Indoor Air Quality Santa Rosa, CA

What are major sources of air pollutants?

There are two main sources of pollutants: particles and gases. The dust is visible in the air when the sunlight hits it and is in the range of 100 microns. Large particles settle as dust. Below 10 microns, particles float in the air longer. Below 2.5 microns, particles infiltrate the body through the lungs and can get into your bloodstream. Gases are tiny by micron standards. Gases are in the range of 0.0001 microns and are not effectively eliminated by filtration.

• Particulate matter – dust particles, pollen.
• Biological contaminants – bacteria, viruses, animal dander, mites, rodent or insect droppings, mold.
• Building materials – older homes contain asbestos and lead. Newer homes contain chemicals and materials that outgas (VOC’s).
• Fuel-burning appliances – can produce carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, NO2.
• Cleaning products and chemicals – also contaminate the air we breathe.

How effective are air filters?

In the Santa Rosa HVAC industry, we often joke that the standard one-inch fiberglass hardware store filter can stop golf balls. The effectiveness of air filters varies greatly. Paper or media filters are good for trapping particles. However, they do not purify or sterilize the air. Filters have a Merv rating as to how fine a particle they can filter out of the air.

• 1 inch Fiberglass filter Merv 2/3 – effective to 10 microns – dust, pollen
• 1 inch paper pleated Merv 8/10 – effective to 3 to 10 microns – dust, pollen
• 4 inch paper pleated Merv 11/13 – effective to dust, pollens, dust mites, bacteria, lead, per dander 1 to 3 microns
• HEPA pleated filter (8 inch to 12 inch thick) Merv 17/20 – 99.97% efficient removal of particulates – requires a special HVAC system as the filter is too resistive for a normal system fan 0.3 microns

For filtration to be effective, we need large, thick filters.

What are other air filtration solutions?

Electronic Air Cleaners
Air passes through charged plates or media. The charged plates ionize the air. There is often a prefilter that needs to be replaced regularly. Different manufacturers charge the wires differently, either with a negative or positive charge. After the charged ionizing wires, there are collector plates with the opposite electrical charge as the ionizing wires. Furthermore, the particles are given an opposite charge at the collector plates, which causes the particles to be automatically attracted to the oppositely charged collector plates. Lastly, some manufacturers claim that their electronic air cleaners filter particles down to one micron. The Respicaire Microclean 95 claims to be 95% efficient and effective down to 0.3 microns in a 1 inch thick filter (this is a very popular electronic air filter).

Air Purification
Air purification is the process of sanitizing the air by neutralizing airborne toxins (gases and off-gassing, bacteria, viral or fungal matter, toxic pathogens, etc.). Air purification uses a different method than an air filter to purify the air of toxins. Beyond filtration and the removal of particles, a residence needs some type of air purifier added to the air system to neutralize toxins, bacteria, viruses, etc.
This includes Air Scrubbers (trade name), ultraviolet sterilizers, air purifiers, and ozone generators. Air purifiers are typically portable and used in one room. Air Scrubbers install in your Santa Rosa HVAC system, continually scrubbing air as it circulates. Ozone is less popular today, as it can have harmful effects on the body.

Atomic Theory
An atom is neutral if it has equal numbers of protons and electrons.
If we use a purifier/sanitizer, we unbalance the atom through ionization. When an atom has extra electrons, the atom is a negative ion. An atom will always seek to be neutral. So, when an atom is ionized, it will seek out another ion to bond with to become a stable and happy ion. It will seek contaminants to bond with to balance itself.

How do you improve your indoor air quality in Santa Rosa, CA?

There are many ways to improve your indoor air quality in Santa Rosa, CA, & across Marin & Sonoma Counties.
Among the plumbing leaks our service is able to identify are:

• We can help you install a high-efficiency air filter on your furnace. These come with varying levels of filtration, and we’ll help you get one that will get more of the dust and particulates out of your air without overtaxing your furnace.
• Raising or lowering the humidity levels in your home can also improve the quality of the air you’re breathing.We can help you install a whole-home humidifier or dehumidifier that will do this so you don’t have to think about it.

Other whole-home filtration units are also available.
We will work with you to help you get the solution that best fits your needs. Contact us at John Owens Services today and ask about indoor air quality in Santa Rosa, CA. We’ll be there soon to help you get the solutions you need so you can breathe better at home!