Written by Alexandra Villalba
Virtually everyone knows how to practice regular home maintenance and good house-keeping. You dust, sweep, mop, and sort, all to keep your home clean and healthy. But what about the quality of the air around you? You breathe it every second that you’re inside your home, so shouldn’t you be sure that it’s as clean and safe as possible? Low air quality can be caused by anything from outside pollution to heating and appliance emissions. There are three main types of indoor pollutants: particulates, microbial, and gases. These pollutants can severely impact your health, your home, and your well-being. That is why it’s important to be proactive about your home’s air quality.
Most people don’t realize the benefits of regularly replacing their air filters, or that dirty air filters can have serious negative effects on your air quality, your health, and even your finances. From breathing problems to malfunctioning A/C units, the risks associated with contaminated or old air filters go on and on. Here are 5 reasons you should consider regularly changing the air filters in your home:
Air filters help eliminate pollutants and debris from the air. They act as a sieve for particles such as dust, hair, pet fur, and dirt. But air filters also play a significant part in the efficiency and quality of your air conditioning unit. A clean, functioning air filter allows air to flow freely out of your unit. Conversely, a dirty air filter restricts the cold airflow, causing it to build up inside the A/C. With enough time, this built up cold air can cause the coils in your A/C unit to freeze, resulting in A/C malfunctions with hot and cold spots in your home. In this case, not changing your air filter can be uncomfortable and costly as your air conditioning operates less effectively and at higher frequencies than it should.
According to recent studies, poor indoor air quality has been linked to asthma and lung disease. “Indoor air contains all the same pollutants as outdoor air, but the concentrations are different, usually lower. Besides the same pollutants in outdoor air, there are some other components in indoor air that come from inside the building. The major sources include combustion of solid fuels indoors, tobacco smoking, emissions from construction materials and furnishings, and poor ventilation” (Journal of Thoracic Disease). Air pollution is known to cause and often aggravate many respiratory diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (11,12), asthma (12,13), and lung cancer (14,15). In order to prevent potential respiratory health issues and to keep breathing air safe and clean, air filters should be regularly maintained and updated.
Allergy sufferers and asthmatics are particularly sensitive to poor air quality as it contains more allergens such as pollen, dust, and dander. Eight out of 10 people in the United States are exposed to house dust mites, and six out of 10 are exposed to cat or dog dander. Older air filters can cause allergens to build up in the duct system. These allergens are then released into the breathing air, resulting in possible allergic reactions and other harmful side effects. Additionally, uncleaned air filters can develop dangerous mold problems that have potentially detrimental effects on the air quality of your home and your health. Using a top-of-the-line air filter like the REME HALO can help reduce airborne particulates like dust, dander, pollen, and mold spores while simultaneously killing up to 99% of bacteria, mold, and viruses in your home, leaving you with clean, breathable air.
Do you ever just feel ‘blah’ and you don’t know why? Research suggests that it might just be the air you’re breathing! Poor air quality is notorious for causing fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and other mood anomalies. In a recent study, researchers found a negative correlation between air pollution and happiness, meaning the higher the pollution levels are, the less happy the individual is. “Air pollution also has a well-documented negative effect on health, cognitive performance, labor productivity, and educational outcomes”, says Siqi Zheng of MIT Future City Lab. So if you’ve been acting a little out of sorts lately, try getting a new air filter and taking a breath of fresh air.
With a quality air filter, you can eliminate pesky odors from cooking, pets, diapers, dirty socks, and musty rooms and turn your house into a breezy, breathable oasis! Why settle for stale, sour air when you could savor the smell of odor-free, particle-free freshness? Installing a high-grade air filter – such as the REME HALO – can help eliminate odors and allergens, improve A/C functionality and purify the air in every inch of your home.
Get the latest in whole home and building purification technology with the REME HALO! This industry-leading air filter is designed to eliminate sick building syndrome risks by reducing odors and air pollutants. Invented to recreate nature’s process of air purifying, the REME HALO in-duct air purifier is the next generation of indoor air quality (IAQ) technology. Thoroughly tested on airborne bacteria, surface bacteria & viruses such as MRSA and E.coli, it’s effective against all three categories of indoor air pollutants: particulates, microbial, and gases. With superior engineering, the REME HALO can accomplish what no other air filter could before. It even reduces sneeze germs by 99% in the time a sneeze can reach three feet!
With the powerful REME HALO in-duct air filter you get:
- Dual ionizers to reduce airborne particulates
- Removal of 99% of bacteria, mold, and viruses
- New zinc ions that kill 99% of viruses on surfaces
- Easy integration with your existing HVAC system
- Compact design and discreet sound
Call us today to learn more about how Stryker’s HVAC and air filtration services can save you time and money!