There are five danger levels of indoor air quality:
1. Toxic Compounds: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s)
2. Infectious Illness: Bacteria and Virus
3. Allergens and Particulates: Dust, Pollen, Dust Mites and Dust Mite Feces
4. Microbial: Mold, Mildew, Fungus
5. Deadly Gases: Radon and Carbon Monoxide
The most dangerous, level five, are the deadly gases radon and carbon monoxide. Unlike carbon monoxide where the affects are felt after a short period of exposure, with radon it is not the gas itself , but the radon decay products (RDP’s), that cause the damage. As radon gas breaks down into solid radioactive products, or radon decay products, they can attach to dust particles or other air particulates and be inhaled and trapped in the mucus lining where they release high energy alpha particles that can damage lung tissue. It is common practice to reduce the radon gas through radon mitigation as a means to reduce the radon decay products.
Danger level four, microbial, is greatly affected by two factors; humidity and air filtration. By keeping the humidity level low it reduces the ability for molds and mildews to flourish and may send them to a dormant state, even though the spores are still present and can become active again when conditions permit.
Allergies & asthma, danger level three, are at an all time high because homes & buildings are now built to be more energy efficient and we as a society tend to spend more of our time indoors than ever before. The most common indoor air allergy is feces from dust mites in the air.
Danger level two is obvious to anyone who has been in a house/office with more than one person where illnesses can be passed from one person to the next through the air. In the Midwest it seems that cold and flu season is almost never ending, from summer colds to winter flu bugs.
And finally, danger level one, toxic compounds, are usually found in the building materials themselves, low level lead, formaldehyde and other chemicals sometimes referred to as volatile organic compounds.
At Thrasher Basement Systems we look at all five danger levels of indoor air quality and the three components that affect them: radon mitigation, dehumidification and air filtration. Our goal is to create the healthiest environment for our customers. With that goal in mind, the one constant with all five danger levels is that indoor air is circulated by the blower motor in HVAC systems. The Breathe EZ Air Cleaner is a cost effective way to improve the overall quality of indoor air. The Breathe EZ Air Cleaner replaces your current furnace filter with an electronic filter which hardwires in to the low voltage on the air handler. Installation is usually accomplished in less than one hour with little to no modifications needed. As the air passes through the Breathe EZ it is electronically charged causing small particulates to cling to the filter media which is charged the opposite way. The Breathe EZ can filter down to .007 microns, small enough to address even some viruses and bacteria in the air and with its patented carbon strips it can remove volatile organic compounds and odors. An added benefit to the air being electronically charged is that the filter media is low resistance, putting less strain on the blower motor and circulating more air. Due to the low resistance and low power consumption the Breathe EZ can save up to 15% energy consumed compared to some other filters. For best results the blower motor should be left in the on position constantly, this circulates the air more times per day through the filter and also helps to keep rooms at a more even temperature. In a recent study conducted by Douglas L. Kladder of Progeny Group Ltd. four locations where radon mitigation was not an option were tested, the Breathe EZ Air Cleaner was proven to reduce the radon decay products to well below the acceptable EPA guidance with anywhere from 71 to 98 percent reduction as shown in the chart below.
