Blog Tag: mold

Mold is a common growth material that is normally found in damp environments or where there is little light or heat and there is the presence of water. When the mold spores the spores become airborne and for many individuals this organic material can cause severe reactions and respiratory dysfunctions. 

Mold spores are relatively large so they are easily captured by high end filtration systems such as HEPA filters or Merv rated filters of 17 or higher. These filters are much denser and can capture a very high percentage of the airborne mold spores. It is, however, important to know that you need to keep the HVAC fan running continuously if you want to pull the airborne spores back through the return air grills to the air filters.

Pure Air Systems has been making commercial based HEPA air filtration systems that are fan powered and include prefilters and carbon media. These systems are made from mild steel and are powder coated for use in all types of environments. These units range in capacity from 50 CFM for the portables up to 2,000 CFM for the larger systems. All of these units utilize variable speed drive motors and can be controlled digitally.

The PAS systems are used in the institutional, medical, industrial and residential markets to handle a wide range of airborne contaminants and are considered some of the best air filtration systems on the planet.

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 us on our toll-free number at:  800-869-8025.

How many times a day do you hear the phrase..”it is what it is!” Some people use it as a statement of fact or as an answer to some yet to be explained action of some individual. In either case, it is becoming a bit annoying. Using it as a catch phrase for any question is the epitome of mental laziness and pure lack of effort to even try to come up with an intelligent response. The real problem is how easily we accept this response as an answer.

This same mental thought process is often used in trying to solve a technical problem. Depending upon our depth of knowledge on the subject at hand we may come up with the answer or, more often than not, let someone else deal with it. With all the tools at our disposal it should be easy to find the information on your hand held digital device or through your social network. In today’s social media based world content is king.

In the IAQ arena there are thousands of product references that provide information on how to deal with indoor air quality problems. For many people who suffer from allergies and asthma, their common challenge is avoiding contact with the airborne allergens and pathogens that are the root cause for their allergy symptoms. When you ask these sufferers what they do to get relief from their allergies most just tell you they use over the counter allergy medicines, as Allergist and other medical professionals are more of an added expense than they really want to use. So, they just accept the fact that every Spring and/or Fall they will suffer for a few months.

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems since 1985. These commercial grade, certified HEPA units have provided significant relief for thousands of homeowners who have allergies and other respiratory dysfunctions. Since HEPA filters remove over 99.99% of all airborne particulate smaller that 0.3 microns in size these systems can effectively remove those allergens from the air that can trigger allergy symptoms or Asthma attacks.

Allergy sufferers can now find some relief by using these HEPA based systems either as whole house filtration or when using a portable HEPA unit in their bedroom or other living space. In many cases customers who have used the HEPA units have been able to significantly reduce or eliminate their allergy medication for long periods of time.  They no longer have to just resolve themselves to saying they just have to deal with their allergies because “it is what it is.” They have a real option to help themselves by choosing the best available air filtration on the market.

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 at: @pureairsystems or like us on Facebook. You can also call us on our toll-free number. 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.

It has been said that advancements in technology doubles every five years. If the changes in digital communications is any indication of what is happening then that statement is probably correct. We used to have a few years, at least, to adapt to and learn to use new devices and processes. Today things are changing every six months. Or so it seems. For some of us the constant changes are exciting. But for many people the rapid changes clash with their thoughts of how things used to be.

While changes in technology will continue to make extraordinary advances, some things don’t change. Health care problems, for example, are still an issue and those people that suffer from allergies, asthma and airborne contaminants seem to be a constant. With all the advancements in medicine, the ability to cure the common cold or eliminate allergy issues continues to evade us. While there are newer anti-histamines and allergy medicines, people still suffer from all the old symptoms.

The changes in air filtration systems designed to eliminate or reduce airborne contaminants have made some advancements. However,  for the most part, the technology  to capture particles on a filtration media is still basically the same. Some technologies such as electronic air cleaners and HEPA filters have been around for over 50 years. HEPA filters, for example, were developed in 1941 and have set the standard for removal of fine, sub-micron airborne particles.

HEPA filters have undergone some major advancements in HEPA paper design. HEPA filters now share the stage with their cousins ULPA and SULPA. While the standard HEPA filter, which has a standard efficiency of removing particles 0.3 microns or less at 99.97%. The ULPA filters and SULPA filters have efficiencies as high as 99.99995% at 0.12 microns.

Pure Air Systems has been using HEPA filters as their standard media since 1985. Today, all of the HEPA filters used in the PAS systems are scanned HEPA filters, meaning they are 99.99% efficient on all particles 0.3 microns or larger. With over 25 years of experience and thousands of systems installed around the world, Pure Air Systems continues to keep the same high performance standards established at their origin.

It is interesting to note that when PAS introduced HEPA filters to the residential and light commercial markets in 1985, few people knew about these filters. Only the electronics and nuclear industries were actually using these filters. Today, Pure Air Systems customer list reads like the Fortune 500. Pharmaceutical, laboratory, military, government, institutional, micro-chip, optical, medical and many other types of companies use the PAS HEPA systems for critical manufacturing and processing operations.

Homeowners who have been dealing with allergy problems have found some relief in utilizing one of the many HEPA systems offered by PAS. The new HPS 350 and HPS 500 portable units now provide the same commercial grade HEPA filtration for small areas and individual rooms in homes and offices. 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 follow us on twitter: @pureairsystems.

William Bendix was first introduced as the bumbling husband who was a riveter for an Aircraft company in California. It is somewhat of an oxymoron that the show was called the Life of Riley, which really refers to someone with money and who has few cares in the world. Riley’s life was just the opposite. Money was always an issue and he had challenges with all of his friends and especially his wife Babs. Riley’s famous line was, ” What a revoltin development this is!” You have to hand it to him, he was honest to a fault.

We all like our lives to be simple, with minimal challenges and drama and yet sometimes the simplest thing will interrupt our perfect world. Like going outside in the Spring time to enjoy the beautiful weather after a nasty winter only to find that the pollen and ragweed levels have gone through the roof. Or all that rain you had to help your drought stricken lawn after a hot dry summer has found its way into a small hole in the roof and now water is in the walls of your house and so is the mold.

Changes that affect our health seem to be more challenging than most other problems we incur. The people at Pure Air Systems understand these issues. With over 25 years of experience in dealing with hundreds of different airborne pollutant problems and installing  thousands of air filtration systems installed around the world, PAS has the answer to your allergy or air pollution problem.

Beginning in 1985, Pure Air Systems started manufacturing commercial grade, certified HEPA based air filtration systems for the residential, commercial and institutional markets. Today, PAS is considered one of the leaders in high performance HEPA and Carbon based, fan powered air filtration systems. Their system range in air volume from 50 CFM to 2000 CFM. The new, smaller portable unit can produce over 400 CFM from a unit only 13″ high and 21″ long. The larger systems can either be attached to an existing HVAC system or used as stand-alone units.

The combination of employing  HEPA filters, Carbon media and polyester ring-panel prefilters makes these systems some of the most effective in the world in removing and reducing high levels of sub-micron particulate, odors and gases. In addition, the motors used in the PAS systems are rated 120/240 volt, 50/60 Hz so they can be used in commercial applications and are completely adaptable to all the electrical systems used around the world.

For more information about the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems please go to our website at: https://www.pureairsystems.com

The milk on the upper lip ads have become iconic. When you see it you automatically know the caption above or below the photo will say “Got Milk ?”  What if you saw a photo of a basement wall or a picture of the underside of an unfinished basement floor with either a black or white substance growing on the wood or surface? Would you think “got mold ?”

Homeowners who have older homes or homes with unfinished basements that have some moisture issues may see mold in these locations. Mold grows anywhere there is some moisture, a food source, relatively warm, and lack of light. The presence of mold has no bearing on how well you keep you house clean it is a natural process that has been around since the earth was formed.

While there are numerous mold remediation companies and “Mold Doctors” the reality is that most molds are not really harmful to humans, although they can be a problem for allergy sufferers and the mold will eventually grow and eat through wood.

There are a number of ways to eliminate the mold without spending a fortune and it can be done usually using only household chemicals.

First, if you do have a moisture problem such as basement walls that leak, a sump pump that doesn’t work well during heavy rains or a basement that has been flooded due to a broken water pipe, you need to resolve the problem and minimize or eliminate the water source. Flooded basements due to broken pipes are only a problem if the floor has carpeting and the water came up the walls into the sheet rock. Then the carpets need to be removed and dried and cleaned and you may have to replace the sheet rock and the sub-wall if necessary.

Treating the mold itself is easy. You can use 9 parts water to one part bleach (scented is best) and put it in a spray bottle. Spray the affected area once a day for a week and the mold will be gone. Bleach kills the mold on contact and the diluted amount should not affect the surrounding surfaces.

After a week you can wipe down or sand the areas if wood is the affected surface and then check the surface every few days to make sure you have killed and removed all the mold. Even dead mold once airborne can be an issue for some people. Again, if you have a moisture or water problem that must be resolved first or the mold will grow back.

Of course you should also have a very effective air filter in your HVAC unit that is capable of removing any of the airborne mold and other airborne contaminants. Pure Air Systems has been making HEPA  and Carbon based air filtration systems since 1985 and has a line of furnace air filters that can significantly reduce the levels of mold in your air. For more information on the complete line of air filter products and information on the various types of mold please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com

One of the reasons that fluids, like oil and water, are used as mechanisms to move large, heavy objects is that they are not compressible. That is, when placed in an enclosed vessel or tube or hose and pressure is added (usually via a pumping device) these fluids will push or move objects with tremendous force. This is why all large construction equipment is operated hydraulically.

Many of us who have a basement in our homes have experienced or know someone who has experienced water coming into their basement area either through concrete walls or sump pump area. This usually happens after a heavy rain or down pour when a lot of water is dumped from the skies in a relatively short period of time or if it rains for days at a time and saturates the ground.

As the water filters down into the ground the weight of the water increases and forces its way into the path of least resistance which can be a sump area in the house or through the more porous openings of a concrete basement wall. The longer it rains the more water, the more water the more weight and the higher the hydrostatic pressure.

While many of the newer homes have drain tiles located around the parameter of the basement, many of the older homes do not. And even with drainage tiles many new homes with basements now have sump pump(s) to keep water from coming into the basement area. Water can even come in through small cracks or openings in the basement floor.

In many cases water problems in homes can be man made. If you have a lawn sprinkling system and many of the sprinkler heads are located close to the house, you can have water soaking the area close to the foundation and create the same problem. Or, if you don’t have any downspouts on your gutter systems or the downspouts don’t drain water far enough away from the home foundation, the same problems can occur.

Water can be one of the most destructive challenges to a home. Not only can it destroy carpeting and damage equipment on the basement floor, but the higher moisture levels and wet materials provide a perfect breeding ground for mold. Once you have experienced water in the basement it is essential that all affected areas are completely dried and all standing water removed.

In basements that are unfinished, normally the heating/cooling ductwork is not completed. Typically there is only one supply vent and no return vents constructed in the duct system. The system is only completed when the basement is finished as part of the initial construction. This is important to know for two reasons.

First, with no return air grills in the basement none of the airborne dust or mold particles or humidity will be drawn back to the HVAC system. This means none of the air will be filtered (assuming there is a filter or filtration system on the HVAC unit).

Second, none of the humidity will be removed from the cooling coils or dried through the heating system. This means you will have a higher moisture content in the basement than in the first and second stories of the home. Keeping water, water vapor and humidity out of the basement is essential to eliminate the possibility of mold growth.

Pure Air Systems manufactures a line of HEPA based air filtration systems that can be used either as stand alone units or attached to existing HVAC systems. The smaller, portable units can be used to filter the air in an area such as a basement and the larger units are designed as whole-house units. For more information on our complete product line or information on reduction/removal of airborne contaminants like mold, please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com

Water, one of the essentials of life,  is necessary for life to exist; human and all other plant and animal life. We know water as a liquid and we also know water as a vapor as in water vapor or as humidity when the temperature and dew point get close to each other. We use water for everything. It is now being considered a more important product than oil in some parts of the world.

Yet, water can also be your enemy when it finds it’s destructive “dark side” , so to speak. This happens when we have water leaks in the roof; leaking water pipes, water in the basement, too much rain, flooding, etc, etc, etc.

Aside from the structural damage that water can do to any structure, the residual affects, like the development of mold and bacteria, can be significant. When any indoor surface gets wet; be it the walls, carpeting or floors, if all the water is not removed quickly and the surfaces and materials not completely dried, as sure as night follows day, mold will follow.

When water leaks behind a wall or onto a floor surface or into carpeting the sub-surface wood flooring or wood studs behind walls can become wet. Wood will absorb the water and wood takes a long time to dry out. Especially inside the home. Wood is a great food source for mold and the accompanying moisture keeps it growing. Add to the fact that these areas are dark, and you have the perfect breeding ground for mold.

Mold tends to spore once every 15 to 30 days during  its growth cycle and when this happens it releases millions of tiny mold spores which are very light and can become airborne. If the moldy wood source is exposed the mold will eventually get into the entire home and become dispersed through the HVAC system.

To minimize the amount of mold that is airborne in your home you need to make sure your air filters in the HVAC unit are capable of removing small, less than 10 micron in size particles. The filter should be a MERV 8 or higher rated filter and fit very tightly in the air filter frame locate on the return  air side of the HVAC air handler. In addition, you will need to make sure  the water or moisture problem is resolved otherwise the mold problem not go away.

Pure Air Systems has been dealing with mold spore removal since 1985 using its HEPA based air filtration systems that can either be attached to any forced air ducted heating/cooling system or as stand-alone unit. In addition, Pure Air Systems offers a complete line of dual layer polyester ring panel, MERV 8 commercial grade filters that will fit tightly in your HVAC filter frame and effectively reduce the level of airborne mold particles in your home environment.

For more information on our complete line of HEPA and particulate removal air filters go to our www.pureairsystems.com

The use of Ultra Violet light for reduction and removal of bacteria ( germs) on surfaces has been used for years in the food industry. In the early years “black lights” were placed above the produce in the grocery stores to help maintain a bacterial free environment. While UV lights are no longer used in these food operations, they are used in the residential and light commercial HVAC markets.

We are all familiar with the term UV as we hear this term used when they describe the rays from the sun as being UV A or B or C. UV A is the most dangerous because the UV A wavelength can be harmful to human skin as well as various material. Long term exposure can damage the skin and increase the possibility for skin cancer.

The use of UV Lights for reduction and removal of bacteria in heating/cooling systems, ductwork and air handler cooling coils has been around for over 25 years. The UV Lights produce a specific wavelength; approximately 285 nanometers, designed to kill or destroy the nuclei of most molds and bacteria. UV has minimal effect on viruses.

For many years UV lights were placed in the return air side of the ductwork close to the air handler and were supposed to kill or destroy the mold and bacteria as it passed by the UV Lamps. There were a number of challenges with this installation configuration. First, the UV lights were often not shielded and the dirt, dust and particulate in the return air stream would coat the lamps and significantly reduce the effectiveness of the lamps. And, second, the speed at which the air passed  by the lamps did not allow enough residence time or light exposure time on the mold or bacteria to really kill or destroy the particle. Even adding shielding to minimize dust build up on the lamps didn’t solve this problem.

Since most mold and some bacteria require a source of moisture or water a more obvious place to locate the UV Lights was over or close to the cooling coils located in the air handler.  This made more sense as it allowed the UV Lights to irradiate the entire coil area constantly and minimize the ability for mold and bacteria to grow on the coils surface. It also didn’t rely on air flow speed and the lights could be shielded in such a way as to direct the UV light source onto the coils and reduce the build up of dust on the lamps.

While this approach is much more effective it still doesn’t answer the question about removing the airborne mold, bacteria and other allergens. Using a UV light alone is only a small part of the solution.

Pure Air Systems, offers a complete line of  both media air filters and HEPA based air filtration systems used in conjunction with HVAC systems. The line of BioPanel furnace filters includes a dual-layer, polyester ring panel filter that offers a  MERV 8 filter with a high dust holding capacity, tight fitting and low pressure drop. The HEPA filter systems offered by Pure Air Systems have been in use since 1985 and are the most well known HEPA systems in the world.

For complete removal of harmful airborne pathogens and allergens in your home, office, laboratory or medical facility, Pure Air Systems has the solution. For more information go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com.