Even homes that use high efficiency filters can suffer from poor air quality.

Most furnace filters only remove about 10 percent of the dust and particulate matter from the air. An electronic air cleaner, however, can remove up to 95 percent of the particulate matter from your indoor air. Many homes today have indoor air quality issues, and electronic air cleaners are healthy additions to any home. 

How electronic air cleaners work

Electronic air cleaners use an electric charge to attract particles to the pre-filter and collector plates inside. Particles gather on the collector plates, which must be periodically cleaned off in order for your electronic air cleaner to work at peak efficiency. This is a fairly easy job to do, and almost any homeowner can do this maintenance task in just a few steps. 

• Remove the cells containing the collector plates and run them through your dishwasher. Just remember to use the "air dry" option so that anything that may be left on the plates isn't baked on.
• If the cells won’t fit in your dishwasher, soak them in soapy water in your tub. Rinse them with hot water, and then soak them in clean water. Let them dry completely before returning them to your air cleaner.
• You can also take the cells to your local do-it-yourself car wash, just be careful to hold the sprayer at least 2 feet from the cells so you don’t damage them.

Keeping your electronic air cleaner spick-and-span isn't a hard job. You should clean it four times a year for maximum efficiency.

If you have any questions about electronic air cleaners and their care, contact the pros at Mast Heating & Cooling. We've been serving the HVAC needs of Holland and Zeeland area homeowners since 1956.

Image via Shutterstock.com

Poor home indoor air quality is a leading environmental and health concern, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, as is warranted by its alarming findings:

• Ninety-six percent of homes are affected by one or more indoor air quality issues.
• Indoor air is 500 percent more polluted than city air, in the average household.
• More than 70 percent of homes harbor potentially harmful chemicals and gases.

Sources of poor indoor air quality

For the safety and health of your loved ones, it’s wise to know the sources of poor indoor air quality (IAQ), many of which may surprise you.

• Dangerous chemicals are in many products we use every day. High levels of formaldehyde are found in wrinkle-free bed sheets and shirts, nail polish, hair care products, dry cleaning and plug-in air fresheners.
• Carbon monoxide (CO) is a potentially lethal emission of fuel-burning appliances (water heaters, furnaces, clothes dryers), which could backdraft into a leaky duct system. Pollution from attached garages infiltrate your living space through the access door, and through the tiniest holes in the adjoining walls. Contaminants are often CO, benzene and other pollutants.
• Household materials such as furniture, carpet, flooring and construction materials commonly contain chemical contaminants, which emit contaminants in low levels over long periods of time.

Improve your IAQ

Improving IAQ is accomplished by minimizing pollution sources, and proactive steps to combat and neutralize infiltration.

• Sealing: Seal duct leaks and loose joints with mastic and mesh. If you have an attached garage, install weather stripping around the access door. Seal any holes and cracks in the adjoining wall. Make sure all containers of chemicals are tightly sealed.
• Ventilation: Your home needs adequate ventilation. Consider an energy-recovery ventilator for providing continuous fresh air with minimal to zero energy consumption.
• Filtration: Choose an air filter with the appropriate MERV rating. Replace or clean as recommended.
• Ultraviolet (UV) lights: Germicidal UV lights kill yeast, mold, viruses, and bacteria. UV light purification systems may be installed in your ductwork, or as a separate system.

For more information, contact Mast Heating & Cooling. We provide expert IAQ analysis in the Holland and Zeeland areas.

Our goal at Mast Heating & Cooling is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Indoor air quality image via Shutterstock

With spring come spring allergies. Just because you suffer from allergies, though, doesn't mean you're destined for a season of sneezing and sniffing. Homeowners can take steps to remove allergens from their living spaces, improving indoor air quality and easing their allergy symptoms.

Here are five tips for improving your indoor air quality during the heady days of spring:

• Change your air filters. The filters in your HVAC equipment can trap airborne pollutants, including pollen, mold spores and dust mites -- if they're regularly checked and replaced as necessary.
• Upgrade your air filter. Standard air filters are designed to do the minimum to protect your HVAC equipment from airborne particles. Upgrading to a better filter can significantly boost your indoor air quality by catching more and smaller particles. When shopping for filters, check the "minimum efficiency reporting value," or MERV rating. MERV ratings range between 1 and 20. Medium-efficiency filters are rated between 7 and 13; high-efficiency filters have a MERV of 14 to 16. Before you upgrade, though, check your owner's manual or consult your HVAC contractor to make sure the denser filter won't impede your furnace or A/C's airflow.
• Install an air purification system. A whole-whose air purification  system can be connected to your existing HVAC system to clean the air that's distributed throughout your home. Many air purification systems combine technologies to trap as many pollutants as possible, using, for example, air filters to capture larger pollutants such as dust and ultraviolet (UV) lights to kill biological contaminants such as bacteria.
• Run your dehumidifier. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends keeping indoor relative humidity between 30 and 60 percent, in part to limit the growth of mold.
• Schedule a professional tune-up. Regular preventive maintenance on your cooling and heating system will keep it clean and running reliably, as well as identify potential problems with your system before they become serious issues.

To ask questions about improving your home's indoor air quality or to schedule an HVAC maintenance visit, contact the experts at Mast Heating & Cooling. We serve the Holland and Zeeland areas in Western Michigan.

Our goal at Mast Heating & Cooling is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Allergens image via Shutterstock

Pardon the pun, but managing dust in your home is nothing to sneeze at.  Not only does dust quickly accumulate and look unsightly, but the particles hanging in the air are terrible for people who suffer from allergies and asthma.

Here are seven easy steps you can take to help improve air quality and manage dust in your home:

• Create a  schedule: The best action you can take to manage dust in your home is to perform scheduled cleanings. Some things can be done once a week, but others need to be performed more often.
• Utilize air filters: To do the job right, each room's vent should have one, or you should look into installing a whole-house air-filtering system.
• Buy the right vacuum: Not every vacuum cleaner is built the same.  Make sure the one you choose for your carpets features a HEPA (high-energy particulate air) filter and a strong agitator/beater bar to ensure maximum results.
• Switch to hard flooring: Whether you prefer wood, tile, linoleum or stone, ripping out your carpet and replacing it with a hard surface will provide amazing results.
• Consider a furnace filter upgrade: Upgrading your furnace filter will provide an instant improvement to your home's air quality.
• Don't let the dust escape: Many products, such as cloths and feather dusters, do little more than simply spread dust around the room. Try using products that utilize an electromagnetic charge, such as a Swiffer.
• Wash your bedding: Dust that has accumulated on sheets, blankets and pillows are ripe for being inhaled while a person is sleeping. To cut down on this, your bedding should be washed at least once a week.

If you would like to learn more about how you can manage dust in your home and you're in or around the Holland area, please contact the experts at Mast Heating & Cooling.

Our goal at Mast Heating & Cooling is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Dusting image via Shutterstock

Fall's changing temperatures and high mold levels can trigger allergies that may include a host of symptoms, such as itchy eyes, sore throat, runny nose and sneezing. For people who suffer from these allergies, the fall allergy season can be a nuisance. Luckily, there are a number of steps you can take to minimize the effects that the high levels of allergens can have on you:

Running an air purification unit can help clean your indoor air of pollens that are floating around and irritating you. A unit that utilizes a HEPA filter can trap very small particles in the air and will leave your air healthier and safer. You can also get units that have electronically charged collection plates which eliminates the need for a filter. The plates should be cleaned periodically but can be replaced and reused again.

You should vacuum your floors every couple of days during the peak allergy season. The best vacuum to use is one that has a HEPA filter built in so vacuuming doesn't just stir up the pollen, it will remove it from your home entirely.

The highest levels of pollen are usually found in the early morning hours. At this time it's smart to keep your house closed up so you don't introduce more pollen into your home. In the evening when symptoms subside you should open up to recycle the old air out of your home and replace it with fresh air. This can improve your indoor air quality and prevent an aggravation of your symptoms.

You can contact Mast Heating and Cooling for more information on how you can handle fall allergies in your home. Their staff can provide you with periodic service maintenance that will ensure your heating and cooling equipment is working properly and efficiently.

Our goal at Mast Heating & Cooling is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Mast Heating & Cooling services the Zeeland, Michigan and Holland, Michigan areas.  Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!

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