Blog Tag: grasses

When we hear the term “fresh air” we often think about being outside next to the ocean feeling the breeze or on top of a mountain breathing the cool, crisp air. Or, when you are stuck indoors in a building or home for long periods of time you might say, “I’m going outside to get some fresh air.” If we really believe the air is better outside, why do we spend so much time indoors? And, more importantly, what is fresh air?

In reality the term “Fresh Air” is really a misnomer. While it is true that air outdoors is not prone to have that “stale air” smell you have indoors due to lack of ventilation, the levels of airborne contaminants and gaseous molecules outdoors is often not any lower. Yes, that is correct. Depending upon where you are outdoors the levels of harmful airborne particulate and gaseous pollutants can be extremely high.

You already know that during the spring and fall of the year various grasses, weeds, trees, etc. produce pollen of all sorts creating significant allergic reactions and health problems. Is this fresh air? You are outside…aren’t you? Or if you are in a downtown area of a large city you can sometimes feel some stinging in you eyes and throat. That’s usually caused by the high levels of gases such as nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and hydrocarbons from all the vehicles. Of course you also have all the airborne particulate that is produced by tires grinding dirt into sub-micron particles. So now that we have identified fresh air let’s take a look at the process of using outside air for ventilation and reduction of CO2 in homes and buildings.

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing HEPA and Carbon based fan powered, commercial grade air filtration systems since 1985. These units were not only designed to filter the air in a room, home or commercial facility but also to concurrently introduce small amounts of outside air and filter that air prior to introducing it to the indoor environment. As we mentioned before, the term fresh air is really a misnomer. Unless the outside air source is filtered prior to mixing with the indoor environment, it is not fresh air.

The PAS product line is capable of introducing high percentages of outside air that is filtered by three different medias. First there is a polyester dual-layer ring panel filter that is designed to take out the larger particles. Second the carbon media removes many of the odors and gases. Third, is the HEPA filter itself which is a certified HEPA rated at 99.99% removal of all particles 0.3 microns and larger. This three stage filtration ensures that any outside air will be in actuality, “Fresh Filtered Air.”

So the next time you hear the term fresh air remember there are levels of fresh air and you need to make sure that you use the right filtration process to ensure you and your family are breathing fresh air.

For more information on this concept and the complete product line offered by PAS please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com. You can also contact us on Facebook and Twitter.

Whenever I have a problem with a mechanical device I try to use the “process of elimination” approach to resolve the problem. This is usually done by determining what the problem “isn’t” and then solve for what it could be. This process allows me to better isolate the real problem, since once you know what the problem is…the solution should not be far behind.

It is funny how many people have a pre-determined idea of what the problem is that they are facing based upon a one time incident that took place years ago. They automatically assume it is the same issue without even attempting to see if it could be something else. This is especially true with people who suffer from allergies and airborne contaminants. Many individuals will develop allergy  symptoms that they believe can only be caused by one allergen because their symptoms mimic the ones they suffered in prior experiences.

As an example: a woman who has suffered from contact with certain grasses or tree pollen has the same reaction when she is exposed to certain molds. She believes the problem to be grasses or tree pollen even though it is late fall when there is no pollen present in the air. This precludes her from looking at other possible allergens so she decides that the solution is just to stay indoors as much as possible. In reality, the mold in her HVAC duct system or mold that is growing behind walls that got wet during the summer rains due to the small hole in the roof is the real culprit….so the woman continues to suffer through the fall and into the winter.

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems since 1985 and has supplied thousands of allergy sufferers with air filtration systems that have significantly reduced or eliminated their symptoms. Dealing with airborne particles that are invisible to the naked eye can only be accomplished with HEPA filters as all other mechanical or electronic devices are simply not effective in removing the small, respirable sized particles that cause most of the allergic reactions. And, because of the amount of experience Pure Air Systems has in dealing with allergy sufferers, we can offer some constructive comments on what we believe the real problems to be. We understand how to use the process of elimination to determine the real problems. This allows us to better select the best HEPA system for your specific issue.

Pure Air Systems has a significant amount of information on their website that will educate you on the types of allergens present in the air and the HEPA systems available from PAS that will assist you in removing or reducing these airborne contaminants. For more information please go to: www.pureairsystems.com.

In 1662 the “Book of Common Prayer” was written an one of the prayers in the book was dedicated to burial services.  The prayer is four lines long but part of it reads “….we therefore commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. It’s interesting that this part of the burial service prayer is the most often used in TV, movies and books when showing a burial scene or describing one in print. It’s also interesting to note that all things that die and have died and that have decomposed above ground and turned into dust are still with us.

All this dust keeps getting pushed around by the winds. It continues to get smaller as it comes in contact with a solid object or another particle when it is picked up by the wind. These particles are so small that they can’t be seen with the naked eye ( usually less than 20 microns in size, your hair is 100 microns in diameter ) but they are there none the less. Many of these particles are in the sub-micron range, meaning they are less than 1 micron in diameter. These small particles are easily inhaled and a large percentage of them can be trapped in the mucus membranes and lungs. And, these particles can create havoc with your respiratory system.

People that suffer from allergies due to exposure to ragweed, pollen, grasses and other airborne allergens are much more susceptible to reacting to other airborne particulate that may not necessarily be one of their known allergens. This may be why allergy sufferers who get shots or take anti-histamines may still have their allergic symptoms. For these individuals being outside, especially during the warmer weather, can be a problem. Even being indoors doesn’t always help as these fine particles are brought in on their clothing and through any communications between the outdoors and inside.

To remove these fine particles from the air in your home you will need to use air filtration systems or filters that can trap and contain these finer, smaller particles. While there are a number filtration and air purifying systems available on the market today, only HEPA based filtration systems can really remove the smaller, sub-micron particulate.

Pure Air Systems has been making commercial grade, certified, HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems since 1985. They have thousands of systems installed in commercial, residential, industrial, institutional and medical facilities around the world. Their wide range of HEPA filtration platforms allows you to select the filtration system that fits your specific needs. Whether you want to install the systems as part of your HVAC unit or use it as a stand-alone filtration device PAS units will meet your requirements.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems please to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com. Or call us at: 800-869-8025.

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

Of all the environmental processes that can create allergic reactions in humans, nature’s own products:  pollen and ragweed, are among the most prolific. While most people avoid close proximity to known, man-made allergy producing substances and effluents, it is impossible ( unless you never go outside) to avoid contact with these two allergens.

With the exception of living 11,000 feet above sea level, there are flowering plants, grasses, trees, and crops everywhere you go. Pollen and ragweed and other airborne particles are most prominent during the Spring and Summer months but can be an issue all year long in some parts of the US.

Once the flowers, grasses, trees and crops start to grow you can, during some times of the day, actually see the pollen floating in the air or deposited on the surface of a car parked outside. These particles ( 20 microns in size or larger) are more prominent since they can be seen with the naked eye. However, these airborne allergens can also be in the 5 to 10 micron range which would make them invisible to the naked eye.

These airborne particles are easily carried by light winds and on especially dry days they can travel for miles. In addition, these pollen and ragweed particles have a rough surface and will cling to or stick to almost any type of clothing and also your hair and skin.

If you are one of those people that suffer from allergic reactions to pollen and ragweed then you need to make sure you practice the following preventative measures.

First. If you are wearing a jacket or sweater or any type of outdoor protective clothing remove them outside before entering your home or residence. You may want to brush them off (keep you mouth closed and try not to breathe when doing this) and or shake gently. This will remove most of the particles from the clothing.

Second. DO NOT BRING THE CLOTHES INSIDE! Find a place outside in your garage or outside entry way wear you can store these clothes. Brushing or shaking the clothes will not remove all the pollen or ragweed. This can only be accomplished by washing or dry cleaning the items.

Third. If you do bring the clothes inside don’t hang them or place them next to other jackets or clothing. The pollen will easily transfer to the clean clothes.  Anytime you move, shake or hang these clothes some of the particles will fall off and either fall to the floor or become airborne again.

Fourth. Get a good air filtration system for your home or bedroom and make sure your furnace air filters are replaced often.

Pure Air Systems offers a complete line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems for both whole-house filtration or single room applications. These filters are designed to remove all the airborne particles that may cause respiratory issues or allergies. In addition, PAS has a complete line of furnace filters that are specifically designed to capture the smaller particles without challenging the performance of your HVAC system.

For more information our product line please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com