Indoor air quality measuring device

With spring temperatures, you want to throw open the windows and let the fresh air in.  Unfortunately, that fresh air coming in can be as obnoxious as the current stale, stuffy air. With all kinds of pollen breezing around, the air you and your family are breathing can be as unhealthy.

There is a new monitoring device called Air Advice that your HVAC contractor places in your home for a few days. It registers all kinds of information about the air in your home…the kinds and amounts of chemicals present, the humidity, the particles floating around and the general temperature. This information is put into a report that helps you along with your contractor assess what products you need for a healthy in-home atmosphere.

If you have an older home your ducts may be clogged or full of dust and debris. Just cleaning the ducts could be a big help. If you have a new home, it is probably tighter than the older home…good for heating and AC bills, but not so good for air quality.

Keep in mind the MERV of the product when shopping. The minimum efficiency reporting value is how filters are rated. This is where the much bandied term HEPA comes in. It means high efficiency particulate air and it’s the best rating for a filter. Industry experts say HEPA filters get almost 100% of all air particles down to the teeny 3/10s of a micron.