Blog Tag: air filtration

When watching a baseball player swing a bat and connect with the ball with power we assume most of the power comes from his arms, legs and upper body. Actually most of the power action comes from his wrists. The speed in which he has to bring the bat around to hit a fast ball coming at him at 95 miles per hour is mostly dependent on the speed of his wrists.

The speed and accuracy of throwing a frisbee or hitting a ping pong ball is all dependent on the wrist. It seems rather odd that a very small action section of our anatomy dictates most of our hand motion actions. However, if you knew someone who broke their wrists you know that their ability to pick up and move anything is difficult and very robotic in nature..even after the cast or sling is removed.

In the area of indoor air pollution the function of the air filter or air filtration system is a lot like the function of the wrist. It is a small part of the entire heating/cooling, ventilation system in your home or office but it is a vital part of keeping the environment clean and making the indoor environment healthy.

We only think about the heating/cooling system when it is not adequately cooling or heating our home or office. Often, we don’t even think about doing the proper yearly maintenance on the system until it breaks down. Then and only then do we look at the air filter or filtration system. Like maintaining the HVAC system, maintenance of the air filters or filtration systems on a regular basis is necessary for optimum performance .

Most air filters located in the return side of your HVAC system need to be replaced once every three months. This is especially true for media filters. Electronic filters usually need to be cleaned at least once every 4 to 6 months. If you have incorporated any type of carbon or charcoal filter in your HVAC system then you must replace that media at least every three months. And, if you have any type of fresh air induction system the mechanical portions and prefiltration medias need to be serviced at least twice a year.

Like the wrist is to the arm and hand, the air filtration devices are to the entire HVAC and ventilation systems. Without wrist movement you are severely limited in motion, without properly maintained air filtration systems and devices you will not have a very healthy environment in which to live and work.

Pure Air Systems manufactures a complete line of HEPA, Carbon and air filter media systems for the residential, commercial and industrial markets. For more information on their complete line please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com

This set up line for a joke is iconic.  Anybody who has ever heard a joke or told a joke knows one of these “three guys walk into a bar” type jokes. As soon as someone starts to use this style of humor you automatically think of one you heard recently or like to tell. And, sometimes you can guess the punch line even before the joke is told….making this type of set up a powerful memory trigger .

For many people these “trigger” or ” anticipation” moments are not of the humorous type but based  more on fear or concern. For example, take someone who has severe allergies to pollen, ragweed, grasses, etc. When Spring approaches and they start to see flowers blooming and trees and grass growing they anticipate that they will start having the typical allergy symptoms of itching eyes, running nose, sinus pressure and and all around crappy feeling.

Sometimes just watching the news at night and seeing the projected pollen count for the next few days can trigger an emotional response that almost mimics the physical symptom response. This person knows that even with the over the counter allergy medications or shoots from the allergist, as long as the grasses and trees are growing they will suffer.

Allergy medications tend to make people groggy and have difficulty concentrating on anything. This is why for most allergy sufferers the best solution to minimizing the suffering is to stay indoors preferably with the air conditioning running. And, when possible use some form of air filtration or air purifying device to assist  in removing the airborne allergens and particulate.

Pure Air Systems has been making HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems since 1985 and has thousands of its systems installed in homes, hospitals, commercial buildings, high tech manufacturing and specialty applications. For many of the homeowners the HEPA systems significantly help to minimize or eliminate that allergy “trigger” so the individual can be comfortable not suffer even when they watch the news and the ever climbing pollen count projections.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA, Carbon and air filtration products available from Pure  Air Systems please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com

Old MacDonald had a farm…E.I…E.I…AUH O! ….Farming used to be the backbone of the US. And in many places around the country it still is. However, the farming process itself can be a real environmental challenge for both the farmers and the people who live within a 3 to 10 mile radius of these farming communities.

Todays farmers use much more sophisticated farming methods, chemicals, hybrid seeds and equipment than the farmers of yesteryear. With the new fast growing seeds, that are impervious to many bugs and diseases and crop rotation, they can get better yields from a smaller farming area. In addition, they can now get two plantings of crops per year. So the actual tilling of the soil is done twice in each growing season.

This stirring of the soil creates some environmental issues. First, every time the soil is stirred up it releases tiny pieces of earth, mold, fungus and what ever else is in the soil into the air. And, farmers use a wet spray manure for fertilizer which is fecal material that can become airborne as it drys. If you live near a farm you know when they are applying this as the “ripe” odor is rather significant and lasts for a few days.

In addition to the particulate from the soil and the fertilizers you also have the pollen and other airborne plants particles that are released into the air during various growing stages of the crops. When you add all these up you have a “cornucopia” of airborne particulate that can be a cause for concern for those people who suffer from allergies and asthma or other respiratory issues.

Farmers who spend days in the field know these allergens can be a problem and that is why many of them wear respirators when on open farm equipment. The newer farm tractors and combines all have enclosed cabs with air conditioning and air filtration devices. This keeps the exposure of the farmers to the outside air to a minimum when tilling the soil or applying chemicals.

For those of you who live near or around these farming communities you need to understand that you are exposed to high concentrations of these airborne particles for extended periods of time. Many people who were healthy and had no allergies have developed significant allergies after months or years of exposure to these farming areas.

Pure Air Systems manufactures a line of HEPA based air filtration systems since 1985. Over the years PAS has provided its air filtration units as well as various air filtration products for the farmers homes as well as many of the residents who live in close proximity to these farms. Even people who live as far as 10 miles from these farms are susceptible to this “farming” dust as winds will carry these light airborne particles for miles. This is especially true on days when it is warm and dry and windy.

The HEPA filters used in the PAS systems are specifically designed to remove small, sub-micron, respirable sized particles. The units themselves offer the ability to both filter the air as well as allow for the introduction of small amounts of outside filtered fresh air.

For more information on the complete line of air filtration systems offered by Pure Air Systems please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com

For the past 30 years a number of technologies have been tried in the attempt to remove airborne particles. A wide variety of air filtration systems or air purifiers have been developed and marketed with claims of total removal of harmful airborne contaminants and with no need for any type of air filter; using only simple techniques.

Two of the most common air purification devices that fit this description are air Ionisers ( or negative ion generators) and ozone generators. Ion generators use high voltage to electrically charge air molecules. Negative ions are particles with one or more extra electrons. Ozone generators are designed to attract an extra oxygen ion to an O2 molecule, using either a corona discharge or UV light.

Ozone generators were discussed in one of our previous blogs, so this blog will discuss the pros and cons of using ion generators as air purifiers.

Air ionisers work in this fashion. Airborne particles are attracted to the electrode in an effect similar to static electricity. These ions are de-ionized by seeking earthed conductors, such as walls, ceilings, nails in walls, etc. In essence the airborne particles are negatively charged and then find a positively charged surface and stick to it. (basic high school physics)

Perhaps another way to view this concept is to think about running a comb through your hair and then placing the comb next to tiny pieces of paper and watch the paper stick to or be attracted to the comb. This is how the ioniser works. Negative Ion Generators are also referred to as Ionizers (spelled with a z)

Here is the challenge with this technology. In every home and enclosed occupied environment there are always particles floating in the air. For the most part you can’t see these particles because you can only see particulate that is 20 microns in size or larger with the naked eye. Almost all of the airborne particles ( very light) are less than 10 microns in size (many less than 5 microns) and invisible to you.

For discussions sake let’s say that you can see all these airborne particles in your home as dark floating particles. When you turn on the ionizer the negatively charged air molecules will attach to the particles and then attach to or “plate out” to the walls, ceilings and any other surface. So now the dark particles are no longer airborne, they are now on the walls and other surfaces.  They have not been removed from the room, just moved to another location.

The issue here is that negative ion devices are marketed as air purifiers, making the assumption that these systems will actually assist in removing or reducing harmful airborne particulate without the use of any filtering component or device. Nothing could be further from the truth. Once the electrical charge on the particle has dissipated, the particle becomes airborne again.

The only way the ionizer can be effective is to use it in conjunction with a air filtering device that actually uses a mechanical media filter. Otherwise you will never capture the particulate.

Pure Air Systems makes a complete line of HEPA based and media based air filtration systems and mechanical air filters. The new HPS series portable HEPA units are extremely effective at completely removing harmful airborne particles as small as .012 microns. For more information on these systems please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com

When it comes to heating or cooling the interior of their homes, most homeowners assume most heating/cooling systems are more than adequate to achieve comfortable room temperatures; be it summer or winter. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Most homes in the US use split system, forced air, ducted heating/cooling unit that consists of a compressor unit ( located outside) that is used for cooling the house but may also be a heat pump version that can provide cool or hot air. The other part of the system is the air handler (fan powered unit) normally located inside the home in the basement, attic, garage or crawl space.

HVAC systems are rated by using a SEER standard (most now minimum 12 SEER) with units now having efficiency ratings up to 21 SEER. And, many of the newer heating/cooling systems incorporate the variable speed, computer controlled digital motors for air flow. These newer units are not only much more energy efficient but can also significantly aid in air filtration and the removal of indoor airborne contaminants.

The new variable speed fan systems in the air handlers allow for the fan motor to run continuously using very little electricity. When the system calls for heat or cooling the fan motor ramps up to meet the air flow requirements and runs at that speed until the heating or cooling demand is met. Once the thermostat is satisfied the house is at the desired temperature the fan slows down to a very low running speed (around 30% of high speed).

Beyond the fact that using a constant running fan keeps the air temperature more even throughout the house, the constant movement of air also keeps the particulate in the house airborne and allows them to be continuously pulled back to the air handler ( and air filter) through the return air ducts.

This is important because unless the air in the home is constantly being moved and pulled through the HVAC duct system, the dust, dirt, dust mites, mold and bacteria will stay on the floors and other surfaces and unless they are disturbed and put back into the air, they will not be captured by the air filters in the air handler.

Pure Air Systems has been using the variable speed digitally controlled motors in their Hepa Shield systems since 1999. And, is the only HEPA filtration system manufacturer in North America that uses this technology. When coupling the HS series HEPA units to a variable speed heating/cooling system you have the best of both worlds. A commercial grade HEPA system that runs in conjunction with the variable speed HVAC unit, ramping up and ramping down and providing constant air filtration with minimal energy costs.

For more information on the variable speed heating/cooling systems and the line of variable speed HEPA systems go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com