WHAT AN EXPERT WANTS YOU TO KNOW ABOUT VENTILATING YOUR HOME This year, building a healthy and safe home environment has become increasingly important. When thinking about home health and safety, we often think of tangible things like water filters or home security systems, overlooking the crucial aspect of indoor air quality. While we can choose to turn down food that we feel isn’t safe to eat, we can’t choose to not breathe in a room. Studies show that there are higher concentrations of pollutants indoors than outdoors, especially in places with continuous exposure—like our homes, offices and schools. With many of us spending more time indoors, it’s more important than ever to make sure that our spaces are well-ventilated. So which products should you consider to improve indoor air quality in your home? Dave Gosling, Vice President of Field Operations at Enercare, breaks it down for us.
HEPA FILTRATION SYSTEM “A High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter works similarly to the facemasks that we’re all wearing. As air passes through these dense filters, it traps and removes particles that are as small as bacteria and viruses,” Dave shares. Traditionally used in hospitals, HEPA filtration systems use the existing ductwork to deliver clean air to every room and are crucial to prevent bacteria and viruses from spreading among family members. HEPA systems also remove particulates including tobacco smoke, dust, bacteria, viruses, cooking smoke, and much more.
HEPA EFFICIENCY ELECTRON MICROSCOPE
MICROSCOPE
NAKED EYE
wood and tabacco smoke fly ash hair
household dust
ULTRAVIOLET AIR PURIFIER “UV light technology is a known disinfectant and has been used effectively for decades to reduce the spread of bacteria like tuberculosis. A recent study by Innovative Bioanalysis tested a model of air purifiers and found that UV light inactivates the virus that causes COVID-19.” * UV light air purifiers use safe short-wave ultraviolet light, to effectively sterilize the air and inactivate pathogens that pass through it. UV light air purifiers also reduce or eliminate odours, toxic chemical vapours, as well as mould, bacteria and allergens. An air purifier is installed as part of a home’s central heating and cooling system.
AIR EXCHANGER WITH A HEAT RECOVERY VENTILATOR (HRV) An air exchanger is like the lungs of your home. It continuously breathes in fresh outdoor air and exhales stale air. Homes are built to be airtight, so the air indoors accumulates moisture and pollutants created from our daily activities. The installation of an air exchanger replaces stale indoor air with fresh clean air, helping prevent moisture build-up, toxic mould, and rot. During the heating season, an air exchanger expels excess humidity, preventing potential health problems and moisture damage to windows and walls. The average adult inhales and exhales about 7 or 8 litres of air per minute. That’s about 11,000 litres of air per day! To learn more about Enercare’s air quality products and services, visit enercare.ca/safer-air-solutions.
bacteria viruses
pollen
dander
cooking & grease smoke
spores molds
smog insecticide dust fumes
coal dust
THE STANDARD EFFICIENCY OF A HEPA FILTRATION SYSTEM IS 99.97% FOR FILTERING PARTICLES THAT ARE 0.3 MICRONS OR LARGER IN SIZE. IMAGE CREDIT: AMAIRCARE®. (*) SOURCE: “SARS-COV-2 TEST RESULTS”, FRESH-AIRE UV, WWW.FRESHAIREUV.COM/CORONAVIRUS-UPDATE. ACCESSED NOV 13, 2020
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ABOUT ENERCARE Proudly Canadian owned and operated, Enercare is a leading provider of water heaters, water treatment, furnaces, air conditioners, and more, helping you create a healthier home.
DAVE GOSLING, VICE PRESIDENT OF FIELD OPERATIONS AT ENERCARE
