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Alpine Air Technologies – Blog

Fixing your Alpine Air Purifier’s Fan Motor or Blade Noise

Posted by admin on September 8, 2015 in Air Purification with No Comments


Safely Cleaning your Alpine Air Purifier

Posted by admin on September 1, 2015 in Air Purification with No Comments


Air Purifiers- Alpine Air Technologies

Posted by admin on August 11, 2015 in Air Purification with No Comments


All in One Alpine Travel Kit Living Lightning Air Purifier

Posted by admin on August 1, 2015 in Air Purification with No Comments


Silent Thunder LA 2400 V 2 0 Living Lightning Alpine Air Purifier

Posted by admin on August 1, 2015 in Air Purification with No Comments


Alpine Air Technologies Air Purifier

Posted by admin on August 1, 2015 in Air Purification with No Comments


Alpine Living Air Purifiers – alpine air purifier, living air purifier, ecoquest air purifier

Posted by admin on August 1, 2015 in Air Purification with No Comments


Placing your Air Purifier in the Right Environment

Posted by admin on July 28, 2015 in Air Purification with No Comments


You’ve finally purchased your air purifier in order to sanitize and oxygenate the air in your home so that you can breathe the air you’ve always desired.  Here are some general tips on where you should place your air purifier and the correct environment you should use it in.  Should you have any questions regarding your air purifier, please visit this FAQ page  where they had plenty of great answers to many of popular questions you may have.

Alpine Air Purifier

Are you wondering where you should place your unit for the best, effective output?  Generally, you should place the unit in an area and position that will permit the natural airflow within the environment to help in allocating what the air purifier is generating.   Additionally, you should place your air purifier as close as you can to your ceiling as possible.  Usually, five feet off the floor is a good distance for your air purifier to be fully effective.  You can also turn to the owner’s manual for your particular air purifier for further instruction on where you can place it. One place you shouldn’t place your air purifier is any location in or in close proximity to the kitchen.  Kitchens are usually busy often with food being cooked always which tends to have grease molecules, steam/moisture, and other remnants from cooking.  Ultimately, this could lead to the inside of the air purifier becoming contaminated, clogged, and as a result, it won’t be able to perform to the best of its ability.  You shouldn’t place the unit on top of any electrical appliances as well because it may result in interference with the production of negative ions.  An example of a place you should place your air purifier safely is your living room or a similar setting like an office room.  There is natural air flow and the air can easily pass through while the air purifier is on. Another tip you should know is that having you air purifier on while you windows are open is a great plus for having clean air indoors.  Open windows and doors results in enhanced air circulation in your home making the airflow more dynamic.  The better the airflow you can get, the better the air purifier will work.  This is because ozone is picked up naturally by the airflow in your home and thus gets carried quickly throughout your entire living area, giving you the best quality air as achievable. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t have your air purifier on in the winter when it rains and the windows are closed.  You can still use it effectively!  It just means that the airflow is somewhat limited.  In the winter, run the ceiling fans or the heating system if you have either, or even portable fans.  Anything that creates airflow and helps it constantly going will improve the performance of the air purifier and maximize its potential to provide you clean indoor air. There are many air purifiers available online and at local stores which work great in removing dust, pollen, pollutants, allergens, etc. from your home or indoor area.  We recommend using Alpine Air Purifiers, one of the best quality brand air purifiers in the market today.  Just check out their great products on their website or visit them on Facebook!

Why you shouldn’t Oil the Fan Motor on an Alpine Air Purifier

Posted by admin on July 16, 2015 in Air Purification with No Comments


Alpine Air Purifiers all have a fan motor department built into them that assure the quality of machines are working as efficient and productive as possible.  No matter what Living Lightning air purifier (Fresh Air LA- 3500 v.2.0, Classic Air LA- 3500 v.20, RainFresh Breeze LA- 3500 v 2.0, etc.) you’re buying, each unit needs to be treated with care and be well maintained.  All Alpine air purifiers are great quality air purifiers that have shown repeatedly to be efficient and productive, given the user of the product maintains it well.

no oil  Fresh-Air-LA-3500-V-2.0

If one does not maintain his or her Alpine purifier, he or she may encounter some technical issues subsequently such as a noise problem from the fan motor itself.  That being said, it should be noted that users frequently mistake the fan blade for making the noise rather than the fan motor.  Almost every time, it is the fan motor that has an issue, not the fan blade.  If the fan blade is in fact the issue, and you’re positive of this, you can lightly oil the fan motor shaft only, where the fan blade is sitting on, in order to reduce the noise coming from it.  If you desire to clean the fan blade, you also may wipe it down with some sort of towel, damp or dry.  You can even use an air compressor to dust away any visible dirt you wish to remove.

In the case that the issue is the fan motor, which is almost all of the time, the noise is certainly coming from the used up bearings inside it.  Because the bearings already have enough oil on the inside, so adding oil to them will not help the noise issue of the fan motor, and it may even make it worse.  So what should you do?

The only recommended solution is to swap out the fan motor for a new one.  This will ensure the noise is gone, and your Alpine air purifier will be running effectively and productively yet again.  If you have the 3 year parts and labor warranty, your new fan motor is free of charge!  If this option is not available for you, you can buy a new fan motor from the parts page on Alpine’s website.

EnvrioQuest International Air Purifiers

Debunking the Myth of Ozone in Air Purifiers

Posted by admin on July 14, 2015 in Air Purification with No Comments


You just bought a new air purifier and you are eager to get it to use to sanitize and oxygenate the air in your new office at work, so that your employees can breathe an odor, pollutant, allergen, dust free atmosphere.  The air you provide for your employees is vital in having a great, hygienic work environment where they can feel safe, healthy, and comfortable.  You feel great once you’ve got the air purifier running, and a handful of employees were impressed and satisfied with the noticeable quality of new air they were breathing.  However, just one employee had a complaint about the air purifier and the technology in how it purifiers air.  He claimed he did a quick search over the Internet to make sure the air purifier they were being exposed to was safe.  He said he wasn’t sure, but read that air purifiers release ozone which is bad he read.  Little did the uninformed employee know that he was just another uneducated person who had little knowledge of ozone and air purifiers. Ozone

Did you know that wherever you may be on this planet, you are exposed to ozone?  Ozone traces are found everywhere, in sunny weather, at a beach, in a thunderstorm, no matter what the environment may be.  If ozone wasn’t safe, we simply wouldn’t be able to go out and theoretically, we would all probably be dead.  It is an unstable form of oxygen (O2) essentially, called O3 with three atoms instead of two.  Ozone is naturally produced by Mother Nature itself.  We’ve been exposed to it for centuries, and have lived through it.  So there is no need to freak out!  Ozone is also scientifically proven to be safely reproduced for sanitizing purposes such as cleaning air and water, and has been very effective, as claimed by many credible scientists.  It’s extremely effective, safe, economical, and eliminates dust, mold, bacteria, allergens, chemical gases, and other pollutants.  Proven over and over again, ozone has shown to be safe and effective in sanitizing by ozone experts.    According to Dr. Clark Thorp, “recent authoritative investigations have established, that pure Ozone is Nontoxic even in concentrations as great as 20 or 50 parts per milliliters of air.”  Furthermore, according to Dr. Philip Drinker, at the School of Public Health at Harvard university, “as a deodorant for orders and stenches of organic origin, ozone has long proven effective and we can only confirm this general opinion.”

As long as air purifiers release safe amounts of ozone, the ozone sanitizing the air will always be considered safe.  Not all air purifiers do this however.  So what do you tell your concerned employee? Well, thankfully you have an air purifier that releases safes amounts of ozone.  You tell your concerned employee what was just mentioned in the before paragraph, and he feels safe once again about the air purifier.

Fresh-Air-LA-3500-V-2.0

Where can you buy one of these air purifiers?  Visit alpineairtechnologies.com to learn more about air purifiers and experience one of the safest and best air purifiers in the industry available in the market today.  Their machines release only small amounts of ozone traces, nowhere near the unsafe level that would cause physical harm and effectively combat the pollutants in your air.  Their machines are safe as they release low levels of ozone indoors, just as Mother Nature does outdoors.  Their machines are even pet friendly and even work in silent modes!  They even have an ozone control option on their machines in case the level of ozone may or may not be suitable for you.  Great quality for a great price value, I definitely recommend Alpine air purifiers.

 

Air Quality

Posted by admin on July 5, 2015 in Air Purification with No Comments


One of the best way of changing indoor air quality is to use an Air Purifier.

However, these devices can vary depending on the application they are needed for.

Alpine Air Technologies  has provided a way by which you can answer a few questions and depending on your selection an air purifier is recommended for you.

Please check out the link below for this application:

http://www.alpineairtechnologies.com/test/

 

Ozone effect

 

 

 

Ventilation System VS Air Purifier

Posted by admin on November 11, 2014 in Air Purification with No Comments


Ventilation systems and Air purifiers are so common in our everyday lives. Ventilation systems change air flow in any space in order to provide high indoor quality. However, air purifiers refresh the air by eliminating allergens, mold, pollen, dust, etc. People always ask if air purifiers are needed when there is a ventilation system in house.

I want to clarify this question. First of all, small air purifiers units are used for residential and commercial spaces. They can be used in a kitchen, living room, or bedroom to purify indoor air by removing air contaminants. Air purifiers are good choices for households, apartments, pet stores, smoke stores, and small medical clinics.  On the other hand, ventilation systems are designed  for large buildings such as supermarkets, apartment buildings, churches, hospitals, office buildings, etc. The ventilation system replaces indoor air with outdoor air routinely and can control humidity of indoor air.

Secondly,  air purifiers are built to refresh indoor air by eliminating mold, pollen, and pet dander. Air purifiers ionize those air contaminants and even produce ozone to kill odors, bacteria. However, neither ion nor ozone is released through ventilating process. Ventilation system circulates indoor air, maintains the indoor’s temperature, humidity, and also increases the energy needed for heating and cooling.

In summary, ventilation system doesn’t conflict with air purifier. They both have their advantages for different areas, ventilation system works better for large buildings compared to air purifiers. Air purifier may focus on removing dust,bacteria better than ventilation system.

Your Questions About Fresh Air Living Air Purifier

Posted by admin on October 18, 2011 in Air Purification with No Comments


Alpine Air Purifier

Jenny asks…

Feng Shui Air Purifier Ionizer????

in my feng shui book, it says “no ionizer” “no purifier” for the bedroom (and I am assuming this would be the same for the whole house).

the only thing that i can figure is that it sends negatively charged ionized air into the room, so that’s bad chi? or is it because it’s too “yang” with the motor and blowing air and so forth.

i have an ionizer/air purifier, i spent probably $250 on it and yes it’s in the bedroom. i don’t want to get rid of it, can i use it in any other room of the house? or should i really get rid of it? or was my book wrong about that?

i don’t need it for smoke or anything severe. but i live in a construction zone right now so it helps alot. i’ll be moving in two months and not in a construction zone, so i don’t anticipate really needing it, but it is soothing to sleep with the white noise and the air is fresher.

sorry for the long long question.

thanks!

admin answers:

Keep your purifier, you need it. Feng Shui books tend to be very black and white on some things. As long as you follow the general principle of feng shui you will be ok.

Donna asks…

How to cool a room with no windows?

Ok, so I lived in those loft buildings where some of the rooms has no windows in the basement. My apt is a duplex where the upper floor has huge windows with a spiral stairways leading to the rooms where they have no windows. I have a good standing fan with 3 speed that manage to cool some air but i am worried abt the lack of fresh air. what suggest would you give to get better air? Air purifier? Dehumidifier? Suggestions and ideas would be very helpful! Thanks!!

admin answers:

I would consider a pipeline with a fan (or a suitable equipment) to blow air from the upper floor to the room without windows. If I lived in a room without windows, I would like to feel the fresh air coming from outside, through the pipeline.
I would also use another pipeline with a sort of mirrors (or maybe fiber optic?) to bring light from the outer world, also.

These are two basic things: air and light from outside.

Note: I imagine the pipeline diameter to be about 1 to 2 m (a big pipeline, isnt’it?)

Hope you like these ideas.

Cheers,
Alpha

Daniel asks…

What should we do to keep the house fresh and aired out from pet dander?

We live in a cozy suburban home with two domestic short hair cats, and two dogs,(a teacup chihuahua and a beagle/hound mix). The cats are strictly indoors and the dogs only go outside to potty and for walks. We keep all of our pets clean and they are all well taken care of but the shedding and pet dander are becoming a concern of mine because they are irritating my allergies a little. We regularly vacuum but seeing as it’s too cold outside to leave the windows open to help keep the house aired out I was wondering the best way to keep the air in the house and everything in it fresh from pet dander and odors. Are there any sprays or cleaners? And would an air purifier or something like that help?

admin answers:

I know how you feel about the pet dander and with allergies. My advice to you is this: Make sure you can take an allergy tablet suitable to your needs. Also, I find that the following grooming tools greatly reduces the amount of shedding and that smell. The shed ender, and a battery operated dog brush which helps keep the dog smelling fresh. There is a name for this brush, but I cannot remember what it is called.

When it comes to bathing, I usually give mine a bath whenever they get dirty, too itchy, or even to smelly. My favorite dog shampoo is Fur so Fresh. It has this aroma that makes the dog smell good for days afterward.

Most of that smell is likely to come from your dogs than your cats. So they are the main ones you should tackle. As for the shedding, if brushing doesn’t seem to be helping, it could be their diet or something in their genes. You can try picking up medicine to help that. In fact, Pet Smart has them available, either in the form of shampoos or something they can eat with their food. There’s even an allergen and dander reducing shampoo.

As for the smell, yes.. Definitely try Arm and Hammer for Pets baking soda. Leave it on the carpet for a couple hours. Use Febreeze. And get an AirWick plug in with the refills. This worked wonders for me and it lasts about two to three weeks.

As for an air purifier, if you cannot afford one of those more expensive ones, I suggest trying out any Alpine Air purifier. I did, and I was very happy with the results.

If you can try to get a vacuum cleaner that is specifically to the needs of pet hair. It should say Pet Hair right on it.

All in all, as long as you do what works best for you and your pets, keeping your house smelling fresh shouldn’t be a problem.

Lizzie asks…

How to Create Proper workshop Studio Ventilation?

I need better ventilation in my art studio. I would love to hear some ideas based off my layout. It is a 350 sq. foot work space. The space has two windows on either side of a brick wall. So only 1 wall has windows. The windows are 38″ wide and 10′ high. The tricky thing is… my art studio is right underneath an elevated subway track and I don’t believe the air quality is any good outside. It is very dirty outside my window. So, my thoughts are that fresh air intake isn’t the best idea.
I have a couple of fans in the space and I have an austin healthmate air purifier that is supposed to clean the air. I don’t think it does a great job. I live in the north east and it is cold (just a detail to help answer the question). I would be interested in a powerful exhaust system if that is a good idea. I don’t want to rip into the walls because I rent the space. Thanks

admin answers:

This is the kind we use at the shop. You could make a shelf to sit it on outside the window.
Http://www.surplussales.com/Fans-Blowers/FansBlow-1.html

Steven asks…

Will installing a ceiling fan help with the downstairs neighbors smoke coming in?

I live in an apartment where the downstairs neighbors smoke… ugh. I don’t have a problem with smokers whatsoever, but I am really tired of tasting it constantly. Its gotten to the point where I have to take multiple walks just to get fresh air, and its darn COLD outside. (I live in New England.)

So anyway, I was wondering… if I install a ceiling fan, would it help push it away? I was thinking it would be more effective if they had a ceiling fan, since my apartment is over theirs and it would push their smoke back on them… however, I know they won’t. I would even pay for it, but again, they would have to pay for the electricity, and if anything happened to it they would want me to replace it I’d think…

Im just at such a loss! I have bought so many things…. air purifier, humidifier, cool mist humidifier, sprays, candles, I’ve put bowls of vinegar out, I’ve tried opening my windows… but I just cant keep them open all day and night, I just don’t know what else to do. Moving is not an option… and it isnt a “non smoking” apartment. I have never lived on a top floor with smokers below so this is all new to me, and I need some help.

So will the ceiling fan work? Any other suggestions? Thanks.

admin answers:

The ceiling fan won’t work. The fans are designed, based on which way you tip the blades, to either move air down toward the floor or up, down the walls and to the floor. Either way, the smelly air is just being recirculated.
What you need to do is find out how it’s actually getting in.
If you share heating ducts, for instance, you could start trying some filters on the air vents. (Some filters would let the air through but possible catch some of the particles that cause the smell.)
Or the smell could come up through an unlikely source, like shared oven ventilation.
Find the source, then work on the solution.
If you’re renting, this is a problem to pose to the landlord too.

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Ionic Air Purifiers Do They Work

Posted by admin on April 13, 2011 in Air Purification with No Comments


You have read enough about pollution. You fully understand that indoor pollution can be multiple times more contaminated than the air we breathe outdoors! It is time to start shopping for an air purifier. The first question needs to be, do ionic air purifiers really work? That is a fair question because in some ways they sound almost to good to be true. The fact is, yes they do and they work amazingly well!

Increasing numbers of health conscious people are turning to ionic air purifiers to clean the air in both their homes and places of business. What are some of the most important things an ionic air purifier can do to enhance the healthful qualities of your indoor air? If you have pets an ionic air purifier will remove dander. If you have a smoker around you can’t afford to not have an ionic air purifier to get the truly health threatening smoke out of the air. This is especially true if you have a new born or small child in the same living area as the smoker.  If you live in an environment that you have to deal with mold and mildew an ionic air purifier will help kill it before you take it into your lungs. In the cold and flu session an ionic air purifier will help kill the air born bacteria and viruses to help keep you safe.

As if the healthful benefits weren’t enough some people choose an ionic air purifier because of how quiet they are. No disruption of sleep or an additional source of background noise.

Ionic air purifiers work by creating or generating negative ions. These negatively charged ions cause the positively charged particles in the air to be attracted to each other and fall out of the air. In addition, these unwanted particles  are attracted to furniture and easily cleaned up and taken into your lungs.

Unfortunately some ionic air purifiers do not have fans and electrostatic plates so that when the activity in the room is high and some of the particles are stirred up, they can be pulled over the electrostatic plates and trapped.

As with any purchase, it is best to compare the different ionic air purifiers on the market.  When it comes to the air you breathe cheaper is probably not going to be better. That does not mean you can’t find one that has the features you want and need at an affordable price.

After you have done your research and compared different ionic air purifiers, Alpine Air  is absolutely confident that you will discover one of their nine different Living Lighting Air Purifier models to be the perfect ionic air purifier ensuring you breathe easier and live healthier.

Air Purifier: How About Just Some Air Please!

Posted by admin on March 21, 2011 in Air Purification with No Comments


Several years ago I had a cold that progressed into walking pneumonia. The usual scenario. Got an x-ray, which lead to a diagnosis, then the usual antibiotic and voila…no more pneumonia! Unfortunately, I became asthmatic. I never had “go to the hospital” asthma, but it was bad enough that I had to make sure I had an inhaler with me whenever I left the house. At home, I could always breathe easy because I purchased an Alpine Air Purifier; no surprise there, as that relates significantly to my profession. My asthma lingered for several years. Doctors would not take any time to try to remedy my asthma. I had it and there was no medicine that would cure it. At my doctors visits, I would hear, “So here is another script for an inhaler, and I’ll see you next time.” 

I love to read and one of the things I do at least once a week is go to “my” Half Price Books store. If you don’t know about Half Price Books, they are simply the best used book stores I have ever shopped. One day as I perused the racks, in the health section to be exact, I found a book written by a well known character actor. I am sorry to say that I loaned out this book, as I often do with books which make an impression on me, and I do not remember the particular actor’s name. 

The book was about his lifelong battle with asthma. He described the struggle that he had with asthma throughout his childhood and how he determined not to let the asthma hold him back from becoming an actor. Since acting was his passion he engaged in acting lessons and voice lessons. Then I read the part of the book that would impact my life forever. When his voice coach found out he had asthma, he gave him a breathing exercise to do.

He had him breath in very deeply and then purse his lips like he was whistling and blow out as hard as he could. As I remember, he had him do it a few breaths several times a day. After several weeks of faithfully doing the exercises his asthma went away. Now do not hold me to the details of his book. As I said, I read it years ago and then let it get away, so I am working off memory.

Here is one personal fact that I can share with you. I gave the breathing “exercise” concept a try for myself. I had a rowing machine and after 5 to 10 minutes of rowing I was breathing deeply. Throughout my daily rowing routine I would breath out, purse my lips and blow out very hard. In a short time, I am thrilled to report that my asthma totally subsided and I am 97% free of any asthmatic symptoms to date. The cure was complete and still is amazing to me.

If any of you give this breathing exercise a try, please give me a post and let me know how it worked for you.

Air Purifiers and the Battle With Dust and Dust Mites

Posted by admin on March 21, 2011 in Air Purification with No Comments


Have you been told that you’re allergic to dust or that you’re allergic to dust mites, or maybe both? Maybe you have been wondering if there might be different kinds of dust particles which may cause an allergic reaction but others that do not. These are valid concerns. The fact is that different sizes of dust particles have variant levels of irritation. The source of the dust, composition of the dust and where you live geographically, contribute to how the dust may affect you.

The type of dust that comes from the atmosphere tends to be heavy and settle quickly. This kind of dust may not cause you discomfort because it is easier for the cilia (tiny hairs) in your nose and sinuses to catch this type of dust before it has a chance to get into the lungs. This is not true for the all too common “dust bunnies” found in your house and office. Dust bunnies are most complex. They usually are a disgusting combination of pollen, mold spores, bacteria, dust mites, dust mite fecal matter, pet dander, different fibers, hair, and shed skin cells. If you live in the city, you can probably add to the dust in your home particles of smoke and soot.

Doctors specializing in respiratory problems such as asthma and allergies very often specify that “dust mites” are contributing significantly to allergy symptoms. What are dust mites? They are microscopic, nest-building mites, creatures that live in damp, dark places like people’s beds and furniture. What do they live on? Your discarded skin cells. Actually, it is not the mites that are bothering you, it is the enzymes in their fecal matter that is the problem and they may be small but they make a lot of fecal matter. Each mite produces fecal matter about 20 times per day. So every time you walk, sleep, sit down, and move around on your carpets, mattresses, pillows, and cushions, the fecal matter is going to become airborne.
What can you do? Use a room air purifier to help control dust and dust mites. When you control them, you help control your allergic reactions to them.

In summary, there are always going to be innumerable types of dust and dust mites floating around, so an air purification system should be at the top of your list in controlling allergy and asthma symptoms.

Are Air Purifiers Worth the Money

Posted by admin on February 7, 2011 in Air Purification with No Comments


For more and more people the answer is “Yes”. With research showing that most people spend 90% of their time indoors, about 60% of that time at home, and with agencies like the World Health Organization giving figures like 2.7% of the entire global burden of disease is caused by exposure to indoor air pollutants, it is easy to see why the answer is “Yes”. Some estimates are that allergens with adverse effects on indoor air quality such as pets, house dust mites, and perennial (year-long) allergens can be 10-to-100-fold higher indoors than outside.

If you do not own an air purifier, there is a good chance that you will own one in the future. Just as people want and are willing to pay for cleaner water, air purifiers are becoming more popular as people are becoming more aware of how important making indoor air cleaner is for their overall health.

Air purifiers may seem expensive at first glance but, after people look closer and do a breakdown of cost versus benefit over time, they start looking like a very good investment, an investment in quality of life and enhancement of health for themselves and their family. People are often shocked by the amount of bad particles they breathe in every day. Pet hair, smoke pollutants, allergens people bring in with them on their skin, smoke from cars, dirt from the outdoors, and other bad things can all be dragged into a room with a person. Just having some peace of mind that you do not have to breathe all those disgusting particles makes an air purifier a great investment for many people.

Another factor to take into consideration when buying an air purifier is one that requires a filter versus one that does not. A high quality air purifier that uses a filter will last for many years so replacement cost for the filters must be added to the cost. Also ask yourself the question, “will I change the filter as often as it needs to be changed”? We are all full of good intentions but even the best air purifier that requires a filter is only going to be as good as how clean its filter is, so if the filter is not changed as needed it could possibly compound the problem making the air even worse.

Not only does an ionic purifier help clear-up and make your air healthier, it has an extra bonus feature; for many people it has the ability to lessen overall stress, headaches, and reduce the effects of insomnia. It can, in a very natural way, enhance a person’s mood. When people understand all of the benefits of an ionic air purifier, it becomes something they just cannot say “No” to and they begin to believe the purchase of one becomes quite a bargain.

Alpine Air Technologies

Air Purification: Because Homes Just Cannot Breathe Anymore

Posted by admin on January 26, 2011 in Air Purification with No Comments


Alpine Air Technologies

Buildings used to breathe. Outside air, through cracks around windows, doors, and other places, was able to exchange with inside air. This exchange kept the indoor air about the same as the outside air. That all started to change in the 1970’s when the concerns about our dependency on foreign oil caused us to re-evaluate our construction practices and the building materials we used. Homes became “tight” and the same air was re-circulated over and over again indoors. This resulted in the seemingly endless list of airborne contaminants building to health threatening levels and with Americans spending up to 90 percent of their time indoors, indoor air pollution has become one of the top environmental concerns in the country. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that indoor air pollutant levels may be two to five times higher than the pollutant levels outdoors.

What makes up indoor air pollution? Much of it is composed of very small biologically based particles. These biological contaminants include bacteria, viruses, mildew, molds, animal dander and cat saliva, mites, cockroaches, house dust, and pollen. Pets can transmit animal dander and saliva as well as bacteria. Bacteria can also be transmitted by plants and people. All of these are just a part of normal life in many homes, so elimination as a solution would not be the first choice. On the other hand, there are even less pleasant things that can contribute to indoor pollution. For example, the protein in urine from rats and mice when it dries can become airborne. Also, Central air heating and cooling systems can become breeding grounds for mold and mildew, spreading allergens throughout a home. These are areas of health concerns that need to be addressed as soon as people become aware of them.

Physicians are starting to see patients, on a more and more regular basis, who complain of things like nausea, headaches, dizziness, and respiratory problems such as coughing, wheezing and eye, nose or throat irritations. Often these patients say they feel better at work or in different areas of their homes. When no cause for the patient’s complaints can be found, doctors are recommending that the patient’s homes are tested for the cause. A recent study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine put forth the hypothesis that systemic inflammation and impaired endothelial function, both predictors of cardiovascular morbidity, can be favorably influenced by a reduction of particle concentration and adds to a growing body of evidence linking short-term exposure to particulate matter with a systemic inflammatory response.

One of the most technologically advanced ways a home owner can deal with improving the indoor air they breathe is to use an ion air purifier for indoor air purification. These air purifiers are small devices that generate a stream of negatively charged ions. These negatively charged ions pass their electronic charge to particles in the air so that when the particles touch each other they stick together and fall out of the air. U.S. submarines use air purifiers, as does the poultry industry to keep the feather dust down. People who use ion air purifiers claim they make them feel better, much like being around a stream or water fall in the woods which may be true, as moving water gives off negative ions. http://www.alpineairtechnologies.com/

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