Blog Tag: HEPA

Using 3D Printers has been a practice of mine for the past two years and I have learned a lot about the technology and the capabilities of this new process. For the under $3,000.00 range, the printers are fairly simple to operate and many of then can now print in over 25 different materials and not just plastics. We can print in brass, bronze, copper, wood, ceramic, nylon, conductive, magnetic, flexible, poly carbonate, carbon fiber and the new graphene materials.  It seems every day a new material is added to the list.

Of course there are other types of printers, those that use resin or powder and some can print with metal. These are the high end printers that range from $15,000.00 to over $500.000.00. But those machines are getting less expensive so maybe in two years they will be under $20,000.00 and available for small business operations. In the meantime we use the more common printers.

The Z gap is the distance from the bottom of the printing nozzle to the surface of the build platform. For most machines this setting in done manually and it is a little challenging to get that distance set just right. It takes practice and patience and is critical to the overall finish of the end product.

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing HEPA and Carbon based, fan powered, commercial grade systems since 1985 and has learned how to set the gap between price, performance, execution and customer need. It is always a balancing game when you are trying to look at the needs of the customer and the bottom line of the business. Many times you purchase another one of a product you purchased years ago only to find out the next version is not made as well and has a reduced performance and life compared to the original. This is often the case when a small, family run, operation is purchased by a larger, publicly held company. The gap is often compromised in favor of the bottom line and not the customer.

PAS has been around for 30 years because it knows the value of keeping their customers happy and providing a consistently well engineered systems that continue to meet or exceed the needs of their customers.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based filtration systems please go to our website at:  http:.//www.pureairsystems.com or call them on their toll-free line at: 800-860-8025.

Aside from writing blogs I am also a fan of new technologies like Nanotechnology and OLED technology. In fact a blog/novella I am writing incorporates these two scientific advances.  In addition, I am also a closet XBox game player…mostly of the first shooter variety. I have played and completed the entire Halo series of games and now have embarked on a new journey with the popular franchise game “Chrysis.”  The Chrysis character has a Nano suit that allows him to create certain defensive postures. He can make himself invisible by turning on the “Cloaking” device or repel bullets and other weapons by switching to “Nano Armor.” With the advances in Nanotechnology today the reality of wearing this type of suit is much more science faction than science fiction. Since we will have to wait a while before this type of protective clothing is available we continue to rely on best practices to avoid the elements of life that can do us harm.

We live and breathe in an environmental soup of sorts. Inside homes, buildings, schools, hospitals, libraries, etc. ,etc, we have hundreds of airborne contaminants floating across our noses and mouths as we take in that next breath of life-giving air. Unfortunately that breath of air can contain thousands of sub-micron organisms and particulates that, over time, can create some significant health issues. Out doors in the towns and cities we have a wide range of airborne contaminants to deal with such as; carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide from car exhausts, particulate effluents from factories and other industrial sources. And, we have our sun. The sun gives us light, heat, warmth, vitamin D and the preceding letter in the alphabet,  C, as in Cancer. Yes, a Nano suit would be a nice option.

Pure Air Systems has  been manufacturing commercial grade HEPA air filtration systems since 1985. HEPA filters are the most effective mechanical devices for removal and/or reduction of the small, sub-micron particles that can be harmful to the human body. In addition, the PAS systems also incorporate Carbon media filters to adsorb harmful odors and gaesous pollutants that can create severe respiratory health issues. These systems come in a variety of capacities ( CFM ) and configurations designed to fit any commercial, industrial, institutional, medical or residential need.

When properly used and configured, the PAS HEPA systems can provide for a near-clean room environment. This feature provides for better, safer and healthier work and living environments and is as close to a Nano suit that you can currently purchase. And, while the PAS systems can’t protect you from the outdoor environment, they can at least give you 8 to 12 hours of protection in the comfort of your home.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based filtration systems from Pure Air Systems please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com, follow us on Twitter @pureairsystems or call us anytime on our toll-free number at: 800-869-8025.

The acronym HEPA stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Absolute” filter. The word absolute means just that. A HEPA filter by standards means it will capture, initially, 99.97% of all particles 0.3 microns in diameter or larger. This means if you had 10,000 particles in that size range and put them through the HEPA filter only 3 are allowed to pass through the media. There are scanned HEPA filters which have a minimum efficiency of 99.99% at 0.3 microns, ULPA filters with minimum efficiency of 99.9995% at 0.12 microns and SULPA filters with minimum efficiency of 99.99999% at 0.12 microns. In every case the overall efficiency of the filters is directly proportional to how the filter in sealed, or contained in the holding frame or air filtration device.

There are a number of small, portable style HEPA filtration systems sold on the market today. The majority of them are designed for residential applications; specifically bedrooms and small living areas. These systems have very small fans and can only move about 50 to 200 CFM of filtered air and have HEPA filters that are not necessarily sealed tightly in their housings. Then there are fewer than 5 portable type HEPA units that are designed to be used in the commercial markets where optimum performance is required. When we get to the larger, stand-alone HEPA filtration systems, those that can move from 100 to 2,000 CFM of filtered air, there are only two companies in that arena.

HEPA filters are expensive. They requires very special equipment to manufacture them and highly sophisticated, expensive test equipment to certify them and ensure they meet all the regulations and standards that allow them to be certified as HEPA filters. They are usually framed in aluminum or steel and have a gasket on one side to allow for compression sealing in their prospective housings. Unless the HEPA filter is completely sealed, air will by-pass around the filter and render the HEPA filter useless.

Companies and individuals purchase HEPA filtration systems to perform a certain function; removal of harmful airborne sub-micron particulate. The airborne particles may be allergens, pathogens, dust and dirt particles or particles from a manufacturing operation. In almost every case, the performance of the equipment is tantamount to the price of the systems. Since the lack of performance is directly proportional to the overall efficiency of the specific operation, the inability of the HEPA systems to perform can cost hundreds of times more than the equipment itself.

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing commercial grade, certified HEPA based air filtration systems since 1985 and its systems are considered one of the premier units on the market today. The fact that PAS has been in operation for over 27 years is a testament to their ability to meet or exceed the expectations of their customers. The medical, commercial, institutional, environmental, military and industrial markets all look to PAS to help them solve their critical airborne particulate problems. Performance is their primary concern.

For more information on the complete line of  HEPA based air filtration systems from Pure Air Systems go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com or follow us on Twitter @pureairsystems and like us on Facebook. Of course you can always call us at: 800-869-8025.

The word wired has a number of meanings. It can be used to describe how one feels after drinking four cups of coffee in an hour or after eating two or three Twinkies for lunch ( not recommended). Sometimes wired is used as a prefix term such as “that guy or girl was really wired in.”  Meaning tuned in or right on really understands the message. It is also the name of a very popular “avant garde” magazine that describes the future of technology.  Wired is a positive word and not often used to describe a company, but we will do that now.

Pure Air Systems started making HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems in 1985. They philosophy of the company was then and still is today, to make the best commercial grade, certified HEPA systems on the market and incorporate only the best, most reliable components in the fabrication and assembly of the systems.

Early on its development, PAS was wired into the whole issue of what was then called “Environmental Illness,” or EI. Back in the early 80’s most building materials for homes, offices and schools were still being made with formaldehyde laced glues and substrates along with very limited fresh air ventilation for their HVAC systems. PAS was very involved with a number of organizations that were very vocal about the continuing health problems associated with short term and long term exposure to airborne gases and particulates.

Because HEPA filters, at that time, were still primarily used only in the electronics and hospital markets, the average  homeowner had little knowledge of the overall capabilities of what HEPA filters could do. And, PAS was very wired in to the capabilities of using granular activated carbon and blended medias for the reduction and removal gaseous pollutants. PAS experimented with a number of suppliers of carbon to find the best carbon product that would both work well in their systems as well as provide the needed performance demanded by their customers.

Since the major distribution for the PAS systems early on was using HVAC contractors, Pure Air Systems was wired in to the issues with the lack of fresh air in most building structures and the direct relationship between this issue and environmental illness. As a result of these business relationships PAS was able to develop a concept using its wide range of HEPA based air filtration systems to allow for both total filtration of the indoor environment as well as the introduction of fresh, filtered outside air. This partial by-pass concept has proven to be one of the most successful methods of providing an environmentally safe and healthy indoor environment in homes, offices, schools, hospitals and small industrial facilities.

For more information on how wired Pure Air Systems is, please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com or follow us on Twitter @pureairsystems. Of course you can also call us on our toll free number at: 800-869-8025.

A leap year is a year containing one additional day in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year. So this year , 2012, we will have 366 days instead of 365 days. What does that really mean?  According to Irish tradition a man who receives a marriage proposal from a woman on February 29 must accept it. Or if you are born on 2/29 does that mean you only have  a birthday every four years? And if you are married on the 29th of February do you only have a wedding anniversary every fourth year? Interesting thought.

With an event happening only every four years we only think about it during that specific time frame. We never talk about leap year other than during leap year and then only on one day…Feb. 29th.  Yet being born on that date or married on that date…or even dying on that date could have a significant impact on the events of your life and lives of the people around you.

Being exposed to a particularly virulent  airborne pathogen, chemical compound or allergen on any given day can also alter your life forever. Our experience in dealing with individuals who suffer from chronic illnesses by being exposed to one of these is interesting to say the least. Since Pure Air Systems was founded in 1985, literally 40% of our residential customers use our HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems to help them cope with continuing respiratory and sensitivity issues caused by a one time or over time exposure.

Because many of these individuals have had their immune systems compromised by these airborne incidents and have difficulty living and working in environments that most people would consider safe and harmless. For example, small amounts of dust or pollen or even odors from dish washing detergent can significantly affect these immuno-suppressed individuals. The ability to remove small concentrations of odors and gasesous pollutants as well as minute amounts of sub-micron particulate is the key to helping these individuals.

Pure Air Systems commercial grade, certified HEPA and Carbon air filtration systems are recognized as some of the best high performance filtration systems on the market today. The HEPA filters in our systems are some of the only mechanical methods of removing the small, sub-micron airborne allergens and pathogens. And the carbon media is all commercial grade and designed to adsorb high concentrations of odors and gaseous compounds. Together, these filters in our units offer the best chance to allow these individuals to lead a fairly normal life in both their homes and at work.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com or find us on Twitter @pureairsystems and like us on Facebook. Of course you can always call us on our toll-free number at: 800-869-8025.

For most people the word hospital conjures up a feeling of safety, help, relief, life saving and comfort. The doctors and nurses are highly trained and skilled at providing medical treatment for any type of physical trauma, disease or malady. The operating rooms are filled with  the most advanced diagnostic and surgical equipment money can buy. The rooms are all under positive pressure using 100% HEPA filtered air to eliminate the possibility of infection. During the operation you are protected by this very sterile environment. However, once you leave the operating room everything changes.

Depending upon which source you use, post operative infections account for over 100,000 deaths in the US every year. This does not include the number of patients  affected that have to return to the hospital or require follow-up treatment to deal with infections incurred while being treated in the hospital. And there is a good reason to be concerned. Treating some of the infections has been challenged by bacteria that have become resistant to all the standard antibiotics. But there is one way to minimize the expensive and devastating consequences of post operative infections.

As noted in the beginning of this blog the operating rooms utilize HEPA filters to eliminate the possibility of any airborne pathogens that may pose a potential risk for infection. Often some recovery rooms for patients the have received bone marrow transplants or have a weakened immune system due to a specific treatment, use HEPA filtered air in the rooms and these rooms, like operating rooms, are pressurized.

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing HEPA and Carbon based, commercial grade air filtration systems since 1985. They use only certified, scanned HEPA filters in their heavy duty, all steel housed systems. The PAS units also incorporate the ECM style variable speed motors that are rated 120/240 volt, 50/60 Hz motors. These motors not only use less electricity but can be digitally controlled for best air flow to match required filtration performance.

The PAS HEPA systems are used in many commercial applications and a large number are utilized by hospitals, clinics and medical facilities in the U.S. and around the world. These compact, high volume units can both pressurize and provide 100% HEPA filtered air in medium sized operating rooms as well as isolation rooms and individual patient rooms. For medical facilities requiring a cost effective method for minimizing or eliminating infections in their facilities, the PAS units offer superior performance at a cost that is considerably less than the cost of treating patients with severe infections.

Today, over 60% of the PAS HEPA systems are used in the residential and light commercial markets. For patients returning home from long hospital stays using one of the various central HEPA systems by PAS can be of significant value. Also, PAS makes a unique, high volume portable HEPA unit that can be used effectively in any single room application. In either case, these HEPA systems can make the difference between a significant recovery or continued treatment for infection.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based filtration systems please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com . Or you can reach us on Twitter: @pureairsystems. Call us during normal business hours on our toll-free number. 800-869-8025.

There are hundreds of thousands of blogs posted every day online and almost 90% of all newspaper and magazine articles are actually blogs or produced from blogs. You would think with everyone using computers with spell check software on which they are writing these blogs that they would actually use the software to check their spelling. And some do. Unfortunately the software doesn’t check for correct word usage.

Take the title of this blog for example. This is a term often used in sentences and usually means totally frustrated or not worth doing anymore. However, the way this title is written its’ meaning is somewhat different. Utter futility I can understand….udder futility must have something to do with a non-functioning or frustrated cow or goat, I guess….. Right church, wrong pew.

Companies often use this “play on words” approach to get your attention. It is, in many ways, a rather childish way to get your attention. But it works. If you have read this far you know what I mean. It would seem to me that if your product or service really has any value you wouldn’t stoop to using this type of marketing ploy. But we are.

Pure Air Systems has been making commercial grade, HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems since 1985. Over the past 26 years we have had to continually convince the market that true, certified HEPA filters were vastly superior to standard air filters and anything calling itself an air “purifier.” The use of that term was really, and never has been, correct. Nothing actually purifies the air. You can heat it, cool it, blow it, suck it, stir it, move it and filter it. But not really purify it. That connotes making the air pristine and totally void of any impurities.

Yet, the term purifier continues to linger on. Why, we really don’t know. Maybe it just sounds like it does more…..purify versus filter. Maybe its like saying you want a women or man who is pure of heart rather than someone whom needs to filter what they say. Don’t know. But we use it.

The problem with using the term air purifier in front of the filtering device you are promoting, is everyone uses that term. Whether it’s an electronic air cleaner, ozone generator or ionic cleaner….they all use the word purifier some where in the title of the product. First of all none of the three devices just mentioned actually purify the air….in fact none of these devices do much to filter the air. Sorry if you bought one or sell them. We only tell it like it is. It is the Udder Truth.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based filtration systems please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com, or follow us on Twitter; @pureairsystems. You can also call us, toll-free; 800-869=8025.

I do a lot of writing and publish a number of blogs on-line. I am always careful to check the spelling and punctuation since these types of mistakes will often make the reader less interested in the material. So it really bugs me when I see so many people, many highly educated, misspell a word or use a word incorrectly. And, as a result of so many of us using texting tools like our smart phones, iPads, tablets, Facebook, Twitter, etc, etc., we tend to use a “short hand” approach to form a sentence or thought. Hence the use of this title for the blog.

The problem isn’t that we do it…the problem is we accept it as a normal method of communication. And to a certain extent I understand the rationale. I use Twitter a lot and you have to be very creative to make a point with just 140 characters and include a link. But the problem extends itself into the way we now gather information and educate ourselves about someone or some thing. I have found, for example, that writing a blog that is under 500 words gets more reads than one that is 600 words long. It seems that people want to be informed in 500 words or less….even better if you just show a picture with a short caption. This is why it is so difficult these days to get someones attention long enough to make a significant point or properly inform.

Pure Air Systems has a web site that is designed to cover all aspects of readers attentions spans. We have a quick info section that allows you to see a photo of the product with 3 to 4 sections of information that can be selected with one click of the mouse. This information is short and to the point.  If you want more information you can go to other sections in the site that provide more details on the products and their applications and our installation guide.

However, the area that gets the most action is our “Pure Air University” section. This has a number of “chapters” covering all aspects of Indoor Air Quality, basics of air filtration, ventilation, motor design, etc.  This section provides a lot of basic knowledge that allows the end user to become better educated and thus allows them to make a more informed decision.

We also have a section that allows the end user or contractor to pose a specific problem or question. We read these daily and respond within 24 hours with an answer.  They can also pose questions on our Facebook page or through Twitter. Of course we have an 800 phone number they can call during office hours. Interestingly most people and contractors prefer to contact us via email or through the social media programs. And, many of those “digital” contacts are made on their mobile devices. Which means they want a quick, short answer. We will try our best.

For more information you can contact us at: www.pureairsystems.com, Facebook.com/pureairsystems, @pureairsystems. This is 500 words.

“Play on words” has been a popular tool of writers and journalists since newspapers were in print. The title of this blog, for example, is taken from some family get together’s when I was a young man. It seems there were a lot of what I call “goofy” phrases used in the early 50’s. This title is one of them. Maybe you have seen it before ….or heard it used. In either case use of this type of phrasing is a great way to get attention from readers.

In today’s world the vast majority of people get all their information, books, classes and social interaction online. The ability to capture your attention has never been more demanding. Getting someone to read something  for more than 8 seconds is now considered a real coup…and if you can get them to read your entire article, blog or product description you are in rare company.

Telling stories and providing helpful, insightful information seems to be one way to get people to view your material. It is for this reason that many companies now incorporate blogs into their websites, like this one, to provide updated and topical data to the market.

Pure Air Systems has published over 150 blogs in the past two years. Over time the number of people reading the blogs has increased dramatically. But most importantly the blogs provide topical information as well as directing potential customers to our website. This is important as all of the technical and operational information about our HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems are found there. Whether you are a contractor, end user or engineer, the data you need is located on the website.

In addition to the blogs, a special section on our website is designed to provide general information on all aspects of air filtration, indoor air quality, heating/cooling systems and ventilation. We call it “Pure Air University.”  We believe it is important to offer some basic knowledge on all things IAQ so that the public has the ability to make an informed decision when selecting an air filtration system. The information provided through this section is not designed to sell but rather designed to tell.

After being in business for over 25 years, you learn a lot about what information is important to potential customers. They have seen the hyped marketing materials from many of the companies that sell air filtration or air purifier systems. Many of those companies that sold “gimmick” based technology are no longer in business. It seems no matter what you say or how you say it…performance is the only viable marketing tool. We know this and that is why we are still here. Our systems perform as promised…period. No play on words needed.

For more information on our complete product line please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com.  Or call us at: 800-869-8025.

The first time I actually paid attention to this Latin phrase was when I saw the 1989 movie Dead Poets Society, staring Robin Williams. The term Carpe Diem means “Seize The Day.”  The movie was about boys coming of age in a prep school and their teacher was providing new ideas and ways to think differently about themselves and the world around them. Some of us look at the world through rose colored glasses while many of us look at the world in wonder.

It is in my nature to question everything. While it is easier to sit back and accept what we hear and read, questioning takes energy but also tasks the informer to explain their position. We seldom question information from sources we believe to be credible or from associates who seem to know more about certain issues than we do. We certainly don’ t want to be cynical all the time and yet we get trapped into accepting something based solely on a small amount of information.

Information on product performance is especially susceptible to this problem. Well-known companies with well establish product lines can come out with a new product or service and we immediately accept their “hyped” performance claims simply because of our product loyalty. We will purchase their product and deem it unacceptable only after we have determined over continued use that it just doesn’t meet the performance claims.

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing commercial grade HEPA air filtration systems since 1985. The acceptance of true HEPA filters for best choice of removing respirable sized airborne contaminants has slowly progressed over the years. For years ASHRAE standards for pleated media filters ranging in efficiencies of 30% to 95% in particle reduction efficiencies were touted as best choice for airborne particle reduction. However, unlike the HEPA filters which actually have an efficiency rating based upon particle size, the ASHRAE standards were based on particle weight not on particle size reduction efficiency.

Over the years a new “MERV” rating system for filter efficiency came into use to even the playing field. These new MERV ratings established a particle size removal rating for each MERV grade of filter based upon the effectiveness of removing a percentage of particles at 0.3 microns in size. Which, by the way, is the particle size standard for HEPA fitlers. They have to have a minimum efficiency of 99.97% reduction of all particles 0.3 microns in size or lager to be considered a true HEPA filter.

Once the new MERV standards were adopted by the filter manufacturers it opened the eyes of the people and companies that use air filters. Like Robin Williams who stood on the desk in his classroom because he wanted to look at the world from a different point of view, the MERV ratings offered buyers a more objective way to evaluate air filters.

You can view the entire line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems manufactured by Pure Air Systems on our website at: www.pureairsystems.com. Or contact us by phone at: 800-869-8025.