. In various areas of Houston, high concentrations of pollen and dust are common. These are huge factors too.

Your home itself and how many people are in it are factors too. The bottom line is you probably have air quality issues if you don’t have a good system in your home. What can this lead to?

It can lead to allergy symptoms and frequent headaches. Other concerns involve sneezing, congestion and dizziness. Others include feelings of tiredness, lethargy, and manifestations of respiratory issues.

Do you feel tired often or suffer from headaches, because poor air quality may be the reason why. If you’re experiencing these symptoms or the ones above, then see a healthcare professional. Remember, your health comes first, so get everything checked out to be on the safe side.

Dealing With Poor Indoor Air Quality

There are many things you can do, such as not using certain cleaners and chemicals. You might want to invest in an air purification system. Here at AC Man Houston, we provide duct cleaning services, which can improve the quality of air in your home because it removes the junk out of ducts. This will lead to cleaner air circulating in your home.

We strongly recommend learning all you can about air quality. We believe you will learn a lot. Go ahead and see what the EPA has to say about the topic.

Air Duct Cleaning

AC Man Houston | Air Duct Cleaning Houston TexasHouston HVAC maintenance companies, such as ours, can clean your air ducts. Air duct cleaning is a good way improve air quality. It’s worth pointing out that some homes are predisposed to more concentrations of contaminants and mold, which can lead to sickness and allergic reactions. If you think your ducts are having a negative impact on your health, then give us a call right away and we’ll give them a good clean.

If you are interested in duct cleaning, then call AC Man Houston today. We serve the city of Houston, as well as the surrounding areas. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can clean your ducts so you can improve the quality of air inside your home and enjoy the benefits that come along with it.