Breathe deeper: how to make the air in your house perfect?

Cleaner Air Means Healthier Air

A healthy mind lives in a healthy body. A healthy mind depends on the air we breathe. The smallest particles of dust, smallest insects (ticks for instance), extraneous odors, humidity, and temperature are the elements of the "weather in your house." Let's see what factors are decisive in the fight for fresh air and how to create the perfect microclimate in your home.

Poor air quality in the room can cause diseases of the respiratory, circulatory, nervous and even digestive systems.

We take as a given a fact that we cannot escape the worsening urban air quality. A lot of cars, exhaust gases, operating power plants, factories in the city do not add to air purity. And who would have thought that we can not hide from all this junk even at home? After all, we are accustomed to thinking that the air at home is cleaner. And that airing the room is great! Well done.

Well, it appears we’re not exactly right on that one. Air conditioning makes us almost royals it seems. But, in fact, studies have shown that what we breathe at home is generally difficult to call air.

Let’s take a look at the contents of the air we breathe at home

Firstly, we’re looking at a high concentration of carbon dioxide. Yes, it is bad for you and the cells of our body go hungry without oxygen.

Secondly, exhaust gases and other rubbish from the streets still penetrate into our fortress when we ventilate the apartment.

Thirdly, mold or a fungus live in every home, let’s face it. This does not at all add to the purity of the air. And then there are other nasty things that slowly but surely poison the air and everything around it at the same time. Over time your wallpaper, furniture, even the carpet can release toxins.

Stale air contains a large number of microorganisms - including those that could potentially harm human health. The main source of microbes is the man himself. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and various types of Streptococcus can enter the air flow right from the skin surface, during the breathing process, while you are sneezing and coughing. They cause tuberculosis, various pneumonia, and flu.

However, this problem can be solved.

Air quality improvement strategies

The three main strategies that must be followed to reduce the concentration of harmful substances in indoor air are:

• the initial control of pollution sources

• the organization of adequate ventilation

• the cleaning of indoor air.

Using air purifiers alone will not ensure proper air quality. Therefore, air purification in the room should be carried out comprehensively.

Air quality control

Air control is necessary in order to eliminate sources of indoor air pollution or to reduce the amount of harmful substances they emit. This is the primary method for reducing air pollution. In every home there are many things and devices that pollute the air we breathe. To improve the air quality in residential areas, it is necessary to abandon the use of pressed wood products that can emit formaldehyde.

Instead, it is better to purchase furniture, interior elements and other interior design items that are made of solid wood or alternative materials. Smokers should make a special place outside and avoid smoking inside.Adjust fuel-operated appliances to minimize emissions.

Ventilation

Ventilation facilitates the exchange of air inside and outside the building. It also helps reduce the concentration of harmful substances in indoor air. Air circulation has a positive effect on air quality and its purity. In most residential buildings, general and localized ventilation systems are used.

General ventilation

General ventilation of living space is when the air from the street naturally or mechanically enters the room and leaves the space after making a full circle.

Air streams from the street can enter the premises in several ways:

• during the infiltration process, when air flows from the street

• naturally, when air penetrates the house through various cracks in the walls, floors, and streams, as well as through cracks around the windows and door frames.

Natural ventilation is carried out by forcing the air flow through open doors and windows.

Although this method of ventilation is highly dependent on weather conditions, it can partially purify indoor air, reduce the level of solid particles in it, and thereby improve its quality.

Special attention should be paid to the quality of the outside air used for ventilation. It must be sufficiently clean, contain as little harmful impurities and suspended particles. Before using this method of ventilation, it is necessary to assess the situation outside the room by determining whether sources of air pollution are at a sufficient distance. The best timing for this type of natural ventilation is late springtime right after a nice rain shower.

Local (or local) ventilation is air ventilation with exhaust fans, which are most often found in bathrooms and kitchens. Their use helps to remove excess moisture and unpleasant smells from the premises, preventing them from spreading to other rooms.

Air purification

The use of air purifiers may be appropriate only when it is used along with the control of pollution sources and ventilation, but in no case does the use of air purifiers replace the first two strategies.

Air purifiers with Photocatalysis and radiant Photocatalytic Ionization technologies are actual traps for pathogens and allergens that fill the air space of a city apartment. Air passes through three stages of purification in Vollara purifiers. The first - carbon filter - cleans from smoke and odors. Next - HEPA filter - fine air filter that detains dangerous pathogens. And the last stage - the water filter - it “washes” the air and humidifies it. Such devices allow maintaining humidity at a level of 50–60% in summer and 40% in winter.

Air purifiers allow you to:

• get rid the air masses with gas pollution

• neutralize harmful compounds

• remove dust particles, pollen, molds, allergens, viruses, bacteria and fungi from the air

• improve overall clean air performance without disturbing the natural atmosphere of your home.

In addition, the noise level in these devices is quite low, as is the amount of electricity they consume.

Picking an Air Purifier

Before buying an air cleaner, you need to find out what air volume it is designed for. Small-capacity equipment is unlikely to cope with the air purification of a plant, and vice versa: an air cleaner with a large capacity will be out of place in a small apartment.

Apartment owners may think that they are solving the problem of air purification with the help of a simple air conditioner installed in most homes. But a conditioner is not always capable to solve this problem, especially if it is necessary to create a healthy atmosphere indoors. Therefore, many people have no choice but to improve the air in the apartment with the help of professional and high-tech air purifiers and disinfectants.

Ecoquest air purifiers are suitable for any premises, be it an apartment, a summer house, a children's institution, a cafe or a restaurant. It is an affordable and effective way to make indoor air clean and safe.

What is an air purifier for?

The main element of an air purifier is a filter. The filtering power of an air purifier heavily depends on the material that a filter is made of. It may be charcoal or glass fiber. Other technical characteristics of the device are quite important - we will talk about them right now.

Internal organization.

Benefits of air purifier use for allergies and asthma patients

An air purifier can become truly vital for allergy sufferers and asthma patients. The main task for the air purifier is removing the very reason for the exacerbation of these diseases - dust, carbon monoxide or pollen from the air.

Note that asthma patients not only need clean air, but also air with the optimal humidity level. pay attention to the models that include the humidification function as well as purification.

It’s a common misconception that respiratory issues are quite simply solved by installing a conventional air conditioner. Conventional filters of this device are not able to hold the smallest particles that can cause complications associated with asthma or allergies.

The same principle applies to mostly healthy people. Continuous inhalation of dust or harmful emissions from cars or factories, in the end, will affect everyone’s health. The air purifier remains the best way to solve the problem for now.

When picking an air purifier consider the main selection criteria:

1. the volume of ​​the room - the device must be suitable for the volume of air to be purified. If you plan to move from one room to another, the largest area is taken for the calculation;

2. installation option - whether the device is stationary or mobile;

3. the nature of pollution - various air cleaners may have different characteristics;

4. maintenance;

5. power consumption of the device;\

6. availability of additional functions.

Main technical characteristics of air cleaners

A rather important parameter affecting the power consumption is the power of the device.

A very important point is the location of the air purifier. Consider its size and other volume requirements before you buy.

Sources of indoor air contamination

The molecules that make up all the objects around us, leave the source material as a result of degassing. The term "degassing" refers to the release (evaporation) of molecules from the material into the air. The more degassing occurs, the worse for your body, since these molecules penetrate into your body and can cause damage to it. Of solid materials, degassing is less than soft. Of all materials created by man, the least degassing occurs from ceramic tiles.

Chemicals can usually cause not only coughing, sneezing, eye irritation, but also more serious consequences: damage to the membranes, muscle pain, irritation (inflammation) and allergies. In humans, the symptoms of exposure to chemicals depend on many reasons: hereditary susceptibility; general chemical load and load due to other allergens contained in food, pollen, mold fungi; nutritional status, functioning of the immune system.

Respiratory patients and small children should be careful and avoid the following chemicals exposure:

- natural gas

- gasoline and diesel fuel

- formaldehyde, lysol, paints, solvents, polishing varnishes

- ink, cosmetics, markers

- tobacco, defoliants and pesticides

- plastics

- bath oils, dyes for clothes, agents for dry cleaning

- detergents and other cleaning agents, hair sprays.

Try avoiding synthetic textiles (capron, dacron, nylon, polyacryl); coniferous (pine, cedar) furniture polishes and air fragrances; perfumes.

Types of air purifiers

Operational principle of most air purifiers is to use a standard filtration mechanism (i.e., the deposition of airborne pollutants (particles) on special filters).

A typical air cleaner consists of a fan and a set of filters (usually several types of filters are included in the air cleaner, thereby achieving a higher degree of air purification) assembled in a single housing.

The following types of filters are widely used in stand-alone air purifiers for household and office facility use:

• Pre-filter (mechanical filter)

• Electrostatic (ionizing) filters

• Water filters

• Carbon (adsorption) filters

• HEPA filters (fine mechanical filters)

• Photocatalytic filters.

At Ecoquest we generally recommend to save elsewhere and provide the best air quality for the family. If you have a hard time choosing the right air purifier for you, feel free to turn to our support service for help.