ServiceMax Blog: Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category

Air Filtration Systems vs. Air Purifiers: How to Choose for Your House

Monday, January 16th, 2017

Air filters, pl. noun: Devices that remove air contaminants by using a mesh of filters to trap particles in the air flow that moves through them.

Air purifiers, pl. noun: Electronic installations placed into HVAC systems that use ionization, UV radiation, oxidation, or other methods to eliminate pollutants without using filtration. Syn: air scrubbers, air cleaners.

Now that we’ve put up those two definitions, the next question is, “Okay, which one is the best for improving my home’s indoor air quality?”

Tags: Air Filters, Air Purification, Air Purifier, Wilmette
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The Choice: Energy Recovery Ventilator or Heat Recovery Ventilator?

Monday, January 2nd, 2017

During yet another cold winter in Chicago, you may not realize that a key part of staying comfortable inside your house is maintaining a good level of indoor air quality. This is one of the unpleasant little secrets of the modern home: they don’t “breathe” well. This keeps heat from escaping in winter (and keeps the heat out in the summer) but it ends up trapping contaminant-filled, stuffy air indoors, and that can be a problem.

Tags: energy recovery ventilators, heat recovery ventilator, Skokie
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Do You Need a Humidifier in Winter Because of the Furnace?

Sunday, October 23rd, 2016

One of the important indoor air quality installations that we handle for homes in Chicagoland is a whole-house humidifier. During the winter, moisture freezes out of the air and often leads to air with less than 30% relative humidity—too dry for comfort. When the humidity is this low, it adds an unpleasant edge to the already cool temperatures because heat can leave the body quicker. It also allows for the quicker spread of illnesses and can create damage to wooden and painted surfaces.

Tags: Furnaces, Humidifier, Wilmette
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Benefits of Installing a Whole-House Dehumidifier

Monday, June 27th, 2016

As the temperature heats up now that summer is here, you can expect to run your air conditioner far more frequently. But high heat isn’t the only enemy of comfort during the summer. High humidity is also a serious problem. Because of the extra moisture in the air when relative humidity rises above 60%, it becomes harder for the human body to release heat through the skin by evaporating sweat. So even though high humidity doesn’t raise the temperature around you, the air will feel much hotter because extra heat is trapped inside your body.

Tags: Dehumidifiers, Skokie
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UV Air Purifiers Can Help with Your Air Conditioning This Summer

Monday, May 16th, 2016

An indoor air quality solution that we often install in homes is the UV air purifier. This device safely eliminates bacteria and microbes, including harmful viruses and germs, from the air within a home. The ultraviolet radiation of the UV lamps in the purifier disrupt the cellular functions of organic pollutants without needing to resort to any chemicals that can have negative impact on air quality.

Tags: UV air purifiers, Wilmette
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Make Air Duct Cleaning Part of Your Spring Cleaning This Year!

Monday, April 25th, 2016

“Spring cleaning” can mean many different things to many different people: often it’s not about cleaning a home but taking the time to organize other parts of your life, such as finances or a schedule of interests outside of your job. But it’s always a good idea to use “spring cleaning” as a reminder of regular tasks in the house that need to be taken care of. One of these is scheduling professional cleaning for your air ducts.

Tags: Air Duct Cleaning, Evanston
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Is an Air Purifier Enough for Indoor Air Quality?

Monday, March 7th, 2016

HVAC systems are an excellent addition to our homes, providing indoor comfort year-round. However, they do introduce pollutants into our indoor air, such as dirt, dust, pollen, and other particles that can affect your allergies.

Tags: Air Purification, Skokie
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What’s In Your Home’s Air That Might Be Harmful?

Monday, February 8th, 2016

One of the services we offer to the Chicagoland area, and have offered since we started in business in 1998, is solutions to improve indoor air quality for homes. Although people assume that outdoor air is unhealthier than indoor air, the reverse is often true. The U.S. EPA has discovered that the air inside buildings is often 3 to 4 times worse than that outside.

Tags: Air Purifier, Skokie
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Why You Should Consider Installing an Energy Recovery Ventilator This Winter

Monday, January 11th, 2016

Winter is a time when you close up your house tight to keep as much heat trapped indoors as possible so you can keep your heating cost effective. One of the side effects of sealing up the home, however, is that it traps air indoors. This air will often become stale, dry, and filled with contaminants. One of the ways to solve this problem is to have special IAQ devices installed, such as air purifiers. In this post, we’ll look at the energy recovery ventilator (ERV), which offers some advantages for homes in winter.

Tags: energy recovery ventilators, Skokie
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Why You Should Consider Installing a Whole-House Humidifier for Winter

Monday, October 19th, 2015

Temperatures are falling as we move deeper into the fall and closer to winter. Now is the time to prepare our homes and heating systems for the rigors of another Skokie, IL cold season. That means you should have professional heating maintenance scheduled (if you haven’t done so already) and take care of replacing old heaters if they are no longer working well.

Tags: humidfier, Humidifiers, Skokie
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