Safeguard Adjustable 20-36" Window Filter 7" Tall Safeguard Adjustable Window Filter Screen is 7" tall and adjusts from 20" to 36" wide. The Window Screen That Filters, the Safeguard 20-36" Adjustable Window Filter 7" Tall - Style #736, lets allergic people keep their double-hung windows open and enjoy pollen-free air. For allergy sufferers, open windows bring fresh air but also pollen and dust. A window filter lets you keep the fresh air while blocking the misery-causing pollen. What allergy sufferers need to know Installing a window filter For allergy sufferers, open windows bring fresh air but also pollen and dust. The claims made by furnace filter manufacturers are true: A high-efficiency filter can provide someBy trapping smaller airborne particles, these filters make the air in your home cleaner and less irritating to allergy sufferers. before you install a high-efficiency filter, there are a few things worth knowing: High-efficiency means higher cost.

If you’re currently spending $20 per year on cheapie filters, prepare spend $100 per year on high-efficiency What the numbers mean. Furnace filters are labeled with a numerical efficiencyA higher number indicates higherThat simply means the filter trapsWhen it comes to furnace filters, “efficiency” does not mean energy savings. The numbers are tricky. MERV is the mostBut some filters carry “MPR”A MERV 13 is roughly equivalent to anbest flowing air cleaner harleyLuckily, there are several charts online toair duct cleaning for sale help you convert the numbers. will an air purifier help with dustJust search for “MERV vs Higher isn’t always better. one in your home suffers from allergies,

there’s no reason to go higherFor allergies, MERV 11 is your best choice because higherrated filters cost more but don’t provide Don’t trust the life-span claims. Filters carry claims like “lasts up to 90But the life span of a filter depends on how clean the air is in your home and how much your manufacturer can possibly know that. Filters are not enough. filters help, but for allergy sufferers, reducing dust in your home is even of frequent vacuuming with high-quality vacuums and filters and/or eliminating carpeting and rugs as much as possible. “Efficiency” can wreck your furnace. smaller pores, which can reduce airflow when new and even more asThat can make the furnace overheat, causing it to shut down or burn out the expensive blowerThe repair bills can easily run hundreds of dollars, not to mention the increased energy costs to run the How Furnace Filters Are Rated

Many filter manufacturers follow the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating system established by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The MERV number is an indication of the filter’s effectiveness at trapping particles. A MERV 1 filter traps dust bunnies but allows most dust to pass right through, while a MERV 16 traps bacteria and particles as small as .30 to 1.0 micron and is used mostly in operatingIf you don’t have allergies, a MERV 7 furnace filter will work just fine in your home. And if you do have family members with allergies, go up to a filter with a MERV 11 rating. However, some filter manufacturers and retailers have developed proprietary rating systems like Microparticle Performance Rating (MPR) or Filter Performance Rating (FPR). Before you buy a filter based on an MPR or FPR rating, look for a MERV to is one site) or contact your furnace service company for a filter recommendation based on your

Prevent Furnace Damage With a Filter Monitor A filter that’s plugged with particles may not look dirty. life-span estimates are nearlySo how can you tell when a filter is dirty enough to stress your unless you install a filter monitor. They’re available in two versions: Mechanical filter monitors are inexpensive and take about five minutes to install, even if you’re a beginning for less than $20 (search for “furnaceThe downside is that it relies on your memory. to check it, you won’t know when the Electronic filter monitors let you know when the filter needs replacing. The unit shown (the FILTERSCAN$100 online), for example, connects to your home’s Wi-Fi and sends an alert to your smartphone. Installation is as simple as driving aJust find a location on your return air duct and predrill holesThen mount the unit (Photo 2) and follow the calibration and Wi-Fi setup instructions.

Other Strategies for Reducing Pollen Upgrade your furnace filter to a high-quality disposable filter made of pleated fabric or paper. Or have a professional install an electrostatic filter that’s connected to your ductwork ($700 to $1,500). Change your bedding weekly. Replace carpet with wood, laminate, tile or vinyl. Carpet is the biggestAlso vacuum area rugs weekly. Take couch cushions outside and beat out the dust with a tennis racket. better yet, when it comes time for furniture replacement, choose leather or vinyl upholstery rather than fabric.Before starting this list of « not so obvious » tips to improve indoor air quality, let’s talk a little bit more about the most obvious tip: opening the windows. Having this habit is good. It’s a good start as it helps lower concentrations of toxic chemicals as well as carbon dioxide (CO2). Indeed, indoors, the quality of the air is typically several times poorer than the air outdoors.

Certain everyday situations can suddenly degrade indoor air quality. In theses cases, you shouldn’t wait until the next morning to open the windows. Pollution peaks might happen when you bring home a new piece of pressed-wood furniture or add a coat of paint on the walls. The air your breath indoors can also be degraded by the lack of cleaning. • Open the windows 5 to 10 minutes. Do it on an everyday basis, even if you don’t know exactly how polluted the air is inside your home. You should also do it when you or someone else engages in an activity prone to deteriorate indoor air quality. 6  MORE TIPS TO IMPROVE INDOOR AIR QUALITY Did you know that the smoke you exhale after taking a drag on a cigarette contains more than 4,000 different chemicals? In fact, there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke. Of course, the best option is always to stop smoking. But if you are not ready to do it and you are nonetheless concerned about the quality of the air inside your house, you should step outside.

• Ask that smokers go out. Everything turns to dust one day. Sometimes this degradation is pretty obvious: many people see their couch loosing it’s shape in real-time, piece of foam after piece of foam (any cat owners reading this?). This is not the case with other objects and materials that take longer to crumble. But the dust is there, and it keeps forming whether you are a neat freak or you’re a teenager happily experiencing domestic chaos. No need to become fussy, but tidying and cleaning your the place where you live is obviously an effective action to improve air quality. • Use a doormat to prevent dirt from entering into your home and/or ask people to take off their shoes when they visit you. • Try vacuuming and mopping floors at least once a week. This will limit the growth of mold and the presence of dust mites that pollute the air. Some molds produce allergens and mycotoxins – they can have adverse health effects, ranging from allergic reactions (like a stuffy or runny nose, or eye and skin irritations) to asthma attacks, depending on the exact type and amount of mold, and the sensitivity of those exposed.

This is true even in non-allergic people. A 2004 study by the Institute of Medicine found a link between exposure to mold indoors with upper respiratory tract symptoms in healthy people. • Track humidity levels (with a Smart Baby Monitor for example). • Use a dehumidifier to effectively control moisture and allergens. • Remember to open the window when cooking or when you take a shower or bath (or right after if you are easily cold). • Make sure there are no water leaks in your home. • If you have a clothes dryer, open the window when it is venting. • Remember to empty your air conditioner’s drip pans. In air fresheners and in laundry products. In perfumes and in hand soap… Synthetic fragrances are ubiquitous around us. Did you know the many gasses evaporating from these products are actually harmful Volatile Organic Compounds? You would think that these chemicals are listed on the label, when in fact they rarely are. Plus, in the U.S. the safety tests fragrances have to go through before being brought to market only concern skin irritations – no test is made regarding potential dangers caused by inhalation.

• Arrange slices of lemon on a plate to delicately perfume the air in a room. • Use baking soda in a small bowl to eliminate odors (it works particularly well in fridges). • Choose fragrance-free products, or products with scents of natural origin for your laundry and cleaning needs. • Stop using aerosol spray products that create a mist of liquid particles (hair sprays, air fresheners…). Since 1989 and the NASA Clean Air Study we know that – to some extent – some houseplants can be used to eliminate toxic agents such as benzene, trichlorethylene and formaldehyde from indoor air. In a combined effort, their foliage and roots absorb certain VOCs. Note that these plants’ pollutant removal rate is small, which means there’s no way they could capture all the pollution. • Get an English ivy (Hedera helix) or a Variegated snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’), which share the same pollutant-blocking skills. They are great to filter out benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene and toluene.