While some people may go into home ownership thinking that pollution is only a problem outdoors, they generally find before long that pollutants can be just as troublesome within their homes, if not more. There are a lot of different reasons as to why your indoor air quality may suffer, and poor indoor air quality may manifest in a number of different ways. The good news is that the IAQ specialists on our staff are here to ensure that your indoor air quality problems are resolved successfully. We do so by ensuring that the right equipment is put to use in your home. For biological pollutant destruction, UV germicidal lights in Washington, DC may be necessary. Schedule your IAQ services with the experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc.
Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category
Are UV Germicidal Lights a Good Option for Me?
Monday, June 29th, 20153 Indicators That You Need an Air Cleaner
Monday, June 8th, 2015As important as it is that you are able to maintain comfortable temperatures throughout your home all year long, it is also important that you not underestimate the immense influence that the quality of the air in your home can have on your overall comfort. If you want to know for certain that you are breathing air of the highest quality, you may find that help is needed in your home. That is when you should contact the skilled indoor air quality technicians on our staff. Not only do our technicians have the skill and expertise necessary to install and service exceptional air cleaners in Washington, D.C., but they also have the knowledge necessary to ensure that you are using the right equipment in the first place. Contact Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., today if you are serious about boosting the quality of the air in your home.
Signs That You Need a Humidifier in Your Home
Monday, May 11th, 2015It would be great to know that you can just walk into your home and be met with the most comfortable, healthful environment possible. Of course, we know that this is not the case. Attaining and maintaining such an environment can take a considerable amount of work, and will likely require that you invest in certain products and services to ensure not only that your home is comfortable in terms of temperature, but also that the air quality therein is optimal.
A common problem that many homeowners face is a houseful of air that is simply to dry for comfort or for ideal health conditions. Fortunately, a whole-house humidifier is an effective and convenient way in which to resolve such problems. Contact Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., today if you suspect that you could benefit from the use of a humidifier in your Washington, DC, area home.
Is Your Air Conditioning Making Your Home’s Air Too Dry?
Monday, April 20th, 2015Air conditioners work through a system of evaporation and condensation of the refrigerant that cycles through them. In the outdoor unit, the refrigerant condenses and releases heat. When the refrigerant goes to the indoor unit, it evaporates and absorbs heat. But this evaporation process also absorbs moisture from the air, where it gathers on the evaporator coil and then drips down into a condensate pan and out a drain. So, even though an air conditioner is not specifically designed to work as a dehumidifier, it has some dehumidifying properties…
Types of Air Treatment Products for Your Home
Friday, March 20th, 2015According to the EPA, indoor air can be anywhere from 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air, not including allergens. So, if you have concerns about the quality of your home’s indoor air, it may be time to consider the installation of an air treatment product. But which one do you choose? There are a number of IAQ products available to homeowners, but knowing which one(s) will help improve your air in the best way can be a challenge. This is where the indoor air quality experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., come in. Our specialists will help you determine which products will meet your indoor air quality needs and install them. Understanding what the products are and how they work will help you decide which products will be best for your home, so here is a quick overview of the types of indoor air quality products we offer:
Air Filtration Systems
These types of systems clean your air using a mechanical filter, which is a type of air filter contained in a square frame. Filter media, the material inside the frame, traps contaminants in the weave of the material. Mechanical air filters have different strengths and capabilities as denoted by MERV ratings; your IAQ specialist can help you determine what type of air filter will be best for your needs.
Air Purification Systems
Air purifiers typically refer to air cleaners that use ionization to clean the air, but this category also include UV germicidal lighting. Electronic air purifiers trap contaminants and particles in the air by negatively charging them and capturing them on either surfaces or metal collection plates. UV germicidal lighting eradicates biological contaminants only, and does so by destroying the DNA of the contaminant’s cell.
Humidifiers/Dehumidifiers
The EPA states that healthy humidity levels are between 30%-60%. When you have humidity levels above 60% or below 30%, your home can become uncomfortable. Whole home humidifiers and dehumidifiers work with your HVAC system to help achieve balanced humidity by either removing excess moisture or adding the appropriate amount of moisture to the air.
Many times it takes a combination of IAQ products to achieve the indoor air quality you want in your home, and working with a Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., can get you there.
Contact us today and schedule an appointment for air treatment services for your Washington, DC home.
What Are the Two Types of Electronic Air Cleaners?
Friday, February 20th, 2015When it comes to cleaning your air with a whole-home product, there are a lot of choices, even within the choices. The two main categories of air cleaners are mechanical and electronic, and today we’re going to talk about what an electronic air cleaner can do for your McLean, VA, home.
Two Types
There are two types of electronic air cleaners: electrostatic precipitators (also known as electronic precipitators) and ion generators. Each uses electricity to remove contaminants from your home, but does so differently.
Electronic Precipitators
This type of electronic air cleaner works by drawing particles to it and charging them so they can be captured. A fan pulls air into an enclosed space known as an ionization section. In this section, all the particles are negatively charged; as the newly-charged particle continue to move through the device until they come into contact with oppositely-charged metal plates that capture the particles. The plates should be cleaned every 3 months to ensure proper functioning.
Ion Generators
Ion generators also charge particles, but do so in a less methodical way. The way an ion generator helps clean the air is by dispersing negatively-charged ions into the air; these ions attach to particles in your indoor air and become a single, negatively-charged unit. There are no collection plates with an ion generator; instead, the particles are attracted to your surfaces in your home, such as walls, tabletops and countertops, and collect there. When these surfaces are cleaned, the contaminants are removed.
Both types of air cleaners can be added seamlessly to your current HVAC system.
Which Is Best?
Determining which type of electronic air cleaner will work best in your home can be best decided with the help of a trained indoor air quality expert. For almost 15 years, the indoor air quality professionals at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., have been helping customers throughout the Washington, DC, area improve their indoor air quality.
If you are concerned about your indoor air quality and interested in an electronic air cleaner, call the experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., today!
3 Reasons to Install a Humidifier
Thursday, January 22nd, 2015You’ve probably heard plenty of people complain about high levels of moisture in the air, known as humidity. High humidity levels can make people feel uncomfortable, as they are unable to sweat easily which makes the body temperature feel warmer than the outside air. But did you know that not enough moisture can be just as problematic? In today’s list, read about a few of the reasons homeowners choose to install humidifiers so you can decide whether your home is affected by dry air.
- Dry Skin: Perhaps the most noticeable symptom of dry air is dried-out skin. It may seem as though no matter how much water you drink and how much lotion you apply, you skin never seems to stop feeling itchy, flaky, and stiff. Chapped lips are no fun either, nor is the potential for a dry scratchy feeling in the nose and throat. The most common reason people choose to install humidifiers is for relief, as some level of humidity is necessary in the air for it to feel comfortable.
- Illness: When the air in your home is dry, it actually takes you and your family members a longer time to recover from illness. If your nasal passages and other membranes are dried out, it only irritates the illness, even if it seems like dry air may be able to clear up a stuffy nose. Even in the movies and on T.V. shows, you often see characters feigning illness by sitting in bed with a cup of soup, tissues, and a standalone humidifier. But a whole-home model allows moisture to move throughout the home so that everyone in your family can fight illness faster.
- Cracked Paint: While chipped paint, cracked walls, and peeling furniture are rare side effects of dry air, it has been known to occur in extreme situations. If your home seems to suffer from the other symptoms of dry air as well, you may consider installing a humidifier even if the wood floors and furniture have not yet incurred damage. Waiting for this type of destruction means dealing with time-consuming renovations and putting up with uncomfortable dry air in the meantime.
At Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., we know all there is to know about installing whole-house humidifiers in Arlington. Call now!
How Can I Tell if I Have an Indoor Air Quality Problem?
Monday, November 17th, 2014The average home has a multitude of microscopic contaminants floating around in the air. These contaminants can provoke allergic reactions, make you sick, and in rare cases even kill you. Due to the microscopic nature of most of these pollutants, they are mostly invisible to your senses. How, then, do you know if you have an indoor air quality problem? Let’s look at some of the most reliable ways to detect issues with air quality.
Health Symptoms
Poor air quality is an issue because of its effects on your health. Therefore, the first sign of bad air quality is usually an increase in health symptoms. If you have allergies, do you experience more symptoms at home than elsewhere? You may have a high pollen, dander, or dust count in your home. Do you get headaches suddenly, or feel dizzy or nauseous while in your home? You may have a carbon monoxide leak. Get out of your house and call emergency services immediately, as carbon monoxide poses a deadly threat to your health. No matter what, keep a close watch on your general health when inside your home. It is possible your symptoms are the result of poor air quality.
Detectors
As a response to the difficulty of detecting these pollutants unassisted, many detectors have been created to compensate. Radon and carbon monoxide are the most common kinds of detectors, and should be installed in several areas of your home. These two gases are perhaps the most dangerous of the common indoor air pollutants, so the use of these detectors might save your life.
Consult a Professional
The best way to measure the air quality in your home is to consult a professional. These expert technicians have the knowledge and the tools to accurately measure pollutant levels in your home, as well as the ability to recommend effective solutions. If you need to know for certain whether your home’s air is healthy to breathe, call a technician.
If you’d like to find out about the air quality in your home, call Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. We provide indoor air quality services throughout the Alexandria area.
What Types of Contaminants Do UV Germicidal Lights Target?
Monday, November 3rd, 2014The quality of your air depends in large part on what flows through the ducts every day. Your heating and air conditioning system recycles air for use again and again. As you breathe in this air, you also breathe in anything that may have collected in the ductwork. While there are filters in your heating and air conditioning system to prevent this from occurring, they cannot filter out every type of particle, and your ducts may be home to other contaminants that could provoke an illness. Learn about why you should use UV lights in conjunction with your HVAC system to rid your home of bacteria and viruses, surface mold, and even foul odors.
- Bacteria and Viruses: UV germicidal lights can actually help prevent the spread of disease by sterilizing and killing microorganisms like harmful viruses and bacteria. Ultraviolet light can damage organic material when it comes into contact with it. When people go outside in the daylight for a short period of time, it usually carries little or no effect. But for a microorganism like bacteria, UV exposure can prove fatal. UV germicidal lights eliminate bacteria which could trigger an immune disorder or viruses that make your family members ill.
- Surface Mold: UV lights are often used specifically to target the mold that may potentially develop on the inside evaporator coil of your air conditioning system. The evaporator coil collects moisture as condensation when refrigerant moves through the coil, which is helpful to homeowners because this keeps humidity levels under control. However, excessive moisture creates ideal circumstances for mold development. As air blows over the wet coil and into your home, you and your family members breathe in the air along with any mold spores that could aggravate allergies, asthma, and other respiratory conditions.
- Odors from Cooking or Pets: Finally, UV germicidal lights can sometimes get rid of lingering odors that are byproducts of cooking as well as pet odors. In fact, sewage treatment plants use commercial UV treatment technology to control odors and reduce the chances of corrosion.
A UV germicidal system may not be the best choice for every homeowner. Discuss your indoor air quality concerns with a technician to decide whether you would prefer an air cleaner or humidifier instead.
Call Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. to speak with an expert about the possibilities of UV germicidal lights in Arlington.
Air Cleaners vs. Air Purifiers: The Best Choice for Your Home
Monday, August 11th, 2014The terms “air cleaner” and “air purifier” can bewilder first-time customers who are looking for a way to cleanse out the unhealthy particles from their home’s air. There is actually a wide range of different names for these indoor air quality systems that can mean a variety of things, so we understand why people often feel confused. We’ll try to cut through some of that cloud of confusion in this post to help you focus on what you may need when it comes to getting the healthiest air possible for your house.
For air purifiers and air cleaners in Washington, DC, you can count on Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. to help you navigate through the different models and choices. We will also handle the installation to make sure that the new device does the job it should for many years to come. Contact us today to set up an appointment.
Specifics of the terms “air cleaners” and “air purifiers”
Confusingly, these two terms mean that same thing technically—electronic air cleaners—but in common use, an “air cleaner” refers to a mechanical air filter, and an “air purifier” refers to an electronic device with ionization technology.
Air cleaners, i.e. air filters
Air filters use a mesh of fibers, usually made from fiberglass, to attract and trap particles in the air that flows through them. They do not require any power to run, although they must occasionally be replaced when they become too clogged with trapped contaminants. Powerful air filters, such as HEPA filters, are capable of trapping 99.97% of the particles that pass through them that are 0.3 microns or larger; they can catch smaller particles as well, although not at so effective a level.
For many homes, an air filter is sufficient to reduce the dangerous allergens and asthma triggers from the air. A professional will need to select and install the unit to make sure that it will not interfere with airflow.
Air purifiers, i.e. electronic air cleaners
Air purifiers do not use filtration technology at all to clean the air. Instead they create an electronic ionization field inside the ventilation system. This ionizes contaminating particles, which are then drawn to a set of collector plates in the cleaner, where they are trapped. Air purifiers can affect particles down to 0.1 microns, and they can trap gaseous and odor molecules—something that air filters cannot. If you have issues with odors, smoke, pesticides, carbon monoxide, etc., then an electronic air cleaner is probably your best option.
When you call on the indoor air quality experts at Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., you’ll find out exactly what is in your air and what system you need installed to counteract it.
Whether you need air purifiers or air cleaners in Washington, DC installed for your home, you can count on Polar Bear Air Conditioning to do the job right. Call us today.