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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
(NAPSI)-According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans, on average, spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. However, inside the home, many pollutant levels are often two to five times higher than pollutant levels outdoors.
The EPA and its Science Advisory Board have also ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health. So, what can people do to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in the home?
Source Control
One of the most effective and cost-efficient ways home owners can improve IAQ is to eliminate individual sources of pollution and/or to reduce their emissions. For example, sources that contain asbestos can be sealed or enclosed, and gas stoves can be adjusted to decrease the amount of emissions.
Ventilation
A second way to improve IAQ in the home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming indoors. Most home-heating and cooling systems do not mechanically bring fresh air into a house. A ventilation system can correct this problem, by replacing a portion of stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air, reducing energy loss in the process.
Air exchangers from York Heating and Cooling, for instance, let users manually or automatically adjust the fresh air flow. The units retain energy used to heat or cool the home, saving home owners money on utility bills.
Similarly, the company's energy-efficient heat recovery ventilators bring outdoor air inside to help improve IAQ. Designed for cooler climates, the unit transfers heat, helps reduce window condensation and includes a defrost package that has five speeds for specific demands.
Air Cleaners
A third approach to improving IAQ is to incorporate an air cleaner. Electronic and media air cleaners from York remove up to 94 percent of particles, including dust, pollens, pet dander, plant spores, fungi, bacteria and tobacco smoke from the air.
A home owner's standard furnace or air-conditioner filter removes only some of the larger contaminants that enter their system. The long-term performance of any air cleaner depends on maintaining it, according to the manufacturer's directions.
For more information, visit www.yorkupg.com or call 1-800-910-YORK.
There are a number of ways people can clear the air in their homes.
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