tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80127287974189947252024-03-05T07:12:37.102-05:00Air King VentilationAir King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-48503625079869812902024-03-04T13:31:00.001-05:002024-03-04T13:31:26.833-05:00Can I Use a Duct Reducer With My Exhaust Fan?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpaaYxvEsrFFyedx9ljqLirLtkOHhWjyFpfCLk3Phpad26SLt9s3owsQjm7knt1EemDN1bdvGOrTRi47eTYz7WSSvkyupogJWfn3sb84rhoupLXazn_Het7Lobye7p8MbF3mtUZsqWPv2TNhjJIcZ5H-sfewOxSyE7H9Y5SRVRqTr-vRc4tj0pVEA23A/s1000/ReducerBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="1000" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpaaYxvEsrFFyedx9ljqLirLtkOHhWjyFpfCLk3Phpad26SLt9s3owsQjm7knt1EemDN1bdvGOrTRi47eTYz7WSSvkyupogJWfn3sb84rhoupLXazn_Het7Lobye7p8MbF3mtUZsqWPv2TNhjJIcZ5H-sfewOxSyE7H9Y5SRVRqTr-vRc4tj0pVEA23A/s320/ReducerBlog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />You decide it is finally time to replace your old exhaust fan in your bathroom. You go out and buy the new model and are excited to get it installed. One issue. When you take out the old one you notice that the duct size is different – now what? This is a common issue when replacing exhaust fans. Codes have changed over the years and where 3” duct might have been common, it is now 4” duct. Many codes and builders across the USA are even going up to 6” duct as standard. So what do you do if you have smaller size ducting in your home than the duct coming from your exhaust fan?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A common solution is to use a duct reducer. This attaches to the duct collar coming off the exhaust fan and reduces the duct size down. For instance, if your fan has a 6” duct collar but your ducting is 4”, you can use a 6” to 4” reducer. Seems simple and easy – right. Well, unfortunately it is not that simple. Many fans are not designed to be used with a duct reducer. By reducing the ducting you are creating more resistance and not allowing the air to flow as freely as it was designed to do. This will cause the amount of air you can move to be reduce and in many cases will increase the sound level of the fan. It will also make the fan work harder and possibly reduce the lifespan. This falls into the category of if it is your only option other than replacing all of the ducting and the wall or roof cap, then you might consider it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A better option is to try and get ahead of the game so to speak. When researching a replacement for your fan, try to determine what size ducting you already have in place. There are a few ways you can do this.</div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. Find the model number of the fan you are replacing and do a search online to find out the duct size. This is generally accurate but you do need to keep in mind that the person who installed it could have also used a duct reducer. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. When you remove the old fan you can see what size duct was used and if a reducer is in place. The issue with this is we know most people like to have the new fan on hand before taking the old one out.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. If you have access to the fan from above (attic) you can measure the size of the existing ducting.</div></div></blockquote><p><b>What about if the ducting in my home is bigger than the ducting from the exhaust fan?</b> In almost all situations going form smaller to larger ducting will not create any issues. You will need to have an adapter installed to properly connect the smaller ducting to the larger but you shouldn’t see any increase in sound or decrease in airflow.</p><p>To learn more about exhaust fans and ventilation visit <a href="http://airkinglimited.com">airkinglimited.com</a> or consult a professional in your area.</p><p></p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-78343796158422605062024-02-05T11:09:00.005-05:002024-02-05T11:09:42.496-05:00Anatomy of Kitchen Range Hoods<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKfvOcAgyUSrnjmiRhW21I92-wq-TN8Yy1IFyC8WmDFMpNlKWusnS7k92Dgb696d1WUS-Cj6hihx8O-MrDtcEXpsV4ftKDtkw4Dj2QLs_JtV0-MuCknDTz8leAA_nzeyHVdh3DzxJcK33Ul8RiIe6e9yCM_U8OOrGWEi9hBBBYO6UEstnVzmLVotLTCY/s1000/LifestyleAV_BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKfvOcAgyUSrnjmiRhW21I92-wq-TN8Yy1IFyC8WmDFMpNlKWusnS7k92Dgb696d1WUS-Cj6hihx8O-MrDtcEXpsV4ftKDtkw4Dj2QLs_JtV0-MuCknDTz8leAA_nzeyHVdh3DzxJcK33Ul8RiIe6e9yCM_U8OOrGWEi9hBBBYO6UEstnVzmLVotLTCY/s320/LifestyleAV_BLOG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Kitchen Range Hoods are a critical component in maintaining the indoor air quality of our homes. The kitchen is one of the leading sources of contaminates in our homes and utilizing a range hood decreases these contaminates and makes our homes healthier to live in. So how do kitchen range hoods work?<p></p><p>Having an understanding of how range hoods work and what they are providing is an important component to making sure they are utilized correctly. Range hoods have a two-function purpose. The first is to provide protection to the cabinets above the cooking area. Almost all cabinets are made out of wood so to protect them if there is a flare up on the cooktop is important. Over the years range hoods have greatly advanced to more than just basic protection. They have become part of an indoor air quality solution. The basic principle of kitchen range hood is to take the “bad” air being generated during the cooking process and move it (exhaust it) out or filter it.</p><p>There are two types of methods a range hood uses to better the indoor air quality. The first is to utilize an odor filter and recirculate the air back into the room. This type of range hood does not require ducting. While this will provide some improvement to the indoor air quality of the kitchen, they really are not very effective as the filters used only catch a small percentage of the contaminates you really want to remove from the living space. This type falls into the “better than nothing” category. A much better way is to have the air exhaust to the outside. These hoods still have some type of grease filter that prevents grease from building up on the hood’s motor/blower as well as in the ducting. The big benefit is all of the contaminates the hood captures will be exhausted to the outdoors and away from the living area. </p><p>Most kitchen range hoods also have some type of lighting feature to them. These might be LED, incandescent or even halogen. When looking for a range hood, take note of the light both from an efficiency standpoint as well as the location. Generally a hood with the light at the front will provide better overall coverage of the cooking surface.</p><p>The next part of the range hoods is the duct collar for hoods that are being exhausted to the outdoors. Hoods that are recirculating the air back into the kitchen typically have an exhaust vent build into the hood itself. Hoods that are exhausting to the outdoors will have some type of duct collar either built into the hood or one that attaches to the hood. Common sizes for these collars are 3.25” x 10” or round. Round duct collars range from 5” to 10” and larger. Many of the duct collars are going to also incorporate a backdraft damper that prevents or at least lessens the amount of air coming back into the home through the ducting. A quick note – if you feel drafts coming from your range hood, you might want to upgrade your backdraft damper. Air travels through the ducting from the range hood to either a wall cap or a roof cap. While these components are not necessarily part of the fan, they are integral components that are required. Wall and roof caps vary in function, features and costs. Two common features are bird screens that prevent birds from building nests in the ducting (yes, it does happen and it is more common than you think) and backdraft dampers. Backdraft dampers on the wall or roof cap provide an extra layer in addition to the one on the range hood to prevent backdrafts.</p><p>These are the main components of kitchen range hoods. In addition some fans will have extra features like continuous operation, thermostats that turn the unit on or off and more. For more information of the range hoods available through Air King visit <a href="http://airkinglimited.com" target="_blank">airkinglimited.com</a></p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-64149135345185130212024-01-02T09:30:00.001-05:002024-01-02T09:30:00.131-05:00Anatomy of Exhaust Fans<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oab3aPV48h7bpseoqLZ6mHETj_WYEcKDWAvGVIU-0uXu5ArpLQH3pip26vwW_S1jsUVNPl1GsyvAf7DFcUIBLTQ3nfpDuFvsWwqwxw0iq9MPxuaPIlmxfHcj74EBakWR3Vmol7MpxUhkqMW_tPt8v_guQLFfUBnGVhCg4BDv7HCYm3LfQH1G8VwMsts/s1000/LifestyleBFC90_BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oab3aPV48h7bpseoqLZ6mHETj_WYEcKDWAvGVIU-0uXu5ArpLQH3pip26vwW_S1jsUVNPl1GsyvAf7DFcUIBLTQ3nfpDuFvsWwqwxw0iq9MPxuaPIlmxfHcj74EBakWR3Vmol7MpxUhkqMW_tPt8v_guQLFfUBnGVhCg4BDv7HCYm3LfQH1G8VwMsts/s320/LifestyleBFC90_BLOG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Exhaust fans play a pivotal roll in maintaining the indoor air quality of our homes. Utilizing them decreases contaminates, reduces moisture and makes our homes healthier to live in. So how do exhaust fans work?<p></p><p>Having an understanding of how exhaust fans or as they are sometimes called – bath fans work is an important component to making sure they are utilized correctly. The basic principle of an exhaust fan is to take the “bad” air inside your living space and move it (exhaust it) out. That air is then replaced with fresh air. It is a fairly simple concept.</p><p>The exhaust fan’s main component is a blower of some type. Lower end units will utilize a fan blade that looks similar to a typical portable fan. Higher end units will utilize a blower wheel or as some people refer to it, a squirrel cage. Blower wheels generally are able to produce more ventilation at a quieter sound level. In either case the wheel or blades turn and generate airflow that is directed through the fan’s duct collar.</p><p>The next part of the exhaust fan is the duct collar. Exhaust fans must be ducted to the outdoors and run through ducting in the home to either a wall cap or a roof cap. While these components are not necessarily part of the fan, they are integral components that are required. The duct collar of the fan is connected to the ducting from the home. Ducting can range from 3 inches to 6 inches in typical residential homes. More and more new construction is moving to 6 inch ducting as it provides better airflow with less resistance. It is important to match the ducting size to the size of the exhaust fan. For instance if you have 4 inch ducting but have a 6 inch ducted exhaust fan you will need to reduce the ducting down to fit. This will make the fan work harder, reduce the airflow and increase the sound level.</p><p>A second part of the duct collar is the backdraft damper. This is a flap that closes to prevent drafts from coming back into the home. Backdraft dampers are usually either gravity closing or spring loaded. The way they work is when the fan is operating and blowing air out of the collar the force of the air opens the damper. Once the unit is shut off the damper will either “fall” down on gravity type dampers or close with spring-loaded dampers, sealing off the ducting.</p><p>The next component of an exhaust fan is the housing. The housing holds everything together and is what is installed into the ceiling. Housings come in many different sizes and are installed in different ways. Common installations include hanger bars that slide into a channel on the housing and then extend out to connect to the ceiling joists. A second mounting type is mounting tabs. These are tabs on the housing that install directly to the ceiling joist. Other mounting types are ones such as with the Air King <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product/energy-star-snap-in-exhaust-fan/" target="_blank">BFQ series</a> that have a snap-in bracket.</p><p>So far all the components we discussed are ones you won’t see once the fan is installed. The one that you will see is the grill. Like housings, grills come in all different sizes and shapes. The grill has a few functions. First is to cover up and protect all the inter workings of the fan. Second is to be aesthetically pleasing - no one wants an ugly hole in their ceiling. Lastly the grill provides a balance of décor and function as it needs to be able to allow enough air to come into the fan without restricting that air.</p><p>These are the main components of an exhaust fan. In addition some fans will have extra features like a light, heater function, humidity sensor, motion sensor and more. For more information about the exhaust fans available through Air King visit <a href="http://airkinglimited.com" target="_blank">airkinglimited.com</a>.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-36604037427039128062023-12-01T12:03:00.002-05:002023-12-01T12:08:40.643-05:005 Ways to Improve Your Holiday Indoor Air Quality<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpE2KPlWYyLa89898fO3yJ0p0NIbvwyTAau-8wpqIK7b0zor1wn_fcbp_X9jPswwtoek3aSw47kTvGSpT5Cpq6wtGlauutfX9c6i1jJ4yqoOMX_eh73rqtI8m6QtWg-TOTrM6GIMe8AyYqWIjgaTcOy520hiX91tO2NZf9QKtWJXmnN7BdtAR4eq1DgQ/s1000/HolidayCooking.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpE2KPlWYyLa89898fO3yJ0p0NIbvwyTAau-8wpqIK7b0zor1wn_fcbp_X9jPswwtoek3aSw47kTvGSpT5Cpq6wtGlauutfX9c6i1jJ4yqoOMX_eh73rqtI8m6QtWg-TOTrM6GIMe8AyYqWIjgaTcOy520hiX91tO2NZf9QKtWJXmnN7BdtAR4eq1DgQ/s320/HolidayCooking.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />With the holiday season upon us, family and friends will be gathering to celebrate in homes across the country. Just at the mention of the holidays might evoke smells of cookies, pine trees, the roast cooking and so many others. These are all wonderful things that make our homes welcoming to our guests. The question however is what are we doing to ensure the holiday indoor air quality of our homes? Here are 5 common things we do around the holidays that affect the indoor air quality of our homes and what we can do to improve them.<p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Cooking and Baking</h4><p>Nothing says the holidays more than the smells coming form the kitchen. Whether it is Christmas cookies baking, a big pot roast, or other holiday favorites. You might be getting hungry just reading about it. The challenge to IAQ is when these items are cooking they are also releasing contaminates into the air in the form of smoke, moisture, carcinogens and more. Yes, we know – way to ruin the holidays by talking about this. Before we panic and serve carrot sticks instead of cookies, there is a solution – ventilation. Making sure the kitchen range hood is operating and venting to the outdoors while cooking will alleviate most of these contaminates. If your range hood does not currently vent to the outdoors, consider replacing it with one that does. If venting to the outdoors is not an option consider utilizing an <a href="https://lasko.com/collections/air-purifiers" target="_blank">air purifier</a>.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Lighting Candles</h4><p>Candles have become a holiday tradition across the country. The smell of pumpkin spice, apple spice, holiday spice and the other endless scents waffling through the air turn our homes into a delight for the senses. We even use candles for holiday traditions and ceremonies. The issue is that when we light a candle we basically have an open fire inside our home and no place for the smoke to go so we end up breathing it in. Air King has a whole blog post dedicated to candles and IAQ that you can read here. The solution is to have a ventilation strategy when using candles. That could be utilizing the exhaust fan in the bathroom, having general ventilation in other areas of the home and so forth.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Hosting Parties</h4><p>Tis the season for homes full of friends and family. It warms the heart just thinking about it. However, we already have the food cooking in the kitchen causing contaminates. We have lit candles around the home to fill it with the smells of the holidays but creating smoke and now we have a home full of people who are breathing which fills the room with CO2 as well as any other contaminates they are breathing out (we really do know how to ruin the fun of the holidays). As with cooking and candles, the solution is ventilation and fresh air. As the home fills up and the room temperature rises, many of us will open a window or door to cool off. This is a fantastic idea as it allows fresh air in and pushes the stale, contaminated air out. The issue is we typically need a little more. Having a centralized exhaust fan operating or the range hood operating even if nothing is cooking can dramatically increase the indoor air quality. An HVAC expert can help you identify how you can more effectively ventilate your home and ensure you have the right balance of fresh air coming in while ventilating out the bad.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Crafts</h4><p>You can’t have the holidays without decorations. For a lot of people that means breaking out the craft kits gluing, painting and so forth. What a lot of us miss is that if you look at most of the craft kits, paint and glue – it says right on the bottles “use in a well ventilated area”. Unfortunately in most homes, the living room, dinning room or craft room is not a well-ventilated area. Something simple like doing the craft on the kitchen table or counter with the range hood running can have a positive impact. Another thing to remember is that many paints continue to produce air contaminates as they dry so once the project is done, moving them outside the home to a garage or storage space is very helpful. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Cleaning</h4><p>A holiday tradition that no one likes is the cleaning. You have a full guest list coming but the house is a mess (from all the cooking) so it needs to be cleaned. If you have read this far, you know something bad is coming. Here it is. Using cleaners can have a real negative effect on IAQ. Cleaners can be really nasty – bleach, ammonium, and so forth produce a ton of contaminates that fill the air we breathe. They are very effective in killing the bacteria and germs but it is at the expense of the IAQ of the home. That is why it is crucial that exhaust fans are utilized when the cleaning is happening. When the bathroom and powder room is being cleaned, make absolutely sure the exhaust fan is turned on and stays on until the smell of the cleaners is gone. When cleaning the kitchen, turn the range hood on. If you are able to open windows, do so.</p><p>With a little thought and some simple steps including a plan for ventilation and fresh air, you can drastically improve the holiday indoor air quality of your home, truly making it an inviting place to gather.</p><p>For more information about Air King’s <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/exhaust-fans/" target="_blank">exhaust fans</a>, <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/fresh-air/" target="_blank">fresh air solutions</a>, and <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/range-hoods/" target="_blank">range hoods</a> utilize the links at the top of this page. Also make sure to visit Lasko’s page for a full line of <a href="https://lasko.com/collections/air-purifiers" target="_blank">air purifiers</a>.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-30421609899292189272023-11-06T13:26:00.000-05:002023-11-06T13:26:23.798-05:00A Tight Home Versus Proper Ventilation<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdd20H1cbtKJ-Ajqjq571wV3Vi0mt7spXilVnXOgC0D_JAwurTRHe1F-b-Pc8JgeX4G937DdreorSlmkc1MIr0f41CMfX4BIFBbOrklSdTPMhJs9mLCHKa1wr0BZjDvfuJGxjAfMul75plGFPzgpec4RvpIo59EyjsneBcOu10IDpWRM6MrFbKY9ufS90/s1000/MotherDaughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1000" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdd20H1cbtKJ-Ajqjq571wV3Vi0mt7spXilVnXOgC0D_JAwurTRHe1F-b-Pc8JgeX4G937DdreorSlmkc1MIr0f41CMfX4BIFBbOrklSdTPMhJs9mLCHKa1wr0BZjDvfuJGxjAfMul75plGFPzgpec4RvpIo59EyjsneBcOu10IDpWRM6MrFbKY9ufS90/s320/MotherDaughter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />When you think of age-old rivalries or battles your mind might go to sports teams or one state versus another but it probably doesn’t go to tight home versus proper ventilation one. That’s understandable, but in the building world it is one that is gaining traction. Let's first look at each side of the battle and get a working knowledge of them.<p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Tight Home</h4><p>A tight home refers to how well the exterior envelope of the home is resistant to air penetration. The tighter the home, the less air it lets in or out. Most people refer to air penetration as “drafts”. In some homes you can feel the cold air in the wintertime seeping into the home. That would not be a tight house. Building technology has come a long way and with the advent of spray foam, house wraps and so forth homes are a lot tighter than they used to be. The reason a tight house is beneficial is that it will hold the warm air inside during the winter and the cool air inside during the summer. This has a direct impact by reducing the heating and cooling costs. Seems like a simple solution and we can end the article here. Well there are some downsides to a tight home. We’ll get to them a little later.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Proper Ventilation</h4><p>Proper ventilation contributes to the overall indoor air quality of your home. In simple terms it is taking the bad air and contaminates out of the home and replacing it with fresh and/or filtered air. This is accomplished using items like exhaust fans, kitchen range hoods and a fresh air supply unit. So what’s the problem and how is this a battle with a tight home?</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Battle</h4><p>The battle comes in that homes are being built to do everything they can to not allow air to enter or leave the home. Exhaust fans and fresh air intake are meant to do exactly that. On the tight home side of things, the argument is that you are taking conditioned air and exhausting it out. The same with bringing air into the home, causing extra stress on the HVAC system. This is a valid point, however we need to examine it a bit closer. </p><p>Studies have found that the air inside a home can be up to 5 times more polluted than outside air. How does it get so polluted? Our normal living produces a lot of contaminants. Just think of your typical day. You wake up and take a shower. The shower produces moisture that if left unresolved can turn into mildew or mold. Then you go to the kitchen for breakfast and your morning coffee. Guess what cooking and making coffee does – yep, produces contaminates. Oh and by the way, unless you are holding your breath during all this, breathing produces CO2 that can build up in your home. We are barely alive and haven’t even gotten out of our pajamas (might be a slight exaggeration). Add in pets, cleaners, candles and a hundred more things and you can see how the air can become so polluted.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The solution</h4><p>So we don’t want to exhaust conditioned air out or bring unconditioned air in, but we also need to get all the bad things out of the house. So what do we do? Here is where we try to make sense of everything. The energy efficiency side is always going to argue for less and the indoor air quality side is always going to argue for more. What we need to strive for is a balance. For most homes, as little as 30 to 50 CFM of exhaust during normal activity is all that is needed. When a shower or the cooktop is in use – a bit more is needed. The key to all of this is that when you utilize mechanical solutions (exhaust fans and air intake units) you are in control. You determine how much, when and where the air comes in or leaves. So instead of annoying drafts, you can direct the air how you want it.</p><p>Another way to counteract the energy usage is to utilize energy efficient exhaust fans and air intake units. There are a plenty of models currently on the market that will meet the air movement needed and fit within the budget.</p><p>Hopefully this gives you a better understanding of the balance between good indoor air quality and energy efficiency. So the next time you are tempted to not utilize your exhaust fans because you’re worried about “wasting” energy, remember that your indoor air quality is also very important.</p><p>For more information about indoor air quality please read through the many blog post Air King has created over the years. For more information about exhaust fans, range hoods or fresh air intake, visit <a href="http://airkiinglimiited.com">airkiinglimiited.com</a></p><div><br /></div>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-45850939439927642132023-10-02T14:03:00.003-04:002023-10-02T14:03:58.767-04:00How Does ENERGY STAR® Certified Ventilation Help?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGigGlZlwDt2AxqotaEXPw5cMNkhS7GBAgU8Xbn9wzxll7Nh3fLemX5FQj2SKMpQ-14dFSFyIIKA5A3LlXXUiMXowRDgJs3ghaVmt641KJ_tt2-u2PhSNB5pvWYLLyzlS6Cz5IgP9Pra2dla8716tI1aG9ZGphumsEpBH0vQlpk7QFRUnSaw3Q00QAhgs/s1000/ESVentilation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="1000" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGigGlZlwDt2AxqotaEXPw5cMNkhS7GBAgU8Xbn9wzxll7Nh3fLemX5FQj2SKMpQ-14dFSFyIIKA5A3LlXXUiMXowRDgJs3ghaVmt641KJ_tt2-u2PhSNB5pvWYLLyzlS6Cz5IgP9Pra2dla8716tI1aG9ZGphumsEpBH0vQlpk7QFRUnSaw3Q00QAhgs/s320/ESVentilation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />For the most part almost everyone in the United States has at least seen the ENERGY STAR® logo and many understand what it signifies. Many people however only think that certification is for things like TVs, computers and appliances. While they are some of the more “big ticket” items, there are many categories of products that can earn certification including ENERGY STAR® certified ventilation.<p></p><p>So what sets certified ventilation apart from typical products? Here are a few of the main items. ENERGY STAR® certified ventilation must perform at a higher efficiency than standard ventilation solutions. Efficiency is measured by taking the amount of air the unit moves (measured in CFM – cubic feet per minute) and dividing that by the amount of energy (Watts) needed to operate the unit. To put this in perspective a standard low end or entry-level exhaust fan operates at about 1 watt per CFM or worse. In contrast a certified unit has to operate at a minimum of 2.8 CFM per watt with some units exceeding that and operating as high as 19 CFM per watt.</p><p>A second way ENERGY STAR® certified ventilation products stand out is they are required to offer a longer warranty. While this might not sound like a big deal, it actually is. With a longer warranty, there is more peace of mind that that product is going to last a lot longer and is constructed of high quality parts. In the case of ventilation products that typically means a better motor.</p><p>For units that have a light feature, which include some exhaust fans as well as most range hoods, the light bulb must be included or integrated with the unit and it must be a certified LED bulb. The lighting in these units can sometimes be the biggest energy draw of the unit. For instance changing from a 60-watt incandescent light bulb to an equivalent 8 watt LED is saving approximately 52 watts.</p><p>Lastly, and this one might seem a little out of the ordinary is that there are sound restrictions on the units. For most units, they must operate at or below 2 sones. Sones are the unit of measurement for sound in ventilation products. We have explained sones in some of our <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/blog/what-in-the-world-are-sones-how-loud-is-my-exhaust-fan/" target="_blank">previous posts</a> but basically 1 sone is the sound your refrigerator makes and 4 sones is about the sound of a typical conversation.</p><p>When you put all this together, it is hopefully clear that ENERGY STAR® certified ventilation is going to be a much better product than a standard one. For more information regarding ENERGY STAR® certified ventilation solutions from Air King including exhaust fans, range hoods and fresh air intake, please visit <a href="http://airkinglimited.com" target="_blank">airkinglimited.com</a>. For more information about ENERGY STAR®, please visit <a href="http://energystar.gov" target="_blank">energystar.gov</a>.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-56401014408377036432023-09-05T11:39:00.000-04:002023-09-05T11:39:00.707-04:00Fighting VOCs<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5K3TeVgFeR4-lfbvU9h2oYNNlp9RSeM2CzZ2NfXUdbXighdkXtF2bPxg3dH00jyf1JmiWBl3n0JTCdjgg5O1LQ9co-LMiXINkY59DvXhZzZ3YTgt19AgoiPhKukOJhyJ0K3nu9h1V7AQZCrj4Lau_LR6WeajD06T3rymfP200TsxM2bIF3ClKXD1Qqic/s1000/Painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5K3TeVgFeR4-lfbvU9h2oYNNlp9RSeM2CzZ2NfXUdbXighdkXtF2bPxg3dH00jyf1JmiWBl3n0JTCdjgg5O1LQ9co-LMiXINkY59DvXhZzZ3YTgt19AgoiPhKukOJhyJ0K3nu9h1V7AQZCrj4Lau_LR6WeajD06T3rymfP200TsxM2bIF3ClKXD1Qqic/s320/Painting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />If you are reading this post, you probably either have a little bit of an understanding of what VOCs are or at least are interested in finding out why we need to be fighting VOCs. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds. Volatile is not a word generally used in the everyday language and it sounds a little scary. Let's first understand what a VOC is.<p></p><p>Volatile Organic Compounds are all around us in many of the products we use. The most common use is in paint products as well as cleaners. VOCs dilute or dissolve other ingredients in those products to make them more effective. Paint is probably one of the most recognized ones but VOC are also used in items like mattresses and building materials as flame-retardants. A common alternative name for VOCs is off-gas. This happens because VOCs have a high vapor pressure that allows them to evaporate easily. For instance when paint is put on a surface it immediately start to off-gas as part of the drying and curing process, that is what you are smelling. With paint, this off-gas is a byproduct but with items like perfumes and fragrances, the off-gas is part of the design. It is what allows them to “smell” nice for longer periods of time.</p><p>Why do we need to be fighting VOCs as the title of this article suggest? Part of the off-gas process means that the “bad” stuff is entering into the air that we are breathing. This can cause minor symptoms like coughing or eye irritation but can also escalate to things like headaches, decreased lung function or a metal fog and in extreme case even more serious health issues.</p><p>Now that we have most of the bad news out of the way we can turn our attention to fighting VOCs. The first step is to try and reduce your exposure to VOCs by looking a little closer at the products you are using. Here are a few tips on what you can do:</p><ol><li>Look for paint that is VOC free or at least low VOC. While these are still going to have some VOCs (even the VOC free ones – sorry), they will be greatly reduced from the standard paints.</li><li>Look for fragrant-free cleaners and especially laundry detergent. Have you ever gone into your laundry room and been “hit” with the smell of flowers or fragrance – that is your cleaners and/or detergents off-gassing their VOCs into the air. This is usually intensified in a laundry room due to the fact that it is a smaller and typically enclosed room.</li><li>Avoid items that come in the form of an aerosol. VOCs are detrimental due to them being able to easily enter the airflow. Aerosols by nature put product into the airflow. Aerosols also typically have some type of product like formaldehyde or some of the other nasty chemicals in them.</li></ol><p>A second step in fighting VOCs it to look to the ventilation of your home. Having a well ventilated home is essential to having a better living environment. VOCs as well as other contaminates are going to build up in you home. That is part of living. Having a plan in place like a ventilation system and a way to bring fresh air into the home will great reduce your risks and exposure. Even opening a window while cleaning if you can is a great way to help your indoor air quality. Many home are already equipped with exhaust fans in their bathrooms and kitchen. This is great and they should be utilized. More and more homes are now also utilizing a continuous running exhaust fan in a central location of the home. It is actually part of the building code. The goal is to exhaust as much as possible out and then bring fresh air in to dilute anything that remains. Most would agree that these methods make sense and many practice them, here is where a lot of homeowners lose a little sight. For many homes the largest source of VOC’s is typically located in the laundry room. As we mentioned above these rooms are usually small and enclosed so the amount of VOCs that build-up is significant. Adding a small exhaust fan that vents to the outdoors in these rooms can have a tremendous effect on lowering the amount of VOCs in the room.</p><p>While we would like to suggest avoiding VOCs all together, that is almost impossible to do in our currently living environment. VOCs in some form or fashion are all around us. Doing what you can to limit your exposure to them is step one, improving your indoor air quality with ventilation and fresh air is step two.</p><p>For more information about the indoor air quality of your home and how you can improve it, please read through the many articles we have written over the years. Visit <a href="http://airkinglimited.com" target="_blank">airkinglimited.com</a> for information regarding Air King <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/exhaust-fans/" target="_blank">exhaust fan</a> and <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/fresh-air/" target="_blank">fresh air intake</a> solutions.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-88222588803527510382023-08-02T15:18:00.001-04:002023-08-02T15:18:17.385-04:00Want to Save Energy and a Few Dollars?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkRPDTcg4zUYuf0grtsX6DwMCK4uIqDRz20KovovfXKumIK5JfuyeA94ma43NdxGAcae9hJ0FvbAm8ceCp_nPFkRZhjYgp1_wRMBy8U3Ar2GIcaSG96CLZmJr0V7fVINbfqb7dov9tApCJpQo_QvJgjCk6ks2oHse7RyFngnUZra2-YYS9mSGrSSAtGI/s1000/WomenWithBills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1000" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkRPDTcg4zUYuf0grtsX6DwMCK4uIqDRz20KovovfXKumIK5JfuyeA94ma43NdxGAcae9hJ0FvbAm8ceCp_nPFkRZhjYgp1_wRMBy8U3Ar2GIcaSG96CLZmJr0V7fVINbfqb7dov9tApCJpQo_QvJgjCk6ks2oHse7RyFngnUZra2-YYS9mSGrSSAtGI/s320/WomenWithBills.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Now that we are in the heart of the summer almost all of us are seeing those energy bills skyrocket upwards. So how do we save energy without spending a ton of money to do so? Thankfully there are a few easy and cost effective things we can do that are little to no cost.<p></p><p><b>Windows</b></p><p>While replacing older windows with ENERGY STAR certified ones is a great way to save money, it can be really expensive. A simple way to help is to utilize curtains or shades. Make sure they are closed when the hot sun is out. This will help to deflect some of the heat coming in. This technique can also be utilized in the winter except you keep the curtains open to let the heat in instead of keeping it out. Best part about this is it cost no money (assuming you already have curtains or shades in place).</p><p><b>Thermostat</b></p><p>In the summer time raising the temperature a couple of degrees can have a big effect on your cooling costs. A great way to offset the higher temperature is to utilize a portable fan or your ceiling fans. While these fans do use energy it is significantly less that your HVAC unit. While portable fans won’t technically cool the room, the air movement makes it feel cooler (you can read our blog – Do Fans Cool for more info). If you already have the portable fans, this is an no cost way to save.</p><p><b>Exhaust</b></p><p>If you are in an area where the nighttime temperatures drop to a comfortable level, exhausting all of the hot air out of the home and replacing it with the cool outdoor air is a great options. The best option is if you have a window fan that is powerful enough to exhaust the entire home like the Air King 9166. You can either bring the cooler air in or exhaust the hot indoor air out. If you have a box fan or other type of fan, this can be utilized as well. ONE CAUTION – make sure the fan you are using is rated for use in a window and never use a fan if it is raining. Depending on if you have fans or not, this can be a no added cost option. If you do need to buy a fan, the prices can range from small to significant.</p><p><b>Water Heater</b></p><p>This might seem like an odd one but a majority of water heaters are not set correctly. Does your hot water get to a temperature that is so hot you can’t handle it? This probably means it is set too high and you are paying to over heat the water. If it is too hot, you can adjust the top temperature of the water heater, which will save you money. This might take some trial and error to get it right but it will be worth it in the end. Going away for a week? Turn the temperature down considerably so you are not heating water you will never use. NOTE: make sure to remember to turn the temperature back up when you return. Once again this is a zero cost to you item you can do.</p><p><b>Light Bulbs</b></p><p>This is one that we have suggested in many of our other blog posts but it still holds try. While there is a cost to this, it is worth it to replace any incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs with LED. LED bulbs use a fraction of the energy and in general last a lot longer.</p><p>These are just a few things that can save energy and save you money. We would love to hear your ideas.</p><p>To learn more about Air King air circulator fans including window fans use the menu bar at the top of the page. Also read through our other energy saving blog posts.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-39509360029178302472023-07-01T08:30:00.001-04:002023-07-01T08:30:00.145-04:00Am I Building Code Compliant?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5ATVBaqo1trMsZEXLNZ0CTWjPJKPK1XBJvhQnTLBOt8sruW0knAUGzV6pViYzQPOQCNQx93_-KPk_dsOjziRLb2Q78I_KiIxejac37WbFFIkPM-wNI9td7g3zSRka6D_ncFL2Pj41hCM4-z9HGaziulqTWqiuZnAfMXWSxTG8vNLsszwJ0I7MvVCAnk/s1000/BuildingCodes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5ATVBaqo1trMsZEXLNZ0CTWjPJKPK1XBJvhQnTLBOt8sruW0knAUGzV6pViYzQPOQCNQx93_-KPk_dsOjziRLb2Q78I_KiIxejac37WbFFIkPM-wNI9td7g3zSRka6D_ncFL2Pj41hCM4-z9HGaziulqTWqiuZnAfMXWSxTG8vNLsszwJ0I7MvVCAnk/s320/BuildingCodes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />For most of us when we hear the question asked; Am I building code compliant, the answer is I have no idea. Codes can get complicated even for building professionals. For most of the population, building codes are not something we need to deal with as we leave it to the professionals. With that being said, it is very helpful to have an understanding of the codes in your area. Building codes are broken down into basically three levels – National, State and then County or City. In order to keep this post to less than a billion pages (maybe a slight exaggeration) we are not going to list every code across the entire country. There are some great online resources that can guide you through the codes in your area. Sites like <a href="https://up.codes/codes/alabama" rel="noopener" target="_blank">UpCodes</a> can give you a quick overview.<p></p><h4><strong>So why is knowing if you are building code compliant important?</strong></h4><p>Building codes are in place for a reason. They are written and designed to help maximize things like safety, energy efficiency and so on. When building a home or with a major renovation there are multiple inspections that need to be passed. While most people classify these inspections into the “what a hassle” category, they are extremely important and in place for our own well being. Where things can go sideways is when it is a smaller job or one that does not require a permit. A “for instance” is an exhaust fan installation. Generally this is a project that does not require a permit and is a very popular do-it-yourself one. It might be replacing an old fan or installing a new one. The challenge is knowing if what you are doing complies with building codes in your area. Many states are now adopting new energy efficient standards when it comes to exhaust fans. So going into your local home improvement store and picking out whatever fan they have on the shelf might not match up with the code. While there are some expectations, most of the new codes for exhaust fans are written to ensure an ENERGY STAR® certified fan is being used. Having a basic understanding of the codes in your area can help with DIY projects as well as with conversations with your contractor if you are using one. It will hopefully give you a better understanding as to why they might be doing things a certain way or using different materials that what you expect.</p><h4><strong>So what should I do about codes?</strong></h4><p>Air King is always going to recommend that you consult a building professional to make sure you are fully covered and building code compliant. With that being said we don’t want to scare you off from completing the projects you want to do. Taking some time to so a little research in regards to the codes in your area could have a huge impact on keeping you compliant and safe. It can also be a big factor if you plan to sell your home. The last thing you want is for a home inspection during the sale process to reveal all the things that are not up to code.</p><p>While Air King can’t help with things like if you need an extra support beam or if you have enough outlets installed, we can help with your <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/energy-star-certified-ventilation/" target="_blank">ventilation and fresh air intake</a>. To learn more about energy efficient options that comply with most codes across the country visit <a href="http://airkinglimited.com" target="_blank">airkinglimited.com</a> and look for the ENERGY STAR® logo.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-392022721658876562023-06-02T13:32:00.003-04:002023-06-02T13:32:55.137-04:00What is Air Exchanges Per Hour?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGe4TtnAf-yjKLsGwWwUXosvzVpEMlWJ8oPg7H72zvlvo3DQknaSdHyPd4mlHLL0fYSY_XhUenqUEr2g2x3qnEtEm5dEpGYL2CYdllf0qyK7gWaNaRMtVD5q2axJXCdiNZyg9PawVVMMWQmD80Su6yRqdXYM12cLDlAL2Q_bDmzZD9wN2tSQO8Hpd/s1000/AirExchange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGe4TtnAf-yjKLsGwWwUXosvzVpEMlWJ8oPg7H72zvlvo3DQknaSdHyPd4mlHLL0fYSY_XhUenqUEr2g2x3qnEtEm5dEpGYL2CYdllf0qyK7gWaNaRMtVD5q2axJXCdiNZyg9PawVVMMWQmD80Su6yRqdXYM12cLDlAL2Q_bDmzZD9wN2tSQO8Hpd/s320/AirExchange.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />When talking about ventilation the term Air Exchanges Per Hour is probably going to come up, but what is it? The simple answer if how many times the air inside your home is replaced by either outside or filtered air per hour. Think of it this way – if you have a glass full of water and you pour it all out, then fill it back up with water you have exchanged the water in the glass one time. The same holds true with air but it is a little more difficult to see.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">How is the air exchanged?</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Air exchanges take place in one of three main ways.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Exhaust Fans:</b> Exhaust fans are one of the most effective ways to exchange the air in your home. They take the stale indoor air and exhaust it to the outdoors allowing fresh air to replace it. National building codes now require a continuously running fan to be installed in all homes for this very reason.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>HVAC system:</b> Your HVAC system also helps provide air exchanges but there are some challenges with using this as the only method. The biggest one is that the system has to be running in order to provide air exchanges. You can set your system to just run the fan, but this is a very inefficient way to exchange air in your home. Another challenge is for this to be effective, the system needs to be drawing fresh air into the home or have filters installed that will take out the “bad” stuff. A good amount of HVAC systems do not draw fresh air in – you can check with your technician. As for the filters, most systems utilize a MERV 6 or MERV 8 filter. These are good for capturing dust and larger particles but when it comes to the stuff we are really trying to remove, they are not as effective. It is recommended that a MERV 13 or above be used, but not all HVAC systems can handle that (<a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/blog/the-air-filter-debate-is-too-much-too-much/" target="_blank">see our blog on Filters</a>).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Natural exchange:</b> It sounds so nice – Natural, but there are also some issues with this method. Most of the time this means opening a window or door and letting the air come in. If you have a nice breeze blowing on a moderate temperature day with good outdoor air quality (low pollen, smog, etc.) this is a good way to exchange the air. The big issue is you can’t control how much air is coming in or what is in the air. A second and significant issue it temperature, think Texas in the summer or Minnesota in the winter. Opening doors and windows probably is not an option.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Why are air exchanges important?</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A key component to Indoor Air Quality is air exchanges. When we are not properly exchanging the air we allow all kings of contaminates to linger in the air. Think of a smoky bar room. Without any ventilation or air exchanges the smoke just lingers in the air. While hopefully our homes are not full of smoke, they are full of contaminates in the air caused by breathing, cooking, pets, and just general everyday living. Having a plan to continually remove these contaminates is key to better living. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">How many air exchanges per hour should take place?</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is where we come to the great debate. Home many air exchanges are needed, what is too little, what is too much. There is always a balance and as we learn more about our indoor air quality the numbers can change. As of this posting ASHRAE, who sets most of the building standards when it comes to indoor air quality recommends that a minimum of 0.35 air exchanges per hour occur in your home. Other organizations recommend up to 5 per hour. Our thought is that 5 per hour might be a bit extreme and will definitely have a negative effect on the efficiency of the home in that you have to condition all that air coming in to replace the air going out. With that being said, lets examine what 0.35 exchanges per hour looks like. For a 1,000 square foot home with 8-foot ceilings you have 8,000 cubic feet of space. Divide 8,000 by 60 (minutes) to get 133. Now times 133 by 0.35 to get 46.67. This is the amount of CFM you would need to provide the recommended air exchanges per hour. ASHRAE also provides a calculator that is a bit more involved to determine how much continuous ventilation your home needs. You can access the calculator on the Air King site by <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/ashrae-62-2/" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For more information about the indoor air quality of your home and how you can improve it, please read through the many articles we have written over the years. For information regarding Air King exhaust fan and fresh air intake solutions visit <a href="http://airkinglimited.com" target="_blank">airkinglimited.com</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-74489993684736338622023-04-03T13:57:00.004-04:002023-04-03T13:57:52.952-04:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLu0ZBEWLz2QAMpFWPHkJW5__gyyRFlDn8kKID6DA5aPHsBJMuNsj-h2Cokpka4_QGlsC_LMmkpD1awoSXhpN5qLLrsbRxFPzWCj8DuNdh13WTvNXZvwsf1opJN84-hY8No41sW982HZmswcMmTB8v9_2mlwzuitRN9jq6AdrBvJhH25Xw3DwABsR/s1000/DoNotEnter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1000" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLu0ZBEWLz2QAMpFWPHkJW5__gyyRFlDn8kKID6DA5aPHsBJMuNsj-h2Cokpka4_QGlsC_LMmkpD1awoSXhpN5qLLrsbRxFPzWCj8DuNdh13WTvNXZvwsf1opJN84-hY8No41sW982HZmswcMmTB8v9_2mlwzuitRN9jq6AdrBvJhH25Xw3DwABsR/s320/DoNotEnter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />When you walk into a room, office, business or a home do you ever stop and think – is the indoor air safe here. Four years ago our guess is that maybe one in a thousand people would ask that question. Now it might be one out of ten or more. The fact that more people are asking that question is a good thing to our overall health and well-being, the challenge is how do we tell if it is safe or not?<p></p><p>To answer that question we have to look at it a few different ways. There is a scientific method that tests the air for contaminates. Some of these can be fairly low tech/low cost, while others cost a significant amount. One that has gained a lot of popularity is a CO2 monitor. As it’s name suggests, it tells you the level of CO2 in the space at any given time. The lower cost ones just tell you the amount of CO2 at the time of the reading, more expensive ones can actually take multiple reading over the course of time so you can track it and get an average. Why is CO2 important? Since CO2 is what we exhale a monitor can tell us if proper ventilation or a stream of fresh air is coming into the space to dilute the air. This in theory would also give us an indication if other contaminates or viruses are hanging around in the air. For instance: if you are in a room with 20 other people and you get a CO2 reading of say 1000, you know that the room is not ventilated very well and all kinds of “bad” things could be lingering in the air. Now open a window or turn on a ventilation fan and you should see that number drop significantly. The theory being if the CO2 is leaving the room or being diluted so will all those “bad” things as well.</p><p>Now we know that most people are not going to walk around taking CO2 readings, especially if you were invited as dinner guests. Talk about awkward. So what are other indicators of poor indoor air quality? Here are a few things to look for or be aware of:</p><ol><li>What is the size of the room and how many people are in the room – does it feel like you are packed in like sardines?</li><li>Are there lingering odors (good or bad)? If so, this indicates that the room may not have a good flow of air.</li><li>Do you see any type of air filtration system or an air purifier in the room? Some of these are easy to see, others are a little more difficult as they might be working behind the scenes like a ventilation fan or fresh air intake system.</li><li>Are there windows in the room and are they open? Better yet, is there a window fan in them?</li></ol><p>Our hope is this gives you a few simple points to help answer the question – is the indoor air safe in the place I am entering. There are a host of other things like asking about the HVAC air filters, what the air exchange rate for the builder is, what is the fresh air mixture for the HVAC and so on. These require a bit more involvement and can not be answered by simply walking into a location and looking around.</p><p>While we might not be able to identify a 100% safe location, we can utilize these tips to help reduce risk. The common theme in all of this is that the more ventilation, filtration and fresh air coming into a location, the better. Stagnant, poorly ventilated areas are going to be the highest risk.</p><p>For more information about indoor air quality read our other blog posts. For information regarding Air King <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/exhaust-fans/">exhaust fan</a> and <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/fresh-air/">fresh air</a> intake solutions visit <a href="http://airkinglimited.com">airkinglimited.com</a>.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-76615271146027294982023-03-01T08:30:00.005-05:002023-03-01T08:30:00.183-05:00Making Sense of What Air Filter to Use<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEbo8XHcf9Z6-3UpE3t-jjiemw12BmGDfZXemNr_98DNgGqJ3apebRr0_i7YRmnnrbR2sUsRNJyN29kuXf1VmGc5-Pe1bqepsB3p4d0TxVsw39ipW1UV3x78I3J9XxZTFdsQ4SeCRNF9jk1GWF3bkswNzTzcOv_xSpXHVTEZy1x8i5EIrKYqnpX7_/s1000/AirFilterWoman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEbo8XHcf9Z6-3UpE3t-jjiemw12BmGDfZXemNr_98DNgGqJ3apebRr0_i7YRmnnrbR2sUsRNJyN29kuXf1VmGc5-Pe1bqepsB3p4d0TxVsw39ipW1UV3x78I3J9XxZTFdsQ4SeCRNF9jk1GWF3bkswNzTzcOv_xSpXHVTEZy1x8i5EIrKYqnpX7_/s320/AirFilterWoman.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />You hear terms like MERV, HEPA and more when it comes to air filters but what do they all mean? It can get a bit confusing. In this post we hope to clear up some of the confusion out there and guide you to what air filter is best in some of the more common locations.<p></p><p>First let's look at the types of filters. The two most common are HEPA, which stands for High-Efficiency Particle Air filter. Sounds fancy. Basically a HEPA filter is the top of the line. It is going to capture the most particles and the “bad” things in the air. Next is MERV, which stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values. MERV filters will also have a number after them like 8, 11, 13, 16 and so on. The number is the key component, as this will tell you how effective the air filter is in capturing particles. The higher the number the more it will capture.</p><p>At first glance most people would say it is an easy decision to just use the best, highest rated filter for everything. Unfortunately it isn’t that easy. Air filters are a balance of working efficiently and capturing contaminates. What happens is that the higher the efficiency of the air filter, the more restrictive the airflow through the filter.</p><p>That brings us to the main point of this post – what air filter to use. This is a little bit of a trick question. The answer is it depends on the situation. Let's take a look at the more common areas of the home that benefit from air filters.</p><p><strong>HVAC System:</strong> This is a key component of the home and one you definitely want to get the air filters correct in. The HVAC system is going to provide air to the entire home so it makes sense that we want it to be the best it can be. As we stated earlier the temptation is to utilize HEPA filters then sit back and enjoy all that high quality air floating through the home. Sounds great but most current HVAC systems cannot handle HEPA filters. The filters constrict the airflow and can actually cause damage to the system or reduce the life of the system. We are hopeful that as technology advances so will the filtration systems. So what do we do? Enter in MERV. Most systems can handle up to a MERV 11 filter. While not a HEPA filter it still provides high quality filtration and will remove items like Pollen, Mold, Dust, Pet Dander, and Debris. What are missing from this list are items such as viruses, bacteria and allergens. To filter these out you need to move up to a MERV 13 or higher. You should always consult your HVAC professional to see what the highest rated filter your systems can handle is.</p><p><strong>Portable Air Filtering Devises:</strong> If the HVAC system is unable to remove some of the more hazardous items or you don’t have a central system, we need to turn to other methods. Room level units are a good alternative. Here is where we go for the gold and you should look for a unit that is using a HEPA filter. There are a lot of these units on the market and they have varied effectiveness. You will also see units with added items like UV, IONs and so forth. The jury is still out a bit on the added technology so our recommendation is to focus on the HEPA air filter aspect of the unit. The downside to these units is they typically can only filter small areas (might need one for each room you use) and the filters can get a bit expensive to replace.</p><p><strong>Air Intake Units:</strong> Many home, especially newer homes are required to have what is referred to as a fresh air intake system. This is typically a fan that brings outdoor air into the home to replace the air being exhausted out the home. While in most cases an air filter is not mandatory, it can make a very positive impact if it is used. This is also a case where your specific situation will dictate what filter should be used. We have already talked about a HEPA filter but here again we are faced with a HEPA filter restricting the airflow to a point where it may render the unit ineffective. That leads to using a MERV filter, but which one? In general outdoor air can be up to 5 times less polluted than indoor air. This is important because it means the air coming in doesn’t necessarily need to be filtered as much as the air inside the home. One big thing is generally you will not be bringing in viruses from the outdoor air. Most times you only need to be concerned with items like pollen, dust, particles and so forth. A MERV 11 or higher will be fine for that. Now if you live in an area that has high levels of pollution like in or close to a large city or in areas of the country that have wildfires, you might want to consider a MERV 16. MERV 16 filters are able to remove items like smoke, smog and even viruses.</p><p>So how do we bring this all together? At the root of this is improving indoor air quality. To do this takes a group effort. Just having good filters in your HVAC system won’t be enough just like having only a portable air filter won’t do it either. Developing a strategy is key. Having a proper ventilation system (bad air out) while bringing in filtered outdoor air will greatly improve the indoor air quality. Now add the highest rated filters you can to your HVAC system as well as a portable air filter and you’re onto something. Air King has developed what we refer to as the Total Home Ventilation system that utilizes air intake and exhaust to create a better living environment. To learn more about the system <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/total-home-ventilation/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">click here</a>. Also make sure to view portable solutions from our <a href="https://lasko.com/collections/germguardian" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Germ Guardian</a> division.</p><p>For more information about the indoor air quality of your home and how you can improve it, please read through the many articles we have written over the years. For information regarding Air King <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/exhaust-fans/" target="_blank">exhaust fan</a> and <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/fresh-air/" target="_blank">fresh air intake</a> solutions visit <a href="http://airkinglimited.com">airkinglimited.com</a>.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-49976475921423944372023-02-01T14:40:00.008-05:002023-02-01T14:40:55.092-05:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKnQxro7iFceb9w3DIFEzsPrQCrK8rQxEMDRj8njuHLNhKSvgy-JQWbqqWsapdZ7H4jBgCmcD86bylUVEAhQ_noiUJra9obe9Pts64FIpaLfsIBguuZ5X-CJlt9hFutFzqEANVHFX8cftGDw6UFeAKvzTZcfai8vQ1Nk3pqrzkEnTmjM7l9C2X-NE/s1000/GasStove2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKnQxro7iFceb9w3DIFEzsPrQCrK8rQxEMDRj8njuHLNhKSvgy-JQWbqqWsapdZ7H4jBgCmcD86bylUVEAhQ_noiUJra9obe9Pts64FIpaLfsIBguuZ5X-CJlt9hFutFzqEANVHFX8cftGDw6UFeAKvzTZcfai8vQ1Nk3pqrzkEnTmjM7l9C2X-NE/s320/GasStove2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />A lot has been made recently about gas stoves and indoor air quality. Claims are being made that gas stoves can cause health issues and should be banned. Not surprisingly this has create a divide with one side saying absolutely and the other with a no way no how.<p></p><p>One of the key issues at the heart of this debate is that gas stoves produce contaminates during the cooking process including nitrogen dioxide as well as PM2.5 (particulate matter). This is true – contaminates are produced. Now we are not doctors so we are not going to get into the debate of exactly what that means from a health standpoint. We will say this, allowing contaminates to permeate your home is never a good thing no matter what that contaminate is.</p><p>Here is where we try and take the middle ground of the two sides of this debate. We agree that gas stoves reduce the indoor air quality of the home, but cooking on electric stoves also produces contaminates (maybe not as many but contaminates are still produced). We also understand that gas stoves are the preferred method of cooking for many people. Our solution – ventilation. We realize your first reaction might be “of course, you’re a ventilation company”. Yes it is true we are a ventilation company but let's look at what is happening during the cooking process.</p><p>Our first question is would you set a fire pit in the middle of your living room? Crazy – right, the room would be filled with smoke within a matter of seconds causing you to have to evacuate the house immediately. When a gas stove is used, we are in essence doing the same thing. Now the big difference is that a gas stove is a cleaner burning energy compared to wood so there isn’t the immediate build-up of smoke but the contaminates are still being generated. What needs to happen is for those contaminates to be exhausted out of the house. This is where a properly sized and functioning range hood comes in. Simple – bad air with bad things out, good air in.</p><p>The next question we pose is if there is a properly sized and functioning range hood that exhausts to the outside over a gas stove, won’t that greatly reduce contaminate build-up in the home? Even in some of the “shocking” studies that are floating around currently, they agree that ventilation is a key way to improve the indoor air quality.</p><p>As we stated earlier, we are a ventilation company so we hope you didn’t expect to get through this entire post without us stating we have the perfect solution? Well we do. Air King produces a wide selection of range hood solutions but here is where we get into the “perfect” solution. Of utmost importance is that the range hood vents to the outside, otherwise it is just recirculating most of those contaminates right back into the home. Second is that the range hood is turned on every time the stove is used – even when baking. A big complaint is always the sound level of range hoods. Don’t worry we have that covered and are almost at that perfect solution we talked about. Third is that the range hood stays on long enough to clear any residual contaminates out that might be hanging around after the cooking is done. Now take any range hood (Air King or others) and you can solve for most of these as many range hoods have the ability to vent to the outdoors, some are on the quieter side and if you keep them on, they will clear the residuals. But we are not satisfied with “good”, we want perfect. Enter in the <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product/energy-star-ecq-ashrae-hoods/" target="_blank">ECQ</a> and <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product/energy-star-power-pack-ashrae62/" target="_blank">LE</a> series from Air King. Here is what makes them perfect. They vent to the outdoors and they operate at very low sound levels. On low speed they are about the sound your refrigerator makes. Even when you need the full power on high speed they are considerably quieter than other hoods. The “perfect” part is these series have a continuous speed that as named runs constantly. Why is that important? This allows the hood to take care of any residual contaminates that are hanging around as well as if there are any slight leaks from a gas stove. The best part is the sound is barely audible at <0.3 sones (what is a sone – <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/blog/what-in-the-world-are-sones-how-loud-is-my-exhaust-fan/" target="_blank">click here</a>). These series are ENERGY STAR® certified and also solve for ASHRAE 62.2 which is an indoor air quality code regarding ventilation of homes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2g90KVQdCMKhM1NdBunkq-dlRepkBnuuTgH75qlhzcYTYYHXD8gjwEWoZ4jyxHypDKBbf8Rrww2k0G_3tRs4mmLVbOA-G5FmnmpKKDyNWISDDJy6Uur1apO6t62Tk__ElOObOTTiAyGiWKGWMV0bP_QZk113lm52yeMZ-DyqfoYhxI41wkiEhw2Ij/s1000/ECQBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="1000" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2g90KVQdCMKhM1NdBunkq-dlRepkBnuuTgH75qlhzcYTYYHXD8gjwEWoZ4jyxHypDKBbf8Rrww2k0G_3tRs4mmLVbOA-G5FmnmpKKDyNWISDDJy6Uur1apO6t62Tk__ElOObOTTiAyGiWKGWMV0bP_QZk113lm52yeMZ-DyqfoYhxI41wkiEhw2Ij/w400-h171/ECQBlog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;">To bring this all to a close, we fully understand that the debate of gas stoves and indoor air quality will probably rage on for a while. Our request/hope is that we look at all the factors involved before we make wide spread decisions based on some knowledge but perhaps not all the knowledge. Main point, vent your range hood and turn it ON!</p><p style="text-align: left;">For more information about the indoor air quality of your home and how you can improve it, please read through the many articles we have written over the years. For information regarding Air King <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/range-hoods/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Range Hood</a> solutions click visit <a href="http://airkinglimited.com" target="_blank">airkinglimited.com</a>.</p></div>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-7845241257067174142023-01-02T11:28:00.003-05:002023-01-02T11:28:42.726-05:00How Is the Air In Your Office or School?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2-HycwMlhiGtiwwdh3YN7JgRNayWDu-UQEmH_18W9yPKsqGWHdnTP47obhV0ORmO7mb-CKyQX7KtvWkeYJGyV9MYi7T4OuNbzJJUhWvttsV61AhGnQoCV7MqdRXQiJl3WhhvEMxeNN2szLWiH9vLsQisY80VeKl3x6L77Tny-ND97Oa5oOMzHnYD/s1000/OfficeAir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="1000" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2-HycwMlhiGtiwwdh3YN7JgRNayWDu-UQEmH_18W9yPKsqGWHdnTP47obhV0ORmO7mb-CKyQX7KtvWkeYJGyV9MYi7T4OuNbzJJUhWvttsV61AhGnQoCV7MqdRXQiJl3WhhvEMxeNN2szLWiH9vLsQisY80VeKl3x6L77Tny-ND97Oa5oOMzHnYD/s320/OfficeAir.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />As we turn the calendar to a new year, we unfortunately are not turning the page on the COVID era. While almost all schools and offices have returned to a somewhat normal (however you now define normal) operation, the question still remains – how is the air in the office or school you are working in or sending your children to?<p></p><p>As our knowledge of COVID has increased our methods of combating it have also gotten better. Long past are the days where people in hazmat suits with foggers are going through public space after someone walks in. There has however been some good things. A focus has been placed on the indoor air quality of our homes, our workplaces and our schools. We are also now understanding that increased indoor air quality not only helps in the battle against COVID but also other viruses like the flu and colds.</p><p>So what is your workplace or school doing to improve the health of the working or studying environment? These are great questions to ask but, before you storm down to the HR department we want to encourage you to take a minute to stop, relax, and think of how you can be a part of the solution, working with your company or school rather than just demanding answers.</p><p>As we have navigated through all of this there have been some things that have been effective and some we thought were going to be effective but were not (Plexiglas dividers, the magical 6 feet, foggers, and so on). The challenge is always to do the best you can with the knowledge you have at the time, then use the test of time to figure out if it is effective. Through all this ventilation, fresh air and filtration have stood out as very effective ways to fight it. These “technologies” have been around for thousands of years so we think it passes the time test.</p><p>So using those test of time technologies lets take a look at what your office or school may be doing our could be doing.</p><p><b>Ventilation:</b> Simply defined it is moving stale or contaminated air out of a given space. The most common way is exhaust fans. Many time people think they are only used in bathrooms or kitchens, but they should be used throughout all spaces. A test to see if the space is being properly ventilated is using a CO2 monitor. If you have a room full of people or kids, as they breath the CO2 level of the room will rise if it is not properly ventilated. Another way is the “human” test. Does the space feel stagnant, have smells and so forth. There are multiple ways a space can be effectively ventilated. Adding exhaust fans, air exchangers or utilizing existing infrastructure are some. Depending on the building there can be some low cost solutions or it might require a larger investment.</p><p><b>Fresh Air:</b> Having a source that brings fresh outside air into the space to replace the exhausted air or at least dilutes it. There are basically two ways to do this. One is passive – doing things like opening windows or doors if it can be done without compromising the safety of the building. A second is mechanical – utilizing a fan to bring in fresh air. This can be done in a standalone unit or as part of the HVAC system. One thing to note about bringing in outdoor air is if you are in an area with very poor air quality such as near forest fires or locations with large air pollution, adding a filtration system to the incoming air is an almost must.</p><p><b>Filtration:</b> Having a system in place that removes contaminates in the air, capturing them in a filter. All HVAC systems will have some type of filter with them. Filters are measured by what they can remove from the air. Filters are typically identified with a MERV rating. A quick explanation of the MERV number is the higher it is, the more effective it will be in removing particles from the air. Filtration is an extremely effective way to fight viruses as it removes them from the air. This goes back to our statement that if the virus is not there, it can’t infect you. We mentioned HVAC systems having filters but sometimes the system cannot handle higher MERV filters without compromising the effectiveness of the HVAC system. This is where portable air filters come into play. Generally room level air filters or air purifiers are very easy to add and in a lot of cases do not cost a lot of money. Utilizing something like the Lasko <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lasko-Air-Flex-2-in-1-20-inch-Box-Fan-and-Air-Purifier-in-One-with-3-Speeds-FF305-White/473758982" target="_blank">FF305 Air Flex </a>is a quick and easy way to filter air in office spaces, classrooms or at home. There are additional technologies out there for improving indoor air quality but some of these have not be fully proven yet. You can read more about these in one of our earlier <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/blog/indoor-air-quality-products-what-are-the-best-options/" target="_blank">blog post.</a></p><p>Our goal is to give you the tools to create the best possible working, learning and living environments possible. If you have a good ventilation system with a source for air exchange (fresh air coming in) and are filtering the air within the space, you are well on your way. We encourage you to have open and productive conversations with your workplace, school board and so forth to find out what they are doing to ensure these items are taking place.</p><p>For more information about Air King’s line of ventilation solutions including <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/exhaust-fans/" target="_blank">exhaust fans</a>, <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/range-hoods/" target="_blank">range hoods</a> and <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/fresh-air/" target="_blank">fresh air intake</a>, visit <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com">airkinglimited.com</a>. Also check out our other posts about ventilation and indoor air quality.</p><p></p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-8520173513337760222022-12-01T10:56:00.002-05:002022-12-01T10:56:40.637-05:00Ventilation Past Present and Future<p><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px;"><span style="color: #494949; font-family: Roboto-Regular;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #494949; font-family: Roboto-Regular;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVsbToixteesRjxSSKpg934DYKsvNo83hrYfHKIDPmCOZYmEG3mPqDhDO1Yz_kNklPzngFDTJEJGEg6th8Ze79dUVVwS7yEiahlp-m_hBnxS_DL3gCmIOCI3duJbqb2P8pyspsfW8JGyUYlJKFAtx7OAco1iCjCM7n1Y_Q8-a4DmuCXR0ITtTZiML/s1000/OpenWindow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVsbToixteesRjxSSKpg934DYKsvNo83hrYfHKIDPmCOZYmEG3mPqDhDO1Yz_kNklPzngFDTJEJGEg6th8Ze79dUVVwS7yEiahlp-m_hBnxS_DL3gCmIOCI3duJbqb2P8pyspsfW8JGyUYlJKFAtx7OAco1iCjCM7n1Y_Q8-a4DmuCXR0ITtTZiML/s320/OpenWindow.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #494949; font-family: Roboto-Regular;"><br />If you have ever been in Barcelona and have had the opportunity to visit La Pedrera (Case Milà) built by Antoni Gaudi in the early 1900’s, one of the interesting facts is how Gaudi integrated natural ventilation into his design. Gaudi was a man ahead of his time but he understood that ventilation, even in the early 1900’s was an integral part of the health of the home and it’s residents.</span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="color: #494949; font-family: Roboto-Regular;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><i></i></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #494949; font-family: Roboto-Regular;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdtYT25AINsHMTATzgiM9B5g_DyttBs0Wl4DtcshzWVIjwHqF3QQC18B7LXyzS2VRCoP63DANOQdIESPiwNpST1e_h7v2J9AcHbM-1CM8eBeeXMkrTbOKoW7O9IHJaZuKnxxDrA3FGlh1rumpIPT4lyNO60URwVJSiWyhqLpDWiAPAal81bPtMC4k/s500/Casa1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdtYT25AINsHMTATzgiM9B5g_DyttBs0Wl4DtcshzWVIjwHqF3QQC18B7LXyzS2VRCoP63DANOQdIESPiwNpST1e_h7v2J9AcHbM-1CM8eBeeXMkrTbOKoW7O9IHJaZuKnxxDrA3FGlh1rumpIPT4lyNO60URwVJSiWyhqLpDWiAPAal81bPtMC4k/w150-h200/Casa1.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0vU6YH1-INpN9ZsFY9NyVv4CeP1Zkh3NuqjG_5gYvjVt9c_l_UKzgT4Zy3XLLKj0aakWBsNl5jP3fpfnzVt8AZ5Myl5hp5ePKCr5cb1Fl99b0URdugutiFkPfm56Q-OObjzPWy9fL8JM-B0lohyDYkX9ghoZ7D66Dt3cWpNfkyyyej1XdkxZzqau/s500/Casa2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0vU6YH1-INpN9ZsFY9NyVv4CeP1Zkh3NuqjG_5gYvjVt9c_l_UKzgT4Zy3XLLKj0aakWBsNl5jP3fpfnzVt8AZ5Myl5hp5ePKCr5cb1Fl99b0URdugutiFkPfm56Q-OObjzPWy9fL8JM-B0lohyDYkX9ghoZ7D66Dt3cWpNfkyyyej1XdkxZzqau/w150-h200/Casa2.jpg" width="150" /></a></i></span></div><span style="color: #494949; font-family: Roboto-Regular;"><i><br />Internal courtyards were integrated into the design of La Pedrera. Each courtyard allowed the residents to open windows inside their apartment for a source of fresh air and cross ventilation as each apartment had access to a courtyard as well as an outside (façade side) window.</i></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #494949; font-family: Roboto-Regular;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">If we go back even further we see ventilation coming into play in the 17th century when King Charles I of England decreed that all ceilings must be 10 feet high and windows must be higher than wide to increase ventilation. I guess we can attribute the first building code to Charles the 1st. As we skip though time we see ventilation become more prominent with windows, open courtyards, additional chimneys and so forth.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #494949; font-family: Roboto-Regular;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Then came the big innovation – the advent of what is known as mechanical ventilation. This includes bathroom exhaust fans, kitchen range hoods as well as air intake to assist with the ventilation and balancing of the home. These items became code and are now commonplace in almost all homes across the United States and beyond. They are also required as part of the national building code, which is a great thing.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #494949; font-family: Roboto-Regular;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Unfortunately there has been a recent trend where the importance of ventilation was put to the side a bit as the importance of energy efficient homes was brought to the forefront. It wasn’t that ventilation was forgotten, it was just not as important. The issue was that to build a “tight” home, you didn’t want any air leakage in or out. If you were removing air, you had to replace it and replacing the air caused you to have to condition that air – using more energy. Thankfully it was recognized that while having a tight home with minimum air leakages is great for your energy bill it is not great for your health. Now we are understanding that we need a balanced approach to make sure we have proper ventilation while still maintaining the energy efficiency of the home. This means taking control of the air coming in and out of the home using exhaust fans and air intake products.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #494949; font-family: Roboto-Regular;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">As we look to what is next for ventilation, it is great to see that the importance is permeating into our workspaces as well as our residences. More and more offices and public building are realizing there is a responsibility to provide a healthy and safe space. Part of that is making sure the air that is being breathed in those spaces is the best it can be. There have been many studies done showing that a properly ventilated office can actually increase productivity and decrease the number of sick days taken by employees. The interesting thread through the history of ventilation is the simplicity of it – remove the stale indoor air and replace it with fresh air. The methods have changed over the years but the principles have stayed the same.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #494949; font-family: Roboto-Regular;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 15px;"></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #494949; font-family: Roboto-Regular;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">For more information about Air King’s line of ventilation solutions including exhaust fans, range hoods and fresh air intake, utilize the menu links at the top of this page. Also check out our other posts about ventilation and indoor air quality.</span></span></p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-59633295841562746592022-11-01T08:23:00.006-04:002022-11-01T08:23:00.194-04:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3jtUornIn_c0F1xlgBfUlhoRQiMMnRAfyf2FWbqBTZmSWWTmSCzNv7VkdH5yC4KWLBJzsml9bhePFGsaFyKPoPkzq8IFe70JfinVny65OI_GnT9X5pNuEPrPB_VyWe_KREJCNWjW4oR8IAyMCmYmsMyEWvNEf1G0hEuOvwRW-R1O1ia-ZVp4lJvN/s1000/IAQLivingRoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3jtUornIn_c0F1xlgBfUlhoRQiMMnRAfyf2FWbqBTZmSWWTmSCzNv7VkdH5yC4KWLBJzsml9bhePFGsaFyKPoPkzq8IFe70JfinVny65OI_GnT9X5pNuEPrPB_VyWe_KREJCNWjW4oR8IAyMCmYmsMyEWvNEf1G0hEuOvwRW-R1O1ia-ZVp4lJvN/s320/IAQLivingRoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />You have probably heard it said one way or another that the first step in fixing a problem is identifying the problem. The same holds true with our home’s indoor air quality (IAQ). Home contaminate identification is the first step on the path to improving it. Here is a list of our top 5 contaminates:<p></p><ol><li>It sounds a little silly but one of the largest sources of contaminates in our homes is us. We breath, we bring in contaminates from the outside on our clothing (pollen, dirt, dust, etc.), viruses and so forth. Other than never leaving the house and stopping breathing (not really an option), there isn’t much we can reduce. Maybe leave the dirty shoes outside before coming in the home but not much more. What we need to look at is how to mitigate. A regular cleaning schedule is a good start. Using natural cleaning agents that do not give off harmful gasses is a must, otherwise you might be doing more harm than good. Also a good vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter will prevent you from putting all the “bad” stuff right back into the room. Lastly, having a good system in place to ventilate the home as well as bring in fresh air is a must. The ventilation fans will help remove contaminates replacing them with fresh air coming in.</li><li>The kitchen and cooking. While there might be some out there that never use their kitchen, our guess is the vast majority do. Cooking is one of the top contributors to bad indoor air quality. You have steam, grease, smoke (some of us more than others) and all kinds of other contaminates generated during the cooking process. If these are not mitigated it cannot only be bad for the indoor air quality, it could also be dangerous. The good news is there is a simple answer – your range hood. Ideally, your range hood should vent to the outdoors rather than return the air to the kitchen after going through a filter. In previous blog posts we listed a lot of reasons why people do not use their range hoods. Moral of the story – USE YOUR RANGE HOOD!</li><li>You might say – wait, you just told us to clean our homes in the first point. You are correct, but we need to focus on the way to properly clean. Cleaning agents are some powerful things. If you have ever used toilet bowl cleaner, the smell can knock you back a bit. It does its job but it is also giving off more bad gases than you probably want to know about. The same holds true with a lot of the other items we use to clean – furniture polish, bleach, laundry detergent and the list goes on. So we know we need to clean but how do we do it without negatively affecting the IAQ of the home. There are a lot of “natural” cleaners on the market today. We are not necessarily endorsing these as so many make claims but after a little investigating are not as advertised. What we do advocate is utilizing the exhaust fans of the home when cleaning. Do you turn the bathroom exhaust fan on when you clean? If not you should. Even turning the kitchen range hood when you are cleaning in or around the kitchen will help. Slightly opening a window when you can is another easy and effective way to bring fresh air in, diluting the concentration of cleaners.</li><li>The bathroom. This is another area of the home that is a necessity but can also have a negative effect on your indoor air quality. When we shower it produces moisture. Moisture leads to mildew which leads to mold, which is bad. For the sake of those around you, please continue to shower but lets look at ways to reduce the moisture generated. The number one thing you can do is to properly utilize the exhaust fan. A properly sized and functioning exhaust fan will greatly reduce the amount of moisture in the room. Without moisture it is very hard for mold and mildew to grow. The key is making sure your fan is powerful enough and runs long enough. Exhaust fans have progressed a lot in the past few decades and now you can get them with integrated humidity sensors that automatically turn the fan on when the humidity rises and then turns off when the humidity drops. A mistake many people make is not running the exhaust fan long enough after a shower or bath. In some cases it might take more than an hour to clear out all the humidity that has built up. Air King has a full line of effective and affordable humidity sensing exhaust fans. Opening windows is another solution but you need to be careful. Not sure if you live in a northern state you want to open windows in the middle of winter, same holds true for southern states in the middle of summer.</li><li>Candles, incense, diffusers. This is probably the one that gets the most push back. We are writing this blog at the beginning of November right in the heart of pumpkin spice season. We enjoy a nice smelling candle as much as the next person but we need to stop and think about what is happening. When we light a candle, or more accurately, burn a candle it is releasing all types of contaminates as well as scents. At its root, we are burning something that releases carcinogens into the air. You might see “Clean burning candles” but generally all that means is the wax gets burned up with the candle instead of dripping all over everything. Another one is “naturally made”. This is great, but it still needs to be burnt. Wood is “naturally” made but if you light a bonfire in your living room, you’re going to have some problems (okay, maybe a little extreme but you get our point). Now if you still want to light candles, a way to lessen the impact on your indoor air quality is to utilize them in well-ventilated areas. Taking a bath? Make sure the exhaust fan is on. If using in the main living area, is there a way to have a flow of fresh air coming in to dilute it?</li></ol><p><strong>BONUS:</strong> Pets. Yes we love them as they are part of the family but they can be a menace to the indoor air quality of the home. There is the dander, the hair, what they bring in on their fur (pollen, dirt, etc.). Don’t get us wrong, we love pets but it is important to have a strategy to keep their impact on the indoor air quality of the home as little as possible. Oh and guess what, pets benefit from good IAQ as well. The good news is the strategy with pets is mostly the same as the other items we have been talking about, cleaning, proper ventilation and good airflow.</p><p>Now, if you have been paying attention, you probably noticed a common theme through all of these points on home contaminate identification – ventilation and fresh air. If you can properly ventilate your home while replacing the stale “bad” air with fresh, your indoor air quality will be the best it can. Now also add in regularly changing your air filters if you have central heating/cooling, you’re really going to see a noticeable difference.</p><p>For more information about Air King’s line of indoor air quality solution including <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/exhaust-fans/" target="_blank">exhaust fans</a>, <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/range-hoods/" target="_blank">range hoods</a> and <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/fresh-air/" target="_blank">fresh air intake</a>, visit <a href="http://www.airkinglimited.com" target="_blank">airkinglimited.com</a>. Also check out our other posts about indoor air quality.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-75872957784484521922022-10-06T09:40:00.000-04:002022-10-06T09:40:49.018-04:00When is the Cooking Done?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_9B1BEw_baBocqW9dozby_d5QZhWpcrw9Glp3-NWaIESyTvFpV_UxOLDLlBYBe6lUeq6CB3lczvdnVRprMpAqILdBhRu-qxC6mP01hhxaa-ufLS4Yy1x0xg7-Bc04kYHRbtEa87zDKCbrTyQRnSU8X_ciJVYj2ILTEcxx3DEY1DkBnBClog3guv3/s1000/ESQZLifestyleBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="1000" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_9B1BEw_baBocqW9dozby_d5QZhWpcrw9Glp3-NWaIESyTvFpV_UxOLDLlBYBe6lUeq6CB3lczvdnVRprMpAqILdBhRu-qxC6mP01hhxaa-ufLS4Yy1x0xg7-Bc04kYHRbtEa87zDKCbrTyQRnSU8X_ciJVYj2ILTEcxx3DEY1DkBnBClog3guv3/s320/ESQZLifestyleBlog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>You just finished making your favorite meal for the family and you are about to sit down to enjoy it, but is the cooking done? The first thing you might ask is, do you mean is the meat done or are the vegetables fully cooked? Those are good questions to ask but we are asking if the cooking process is done from a ventilation standpoint.<p></p><p>A mistake a lot of us make is that we immediately turn off the ventilation system as soon as the food comes off the cooktop. The problem with that is the pots and pans we have been using are still emitting contaminates into the air. Think about it, let's say you are sautéing vegetables in a pan. During the cooking process they are emitting items like grease, steam, carcinogens and so forth. All of those items are also gathering in the pan itself. Now you transfer the food to a plate and are done – right? Not really, the pan is still hot and still emitting those items. Sometimes it is really easy to see this playing out as steam or smoke is still coming off the pan even after we have taken everything out. Even the cooking surface it still going to be sending off contaminates as it is still at a high temperature.</p><p>Some will depend on what type of cooking you are doing but in general you want to keep your range hood running for 10 to 15 minutes after the cooktop has been turned off. This will give ample time for all of the contaminated generated during the cooking process to be ventilated out. It will also provide enough time for the pots/pans and cooking surface to cool to a point they are no longer producing contaminates.</p><p>So why do so many of us turn the range hood off immediately after the active cooking is completed? Our guess is it comes down to one main reason – sound. We get it. Most of the range hoods out there are just plain loud. Here is where we have some suggestions. First, if you are in the market to replace your range hood or are thinking about a kitchen remodel, there are a lot of quiet options when it comes to <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/energy-star-range-hood/">range hoods</a>. Air King has models that are almost as quiet as your refrigerator.</p><p>If a replacement is not in the immediate future, look to use the speed control of your range hood. Almost all range hoods have at least two speeds. During the active cooking process you’ll probably want to use a high setting to effectively clear out as much of the contaminates as possible. Once the active cooking is done, there are less contaminates being released so you can go down to a lower/quieter speed while still effectively ventilating. For the ultimate in kitchen ventilation, Air King offers continuously operating range hoods that operate at an almost silent sound level then have higher settings to effectively clear the air. You can learn more about them <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product/energy-star-power-pack-ashrae62/">here</a>.</p><p>A second reason some might be quick to turn the range hood off is energy usage. If the range hood is running, it is using electricity. This is true but once again, we have some answers for that. In general range hoods are fairly efficient as far as appliances go. The good news is that there are many models on the market today that are ENERGY STAR® certified and use a significantly less amount of energy than a traditional range hood, in some case up to 30% less. The lighting can also make a measurable difference. An ENERGY STAR certified range hood is going to use LED lighting, which is usually not more than 11 watts. A traditional hood might use up to 100 watts or more. Now here’s more good news. Even in a traditional hood, changing the lighting to LED is a simple process that can reap immediate benefits without a full kitchen remodel. While the ventilation should run for additional time, the lighting does not need to. You can turn the lighting off at anytime you want, it will not affect the exhaust function of the range hood.</p><p>So we come back to the question of when is the cooking done? Our goal of this post it to get you thinking about all the factors that go into ensuring good indoor air quality within your living space as well as getting you to look a little deeper into how you utilize the tools you have.</p><p>For more information about Air King’s line of quiet and efficient range hoods, <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/" target="_blank">visit airkinglimited.com</a>. Also check out our other posts about continuous operating range hoods and the benefits of range hoods.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-66608193405141622062022-09-01T08:22:00.018-04:002022-09-01T08:22:00.199-04:00Do Fans Cool?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_Vag5vXha3lVx3-iCf0YvCsGAdeKXs1p7uZq3VlvIsCgX6LojOn1S1hnmSd2KY4bk4IKM6mWb7UbXyyKFc1hU7QPYWOYSCZE0ry2_67dAlTOFNkWY3qNkKzohvXkMl_uex9Mi9DQB7L0Lnk69RAsblbmv-PQjJrUwQXXfIidOmmgfL1HO5SF1Uss/s1000/DoFansCool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_Vag5vXha3lVx3-iCf0YvCsGAdeKXs1p7uZq3VlvIsCgX6LojOn1S1hnmSd2KY4bk4IKM6mWb7UbXyyKFc1hU7QPYWOYSCZE0ry2_67dAlTOFNkWY3qNkKzohvXkMl_uex9Mi9DQB7L0Lnk69RAsblbmv-PQjJrUwQXXfIidOmmgfL1HO5SF1Uss/s320/DoFansCool.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The topic of do fans cool is one that has been debated for decades. As with all debates there are two sides to it. When we say fans, we are referring to products like box fans, pedestal fans, pivoting fans, window fans and so forth. Let’s also get this out of the way from the start – we are a fan manufacturer so our opinion might be slightly bias. What we hope to do in this post is to give you the information to make your own determination.<p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Why People Say Fans Do Not Cool</h3><p>This is a fairly simple answer. You will hear fans referred to as “air circulators” because that in essence is what they are doing – circulating the air. The types of fans we are talking about do not have any refrigerant or “cooling” devices attached to them, they simply move the air from one area to another. Because of this there is no temperature change in the air itself. This is more of a scientific answer to the question of do fans cool? So when they say that fans do not cool, technically they are correct. Before you stop, read on for the rebuttal.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Why People Say Fans Do Cool</h3><p>Scientist make a strong argument that fans do not cool but there are two ways that we hope to show you that they do indeed cool. The first is in a room. In this scenario we can actually use scientific methods to show that fans do cool a room. Here is how they accomplish that.</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>In any room heat will build up in certain areas – generally in the upper parts of the room as heat rises. Utilizing a fan to distribute the cool air and to disperse the hot air in the room can have an overall effect of cooling the room. This could be an actual temperature change that can be measured or could be a perceived temperature change (more of temperature perception later). Once again, the fan is not cooling the air, it is using the cooler air in one part of the room to cool the warm air in another.</li><li>Another way that fans can be used to cool a room is by bringing cool air from one part of the home to another. A prime example of this is when fans are used in harmony with air conditioning. Most air conditioners including central air systems are going to have variations from room to room. Think about your home, is there one room that is always hotter than another? Just like in our first point, using a fan to move that cooler air from one room to another will give you a consistent temperature in your home. In theory this should actually lower your cooling cost. Generally if you have hot and cold rooms, you need to over cool some rooms in order to make the other “warmer rooms” livable. If you have a consistent temperature throughout the home, your AC unit(s) will run less.</li><li>The last way a fan cools a room is utilizing cooler outdoor air. Window fans are a great example of this. During the daytime, the temperature of the home will rise and it will either be very hot inside, or you will need to run your AC unit. During the evening and nighttime hours however the temperature outside might drop below the temperature inside the house. The issue is just opening windows generally doesn’t bring the outside air in quickly enough to make a significant change. Using a window fan speeds the process along. As we have a theme going, the fan is not cooling the air, it is bringing the cooler outdoor air and exchanging the warmer indoor air.</li></ol><p></p><p>Next we move to perceived cooling. Perceived cooling is simply making your body think it is cooler. A perfect example of this is if you stand outside on a hot, sunny day and there is no breeze. It probably doesn’t take long for your body to tell you it’s hot. Now stand out in those same conditions but now a nice breeze starts to blow and all of a sudden your body feels cooler. The temperature of the air hasn’t changed – it’s the same but for some reason your body feels cooler. Now there is a scientific reason for this in that the air is removing the warm moisture (sweat) build up on the skin which is how your body is cooling itself. We’re not going to get too far into that – a Google search can help you understand that process. The point is that our bodies perceive that it is cooler even though the temperature is not. Using a fan is the “breeze” that tricks our bodies into thinking it is cooler, making it more comfortable.</p><p>So where does this leave us in the debate of Do Fans Cool? We agree that if you want to get down to the technical level, fans do not cool. However we hope we have given you enough information to combat that argument with a yes, but….</p><p>To learn more about the air circulating fans that Air King offers including <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product/commercial-box-fans/" target="_blank">box fans</a>, <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product/commercial-pedestal-fans/" target="_blank">pedestal fans</a>, <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product/window-fan/" target="_blank">window fans</a> as well as <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/industrial-grade-fans/" target="_blank">industrial grade fans</a> and more, visit <a href="http://airkinglimited.com">airkinglimited.com</a>.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-81575284727253717672022-08-01T14:01:00.000-04:002022-08-01T14:01:08.063-04:00Is Your Home Clean?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ks3hdqtP_PHoQydQr4MImzMNJ0-lWoGkRs1OD7gTZM64ex-8ms9ukhW1pzWQMrGHIJMHVL6X3uwcNenxQHX5OfklnLbkbJhd1cPtfd41hOdaep2Ud33dCdbDkQH70hKiCvG28LCTKPtEKKu3gfBSqelSLe_x_7QXXVxAwxYPiUX-aWBd9gN43XdW/s1000/Vacuum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ks3hdqtP_PHoQydQr4MImzMNJ0-lWoGkRs1OD7gTZM64ex-8ms9ukhW1pzWQMrGHIJMHVL6X3uwcNenxQHX5OfklnLbkbJhd1cPtfd41hOdaep2Ud33dCdbDkQH70hKiCvG28LCTKPtEKKu3gfBSqelSLe_x_7QXXVxAwxYPiUX-aWBd9gN43XdW/s320/Vacuum.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Seems like a simple question – Is your home clean? Many of us would say yes, for the most part it is clean. There might be a loose sock or two lying around and the kids might have just dragged some grass or dirt in, but its not like there is an inch of mud on the floors. Asking if your home is clean is a bit of a loaded question because the answer always NO. Now we are not here to judge your house but we are here to help you understand what factors make it not clean. Notice we are not saying dirty. While dirt does contribute to the uncleanliness of a house, it is not the only factor.<p></p><p>When we refer to a clean house we are looking at things you can see as well as things you can’t. Some are easier than other. For instance when your white rugs look closer to brown than white, they are not clean. If there is dirt and dust all over, it is easy to see that the home is not clean. Where it gets tricky is when you are dealing with unseen or very hard to see contaminates. These would include things floating around in the air like viruses, particulate matter and so forth. Even something like dust is actually hard to see until it piles up on surfaces.</p><p>There are numerous items that cause our homes to not be clean. Just daily living in your home is going to cause it to not be clean. Add in pets, kids, guests and so forth and the battle to keep it clean increases exponentially. Here is where we can go one of three ways. First is to ball up in a fetal position and tell yourself you're doomed. We don’t recommend that. Second is to try and clean everything constantly, hose off the dog and kids every time they come in from outside and basically drive yourself crazy. Again, not what we recommend. Third is to create a strategy to minimize contaminates and increase your indoor air quality. How do you do this?</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Look at your home and what activities are causing contaminates. As we have spoken about at length in other blog posts, cooking is one of the top contributors to contaminates in the home. If you are finding grease or other build-up on or around the cooktop that is an indication that you haven’t been using the range hood, don’t have one, or need a better one that vents to the outdoors.</li><li>Are you using your bathroom exhaust fans? Exhausting contaminates including moister decreases the possibility of mold and mildew from forming. They also help to remove any off-gassing from things like cleaners.</li><li>Do you make everyone take off their shoes when they come into the house so they don’t drag dirt in? Do you brush the dog regularly to decrease the amount of hair floating around (large dog owners we understand, this can be a full time job with a shedding dog in the summer months – do your best).</li><li>Do you burn candles? They can be a major contributor to poor indoor air quality. You can read more about that here.</li><li>Do you have a regular cleaning routine. We talked about obsessive cleaning and it being a bit unrealistic, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be part of a regular routine. When using cleaners look for ones with low VOC’s and utilize the exhaust fans of the home (bathroom fans as well as kitchen range hoods) to exhaust any of the cleaning chemicals that are released into the air during the process. On good air quality days, opening a window is also a good option.</li></ol><p></p><p>So we come back to the first question – Is your home clean? The answer is always going to be no, but hopefully we have given you some things to consider and look for to increase the cleanliness of your home which will have a positive effect on the overall indoor air quality of your home.</p><p>For information about exhaust fans, range hoods and fresh air solutions visit <a href="http://www.airkinglimited.com">www.airkinglimited.com</a></p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-47169971054001008322022-07-01T13:50:00.005-04:002022-07-01T13:58:04.405-04:00What Makes Particulate Matter So Harmful?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zjFhuFUBKahk-Q6vel5R8Wnr2p-D6X9Vy2VRCVUdc3_cYthMwEb5cExhr-GcVmJUHiJGK5c_2J7OJyVxV8ov_66-iVY_-YqlFVihJlE9v65q1FxDVotH4zT0bTyxtqfxGCkZOBtOvX1us_TpFgrqwK_1hxyaH7b6fZfC3P5z_Hd9Iyer3GnWf81K/s1000/cookingflame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zjFhuFUBKahk-Q6vel5R8Wnr2p-D6X9Vy2VRCVUdc3_cYthMwEb5cExhr-GcVmJUHiJGK5c_2J7OJyVxV8ov_66-iVY_-YqlFVihJlE9v65q1FxDVotH4zT0bTyxtqfxGCkZOBtOvX1us_TpFgrqwK_1hxyaH7b6fZfC3P5z_Hd9Iyer3GnWf81K/s320/cookingflame.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A term that has gained popularity lately is particulate matter or as it is sometimes known – PM2.5. So what is PM2.5? They are tiny particles or droplets in the air that are 2.5 microns or less in width. To give that perspective there are about 25,000 microns in an inch. Okay, so we know they are small but how does that affect my health?<p></p><p>Particles that small are able to travel deep into the respiratory tract and end up in the lungs. Our noses are able to trap particles in the 10 micron range. Since PM2.5 are a quarter that size or smaller, they are able to bypass our first line of defense and travel to the lungs. You don’t need to be a doctor to realize that particles getting trapped in our lungs does not sound like a good thing. It’s not. There are short-term health effects such as eye, nose and throat irritation, coughing, sneezing and runny nose. A more serious effect can be shortness of breath. Long-term effects can be even more serious and include lung and heart issues.</p><p>So now that we have you completely paranoid about particulate matter let’s take a closer look at where it comes from and how we can lessen exposure. PM2.5 is all around us so completely eliminating it is basically impossible. Main outdoor producers are items that use combustion (burning of fuel) like cars, trucks, construction equipment as well as fires. Unfortunately there are also indoor items that also produce PM2.5. Main culprits are cooking, fireplaces, smoking (as well as second hand smoke) and burning candles. This is why lung cancer is directly linked to smoking as all the particulate matter generated during smoking goes directly into the lungs. While a single particle is way too small to see, we are able to identify concentrations as well as situations that are producing them. Outdoors when the air is hazy and visibility is decreased it could be because of an increase in PM2.5. Urban settings are going to see this more in times of heavy traffic and especially if there isn’t any wind to dilute the build-up of particles. In rural settings heavy pollen counts can cause a similar situation. Increases in wildfires are also a heavy contributor. Fires are especially concerning as wind can blow the smoke hundreds of miles away from the source, affecting a much larger area. Inside it is a little harder to identify. If your kitchen is filled with smoke from burning dinner – yes that is all particulate matter and is fairly easy to identify. The challenge is that during normal cooking you might not be able to identify how much PM2.5 you are producing.</p><p>Okay, enough with all the bad stuff. How do we combat particulate matter? As we mentioned PM2.5 is all around us so we need to look for ways to reduce it as best we can. We have been talking about two categories throughout this post – outdoor and indoor. Outdoor is a little harder to control and we need to take a more knowledge-based approach. Most states have a resource that informs the residents of the fine particle levels on a given day. Checking that before going outside can help. If you are in a high level area, avoid things like exercise or anything that will increase your air intake. Maybe postpone that hike until the levels drop. In urban setting, look to schedule outdoor activities on lesser traffic days or times. For instance if you like to run in the city, do it during lower traffic times where you won’t be breathing in as much of the contaminates coming from car exhaust. Same would hold true if you are in an areas that has stagnant air in the morning but then gets afternoon breezes that will carry away or at least dilute a lot of the contaminates.</p><p>Indoors is where you have a lot more control. The simple thing to do is stop PM2.5 from being produced. Unfortunately that is a lot easier said than done. We still need to cook and use things like clothes dryers. Eliminating smoking inside (doesn’t help the smoker but will benefit everyone else), stop burning candles, cook less fried foods are all good things. For the rest of the particles the key is to remove or dilute them. The easiest way is to exhaust them out of the house. The biggest contributor to PM2.5 in the home is the cooktop. Having a properly functioning and sized range hood that exhausts to the outside is your best defense. Some range hoods just recirculate the air back into the kitchen and are not effective at removing the particles. Over the counter microwaves, while convenient, do not do a great job of removing particles. Exhaust fans are generally installed in a bathroom, which is great, but they can and should be used in other areas of the home like laundry rooms. With all the exhaust going out, you also need a solution for the air coming in the home. As we discussed earlier, the outdoor air might not be any better than the air going out. Having a fresh are solution that can also filter the air – removing the PM2.5 is critical.</p><p>Air King offers solution for all your <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/exhaust-fans/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">exhaust</a> and <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/fresh-air/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">air intake</a> needs. Air King <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/range-hoods/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">range hoods</a> are perfect for almost all residential kitchens while a full array of exhaust fans offer solutions for any room of the home. Air King fresh air intake solutions offer controlled and filtered air to replace the exhausted air and filter out almost all of the PM2.5 that would come in from the outside (when using a MERV11 or MERV16 filter).</p><p>For information about fresh air or ventilation solutions visit <a href="http://airkinglimited.com">airkinglimited.com</a>.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-9169796460320020742022-06-01T08:45:00.012-04:002022-06-01T08:45:00.226-04:00Is Fresh Air Fresh?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJT2uH_jKk4wTBst3MGtiQb9MNABk2n1mRKnxBKcbIYIl3EthpFvnlUkb01PvaUG0UDkl5OZeSmOwUATyNjCtJs1BYx4R8SS65HpOl8GaTntpRQ6yyPle1MDKda1IMGy1FCYC6HqEN5rGFXbxCb0qkmk7CJZ7jVoBGnxGsRV_KM-7Ed7Wy6lEkBmO/s1000/FreshAir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="1000" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJT2uH_jKk4wTBst3MGtiQb9MNABk2n1mRKnxBKcbIYIl3EthpFvnlUkb01PvaUG0UDkl5OZeSmOwUATyNjCtJs1BYx4R8SS65HpOl8GaTntpRQ6yyPle1MDKda1IMGy1FCYC6HqEN5rGFXbxCb0qkmk7CJZ7jVoBGnxGsRV_KM-7Ed7Wy6lEkBmO/s320/FreshAir.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We say it all the time – I’m going outside for some fresh air or, open the window to let the fresh air in. But is that air fresh? It is a question with many answers and we are going to take a look at some of them.<p></p><p>First, what is fresh air? As defined by the Google Oxford Languages dictionary it is “<em>the air outside as opposed to that within a room or other enclosed space.</em>” Great so as long as we are outside the air is fresh – case closed, thanks for reading. Well we think it is a little more involved than that. We know that the air inside a home or office can be 5 times more contaminated than outside air so does that confirm that outside air is fresh?</p><p>Here is where it gets a little complicated. What is in the outside air? If you live in a city with a lot of air pollution from cars, businesses and so forth, it is hard to call that fresh. Now let's go the opposite direction to a rural area. That air has to be fresh – right? While it might not have the man-made contaminates, there could be a host of other contaminates like pollen, dust, and more.</p><p>Great, so we know that the air inside is bad and the air outside might not be any better, what do we do? Here is where we take a step back, relax and realize we can’t control everything so let's concentrate on what we can. The reason the air inside our homes can be so bad is because it takes everything and concentrates it. Even the “polluted” outside air is going to have less concentration of contaminates than the indoor air (unless you are standing right next to a car tailpipe or under a building exhaust system). You have contaminates you generate (cooking, showering, breathing, and just living) plus contaminates coming in from the outside. Without a mitigation strategy they build up and linger inside the home. A very easy solution is a properly operating ventilation system. Using exhaust fans in the bathrooms, a range hood in the kitchen and exhaust fans in any other areas where contaminates build up such as laundry and craft rooms. The ventilation system will take the bad air out but we still need to deal with the air coming in.</p><p>The air coming into the home will dilute the remaining contaminates that the exhaust fans do not get. The key is controlling the air coming into the home. Opening a window or door will definitely bring air in but you will not have any control over it. On days where the pollutants such as pollen, dust and so forth are high, you might not want to open the windows. Utilizing what is known as a mechanical solution puts the control into your hands. A mechanical solution is just a fancy term for a fan that brings air into the home. Some HVAC systems have an intake that pulls air in from the outside, which is then filtered as it goes through the system. Standard HVAC filters capture items like dust, dander, pollen, and larger contaminates. Upgraded filters can capture items like viruses. Read our “<em><a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/blog/the-air-filter-debate-is-too-much-too-much/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Air Filter Debate – Is Too Much Too Much</a></em>” blog post for more information about air filters. For HVAC systems that do not have an outdoor intake function or need more air, utilizing an air intake system with a filter is a great way to control the amount of air coming in as well as ensuring it is as “clean” as possible.</p><p>So where does this leave us? Is fresh air fresh? Maybe instead of using a generic term like fresh air we should be asking if the air is the best we can do? Having a good strategy in place for your home such as proper ventilation as well as air intake will allow you the peace of mind that you are doing everything you can to provide the best indoor air quality you can.</p><p>For information about <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/fresh-air/" target="_blank">fresh air</a>, <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/exhaust-fans/" target="_blank">exhaust fan</a> or <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/range-hoods/" target="_blank">range hood</a> solutions visit the Air King website at <a href="http://airkinglimited.com">airkinglimited.com</a>.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-29527077011001769472022-05-06T08:29:00.003-04:002022-05-06T08:29:37.190-04:00Clean Air In Buildings Challenge<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQYNeGql3lkHAgTBdK7DwIxg4cG20s0X2b3GcHqCK-pwAzQQujmE7pAd0fWWo-dlphU7r4a_fFzegj3NvqPgdNy2wJ3rH7Y4Vg1GzZOF4mgNQeFFhGw0LAq7k2N9wcpVNK1muh64Xab3PFPhKMwRfWBzLt3_Fsc00MoZNRkABmkkqgisWm4EXwZl_/s1500/BuildingChallenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1500" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQYNeGql3lkHAgTBdK7DwIxg4cG20s0X2b3GcHqCK-pwAzQQujmE7pAd0fWWo-dlphU7r4a_fFzegj3NvqPgdNy2wJ3rH7Y4Vg1GzZOF4mgNQeFFhGw0LAq7k2N9wcpVNK1muh64Xab3PFPhKMwRfWBzLt3_Fsc00MoZNRkABmkkqgisWm4EXwZl_/s320/BuildingChallenge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently launched the Clean Air in Building Challenge. As per the EPA: “<i>The Clean Air in Buildings Challenge is a call to action and a set of guiding principles and best practices to assist building owners and operators with reducing risks from airborne viruses and other contaminants indoors.</i>” So what does the clean air in buildings challenge involve? It is broken down into four steps.<p></p><p><b>Create an Action Plan</b>. Do you know what your current indoor air quality is? A general understanding of how your HVAC is functioning is a vital part of this. Is your HVAC system bringing fresh air into the system or is it just re-circulating existing air? What type of filter(s) is installed and are they able to capture particles that could cause harm or the spread of viruses? As a general rule you will need a MERV 13 filter or better if your system can handle it. Do you have a maintenance plan to make sure the system as well as the filter(s) is checked regularly? This can be a contract with an outside service company or your own maintenance manager. Is the air flowing in a way that maximizes the delivery and ventilation in each room? This can be a little tricky to determine and you might need to enlist the help of a HVAC professional.</p><p>Side note: While this challenge from the EPA is directed at buildings almost all of these principles can be applied to residential homes as well.</p><p><b>Optimize Fresh Air and Ventilation</b>. Making sure there is a proper amount of fresh air coming into the building has been proven to increase the indoor air quality. There are many ways to accomplish this. Something simple like opening doors and windows is a quick and easy way. The downside to this is you do not have a lot of control over the amount or quality of air coming in as well as the temperature. You could be bringing in things like pollen (rural areas) or carbon dioxide from cars (urban settings). A mechanical fresh air intake that has filtration might be your best option. In addition to fresh air coming in, you need to ensure the “bad” air is being ventilated out. The best way to solve for this is utilizing exhaust fans. Most people think of exhaust fans or bathroom fans as items that run on an as needed basis such as when a bathroom is in use. While this is correct research has shown that they should actually be running continuously when the building or home is occupied and in most cases a few hours before and after occupation. Organizations such as ASHRAE have set standards for building and home on how much and how long an exhaust fan should be operating. They refer to it as whole house or continuous ventilation. </p><p><b>Enhance Air Filtration</b>. We touched on this earlier with the HVAC filters. This can get a little tricky. You first need to determine what the highest rated filter you can use in your system is while still maintaining proper air movement though the system. Using too high a filter can also cause extra stress on the system shorting the lifespan. If your system can handle it, MERV 13 or higher are best and will remove almost all of the “bad” stuff. Items such as portable air cleaners can also be effective as a supplement. When choosing an air cleaner make sure it can handle the size of the room. In some cases multiple units might be needed. Although we are talking about filtration in this section it should also be mentioned that in high emission areas such as music rooms in schools, meeting rooms or gyms, adding extra ventilation and increasing the fresh air intake to those rooms along with filtration will be your best way to ensure the IAQ.</p><p><b>Community Engagement and Participation</b>. It takes a commitment from everyone to make it work. Communicating with occupants can be a very effective way of ensuring everyone is doing their part. Hosting walkthroughs of the building as well as explaining the what, why and where helps everyone understand. It also engages everyone, allowing them to provide feedback and help identify items or systems that might not be functioning properly or could use improvement.</p><p>To learn more about the EPA’s Clean Air In Buildings Challenge visit <a href="http://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/clean-air-buildings-challenge" target="_blank">www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/clean-air-buildings-challenge</a></p><p>For information about fresh air or ventilation solutions visit the Air King website at <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/" target="_blank">airkinglimited.com</a>. Also be sure to visit <a href="http://www.lasko.com" target="_blank">Lasko’s website</a> to view the current air purifier options available including the <a href="https://www.lasko.com/products/air-flex-air-purifier-and-room-fan-ff305/" target="_blank">Air Flex™ Air Purifier and Room Fan</a>.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-65178802670160305302022-04-05T10:07:00.002-04:002022-04-05T10:13:38.144-04:00Assessing Indoor Air Quality<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbM5gFGpTa9ijLqrj5OOAtoca7Tz9a7N54mI_mHJj_9Xj8jAzfQXuZW56XwGMVQrxAlWETqaxjzm1uxB8y6PCDf9ROduJKTo31fhI-SHXR8MXwH2jBvqpl7zTfvCxryvy4Qyhk_CImPFI95VeefFRY5sOUfUxCoa6juOtQV_HN74ykWBLAZeuxxSL/s1500/IAQAssessment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbM5gFGpTa9ijLqrj5OOAtoca7Tz9a7N54mI_mHJj_9Xj8jAzfQXuZW56XwGMVQrxAlWETqaxjzm1uxB8y6PCDf9ROduJKTo31fhI-SHXR8MXwH2jBvqpl7zTfvCxryvy4Qyhk_CImPFI95VeefFRY5sOUfUxCoa6juOtQV_HN74ykWBLAZeuxxSL/s320/IAQAssessment.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Indoor Air Quality or IAQ is a term that has certainly gained a lot of popularity over the course of the past few years. While COVID has propelled the conversation forward it is much more far-reaching than a pandemic. Assessing Indoor Air Quality is something we should all have at the forefront of our minds in all areas of our daily living. Study after study is showing that increased IAQ boosts health, productivity and promotes better living. The challenge is finding a way of assessing Indoor Air Quality.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;">Generally with bad IAQ we are dealing with contaminates that are either invisible or barely visible such as gases, viruses, spores, dust and so forth. This makes it difficult to walk into a room and make an accurate assessment of the IAQ. What we are able to do is access some of the attributes of the room. Here are a few things to look for:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Is there a good source of ventilation? This could be natural (air blowing into the area) or mechanical (some type of exhaust fan or fresh air intake fan). For instance, are there windows open with fresh air coming into the area? Do you feel a “breeze” dispersing the air? Can you see exhaust fans in operation?</li><li>Does it feel or smell stagnant? Does it feel like odors are lingering in the area? In a restaurant there are going to be smells – hopefully good ones. The smells we are looking for are more like yesterday’s food smells that aren’t as pleasant. Smells like when you have left the dirty laundry sitting in the room for a little too long. This is an indication that there is not enough ventilation or fresh air being brought in.</li><li>Are there signs of mold or mildew? This is probably the easiest one to identify because it is for the most part visible. Generally you will see it in bathrooms but also check around windows and in kitchens. Proper ventilation along with a good cleaning routine can help eliminate it.</li><li>Occupancy and room size. This is where we get into spreading viruses (not just COVID). Assess the space. Is it a large open space with only a few people in it? Are you jammed into a space like a can of sardines? More and more studies are confirming proper ventilation is a key for fighting the spread of viruses. Why this is effective is they are removed from the area with the exhaust fan then also diluted by the fresh are coming in. This is why there is very little transmission of viruses outdoors. Why occupancy and room size is important is it changes your odds. Think of the old run down smoky bar you see in the movies. There is a haze of smoke (no ventilation) and the place is packed with people (reason there is so much smoke). If you take the same bar and there is only one or two people, now the amount of smoke is a fraction of what it is when it is full. In this scenario, the smoke represents viruses. The more people the more everyone is exhaling, the more chance that something is being spread. </li><li>CO2 monitors. These are becoming a popular way to assess indoor air quality. When we breathe we omit CO2 so logic tells us if we are in a space with high levels of CO2 there is a higher chance of something being spread. This goes hand-in-hand with what we just discussed with occupancy and room size. It will take a lot longer for a large room to fill with CO2 than a smaller one.</li></ol><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">So where do we go with all of this? We all have different comfort levels of assessing risks in our lives. As a consumer or guest we want to educate you on things you can look out for when entering a building or home and then make the determination that best suits you. As a business owner or if you are opening your home up to guests, we hope to press you to consider what you are doing to ensure your indoor air quality is good and you are providing a better, healthier experience for your guests. If there is one thing we would say is the most important, it is making sure your space is properly ventilated. We know, the first thing you are going to say is of course we would say that – we are a ventilation company! We will not deny that but when you stop and think about it, so much can be mitigated by proper ventilation and something like opening a window my be all you need to do.</p><p style="text-align: left;">We also want to take a moment to say, just because an area might have factors of bad indoor air quality, this does NOT mean you will automatically get sick if you walk into it. You can’t be infected with a virus that isn’t present. Sound funny to say but it is true. This is all about determining your comfort level within a space.</p><p style="text-align: left;">For more information about indoor air quality and proper ventilation please read though our previous posts on indoor air quality. Also visit the Air King website at <a href="http://www.airkinglimited.com">www.airkinglimited.com</a> to learn about products such as exhaust fans, range hoods and fresh air intake fans that can improve your IAQ.</p></div>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-14578302666629381352022-03-01T13:22:00.002-05:002022-03-22T08:18:18.374-04:00ENERGY STAR Homes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaOy8g3lHdhwR-jYtSagRtN43OGgq6iGiSVUEuvCx6HdKTzh_zm1O4QAlRsNVHWhYzRXW0n9G3o8NcatE-y-rC8mwei-Y-5vMbJkyANMeUxKI-x-S3mWxihSRrjhSvzqeYt3ce6_YzMXz8UfRyTUoRU1lgA2Pyc0vvu0ntAzxEUw-qBVT3zSEJY53m=s1000" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaOy8g3lHdhwR-jYtSagRtN43OGgq6iGiSVUEuvCx6HdKTzh_zm1O4QAlRsNVHWhYzRXW0n9G3o8NcatE-y-rC8mwei-Y-5vMbJkyANMeUxKI-x-S3mWxihSRrjhSvzqeYt3ce6_YzMXz8UfRyTUoRU1lgA2Pyc0vvu0ntAzxEUw-qBVT3zSEJY53m=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Have you ever used the phrase: I wish I would have (or as we say in eastern Pennsylvania – I wish I wood-a)? Probably most of us have said this phrase at one point in our lives. Building or doing a major renovation to a home can be a place where this phrase is commonly used. “I wish we would have upgraded to the better cabinets”, “I wish we would have put hardwood floors in”, “I wish we would have made the house more energy efficient” and so on. When building a new home a great place to start is making sure it is an ENERGY STAR home.<p></p><p>As the cost of energy continues to rise, making sure your home is as energy efficient as possible will have life long benefits. To this end, ENERGY STAR has developed the ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction Program. As ENRGY STAR puts it: “To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home or apartment must meet strict program requirements for energy efficiency developed by ENERGY STAR's Residential New Construction program. These program requirements are based on extensive interaction with the nation’s home-building industry, including builders, developers, verification professionals, and building scientists.”</p><p>So what does the entail? It starts with the exterior, making sure everything is sealed, proper installation, uses ENERGY STAR windows and so forth. You will hear this referred to as the building envelop or the thermal enclosure. All these elements are designed to prevent drafts and make the house tight. This will greatly reduce the monthly utility bills, as the HVAC system will have to work less. There are some consideration when building a tightly sealed home – make sure to read our blog post on the subject by <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/blog/the-air-balancing-act/" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.</p><p>Next we move to the home's heating and cooling system (HVAC). An ENERGY STAR Home will have a certified heater and/or air conditioner installed as well as special attention given to the ducting to make sure they are sealed and installed as efficiently as possible. A mechanical ventilation system that draws fresh, filtered outdoor air into the house and exhausts stale air from inside the house is also a requirement of an ENERGY STAR home. This is where Air King comes into the equation with the <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product/qfam-fresh-air-machine/" target="_blank">QFAMD</a> and a host of ENERGY STAR certified <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/energy-star-exhaust-fans/" target="_blank">exhaust fans</a> and <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/energy-star-range-hood/" target="_blank">kitchen range hoods</a>.</p><p>Onto the water management – yes we said water management. We don’t think too many people would think to add this to the check list but as ENERGY STAR states: “ENERGY STAR certified homes include a comprehensive package of water management practices and materials that help to protect your home from water damage and reduce the risk of indoor air quality problems.” These processes include making sure water is directed off the roof, the home, has moisture-resistant barriers and that materials are protected during construction. All of these ensure the home is being built to last.</p><p>We finish with the appliances and lighting. These are probably the easiest to understand, as they are typically the most visible ones. They are also ones that can easily be changed in an existing home. Many ENERGY STAR Home builders will utilize an appliance and lighting package of products that carry the ENERGY STAR certification. Items such as the refrigerator, dishwasher, clothes washers, ceiling fans, ventilation fans and so forth should all be ENERGY STAR certified. For lighting, high efficiency LED lamps should be used throughout the entire home.</p><p>Building an ENERGY STAR home will have long lasting benefits for your utility bills, your indoor air quality, your piece of mind and for the environment. If you are in the market to build a new home, make sure you talk to your builder about building an ENERGY STAR home. Remember our phrase at the beginning of this blog? Now it will be your friends and family saying, “We wish we would have done what you did.”</p><p>To learn more about ENERGY STAR certified kitchen range hoods, exhaust fans and fresh air systems visit www.airkinglimited.com. Also visit the <a href="https://www.energystar.gov/partner_resources/residential_new/about" target="_blank">ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction Page</a> on their website.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8012728797418994725.post-29886214762707919522022-02-01T10:49:00.000-05:002022-02-01T10:49:25.818-05:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7dVBEhx_2qdOOai649EfzIU3dU8BHCfe6LiPazRiJB2XkjKCWJgd_YcpJc9nUSSJc4JGWvdqvTpdRDSjVNjX_7JqzebuKFXk2Hs5RqQArTK29QtFkILXVcFYHjPRQWvRJtdQjh6dQC-Oe_ns5ZnWxqXY12HfM2gMek98YCsSUebrDylL7LiFcaFqK=s1125" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1125" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7dVBEhx_2qdOOai649EfzIU3dU8BHCfe6LiPazRiJB2XkjKCWJgd_YcpJc9nUSSJc4JGWvdqvTpdRDSjVNjX_7JqzebuKFXk2Hs5RqQArTK29QtFkILXVcFYHjPRQWvRJtdQjh6dQC-Oe_ns5ZnWxqXY12HfM2gMek98YCsSUebrDylL7LiFcaFqK=s320" width="320" /></a></div>COVID has shut down countries and disrupted lives. In a word, it stinks (technical term). As we are hopefully nearing the end of COVID, or at least learning to live with it, there is a temptation to put everything into a history book and call it a day. While COVID stinks (there’s that technical term again), it has taught us some very valuable things about our living environment. The biggest is the indoor air quality (IAQ) of our homes and work places.<p></p><p>Prior to COVID not much attention was paid to our indoor environment. How many times did colds or the flu make it’s way through families or work places. No one really did much as the common practice was to “let it run its course”. You might have had that one person who doused themselves with sanitizer and ran around the office with a can of disinfectant spray, creating a dense fog that you could barely see through anytime someone sneezed but in general you just hoped it missed you.</p><p>While concerns with indoor air quality are not new concepts, COVID has allowed them to finally get some prominent airtime with the general population. The goal is to create a better living environment no matter what is happening with pandemics, endemics or any other viruses floating around. So what have we learned? Proper ventilation and airflow inside your home creates a better living space. Properly utilizing bathroom exhaust fans, kitchen range hoods and having a system for bringing fresh air into the home, will exponentially increase your indoor air quality.</p><p>So how do we properly use these components? Well the first step is to use them. As comical as that sounds it does need to be the first thing on the list. There is a long list of reasons these are not used – they're too loud, it doesn’t cross my mind to turn it on, I’m only warming something up, and the list goes on. Our response to all of those excuses is they are all bad. There are a lot of really good, efficient, quiet and affordable options on the market today to upgrade to.</p><p>A second step is to make sure they are working properly. You might be noticing a trend here. These are some really basic things we are highlighting. Something like noticing if your exhaust fans are even working seems very basic and it is but it’s always amazing how many times you walk into a home and the fans are not working.</p><p>Finally, you need to make sure the exhaust fans are installed and functioning properly. This one is a little more difficult and a lot less obvious. The main culprit with this is the kitchen range hood. To maximize your IAQ it should vent to the outside. Many range hoods do not; instead they recirculate the air back into the kitchen. While this is better than nothing, it does very little for the IAQ of the home and can actually give you a false sense of security. The fans throughout the home should also be working in harmony with each other. Air King’s Total Ventilation System is a great way to ensure this is happening. See how it all works <a href="https://youtu.be/LbzdzT5CabY" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>While COVID has been difficult, it is up to us to make sure the lessons learned are not wasted. To learn more about Air King’s <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/total-home-ventilation/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Total Home Ventilation System</a>, Air King <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/range-hoods/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Range Hoods</a>, <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/exhaust-fans/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Exhaust Fans</a> and <a href="https://www.airkinglimited.com/product-category/fresh-air/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Fresh Air Systems</a> click on the links in the menu bar above.</p>Air King Ventilationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05523472677823929686noreply@blogger.com0