The air in our homes is a combination of millions of small particles and gases. Today, homes are built with tighter construction to help keep energy costs lower. This has the effect, however, of permitting fewer air changes - and of keeping higher concentrations of airborne particulates inside the home.

Untreated, higher concentrations of these particulates can take their toll. Paint, wallpaper, and interior decorating fabrics can become dingier as particulates settle. These particulates also may cause eye and throat irritation, sneezing, headaches and coughs.

What are some indoor air pollutants?

Some particulates found in indoor air are as fine as .01 microns in diameter, or 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Commonly found substances include:
       Pollen and plant spores
       Dust
       Viruses, bacteria, and fungi
       Pet dander
       Human skin flakes
       Dust mites, droppings, and their carcasses
       Cooking smoke and grease
       Mildew and mold
       Cigarette smoke

There are three ways to treat an indoor air problem: Source reduction, dilution, and filtering. The best solution to an indoor air problem involves some part of each of these.

Source reduction is attacking particulates at their source. This might involve some drastic measures, such as cutting out smoking and getting rid of pets. These solutions might not always be possible or practical.

Another solution is to dilute the concentration of particulates in the air with cleaner outdoor air. Dilution is desirable because it helps decrease gases given off by carpeting, building materials, and other products. While some air is continually leaving your home, it may not happen at a very high rate in tightly-constructed homes. To speed up dilution, you can open windows and doors to let in more outdoor air. This, too, is not always practical or possible.

The third solution, filtering the indoor air supply, can take several routes. Every home with warm air heating has at least a basic furnace filter, which prevents the biggest particulates, such as lint, hair and large dust, from getting into the furnace. These filters operate at a cleaning efficiency of about 5% at best (meaning that they remove about 5% of all the particulates in your air).

Groff's provides three options with significantly better performance than standard furnace filters.

1. The TRION HE2000 Electronic Air Cleaner:

Electronic air cleaners effectively remove nearly all airborne particulates. Placed in the cold air return duct of your furnace, these units remove up to 95% of particulates from the indoor air supply, greatly improving indoor air quality while helping protect the heating system from the ill effects of dust and dirt, and keeping the home cleaner.

Electronic air cleaners remove airborne particulates that filters can't, including nearly all of such small irritating particles as bacteria, pollen, spores, animal dander, viruses and cooking and cigarette smoke. And they have the lowest pressure drop rating of any filtering system - while helping keep your heating-cooling investment running as cleanly and efficiently as possible.

Electronic air cleaners work differently than basic, electrostatic, or media filters. They give particulates in the air stream a strong electrical charge, then collect and trap them on oppositely-charged plates.

Incoming air passes through a prefilter to remove larger particles. Then, particulates are given a strong positive or negative charge as they pass through a series of ionizing wires. In the collection section, the charged particles are attracted to an oppositely-charged plate, where they stay until the unit is cleaned.

Cleaning is simple. Just remove the collection cells three to four times a year, wash with household cleaner to remove contaminants, soak in a laundry tub or place in the dishwasher.

2. TRION Air Bear Media Filter:

A media filter, is formed of paper or fiber material on a frame. The pleated fabric is designed to expose much more surface area than a basic filter, and these filters are much thicker. These work in part by straining particulates larger than the spaces between the filter fibers from the air stream.

One of the drawbacks of these filters is that they can cause a pressure drop in your heating-cooling system as the filter gets dirtier, meaning that your furnace must work harder to pull air through the filter and the rest of the system. But an advantage is that they are less expensive than an electronic air cleaner and go a long time between changes. This is great if the unit is in tough to get to area like an attic or crawl space. Among their other positive features they are easy to install, there is no electrical wiring, and no parts to break.

3. Electrostatic Filters:

Electrostatic air filters require very little maintenance. The only maintenance required is cleaning every 30-60 days. How often you have to clean your filter will depend on how dirty the environment is and how much the filter is being used.

Humidifiers

There are several unpleasant results of low humidity:

  • You may experience dry skin and chapped lips.
  • Hardwood floors separate at the seams. Woodwork and
     furniture shrink, warp and crack. The piano goes out of
     tune. Wallpaper peels at the edges.
  • Dry air can aggravate upper respiratory problems. Sore
     throats, itchy skin, dry throat coughs and cracked nasal
     membranes are all consequences of dry air.
  • Dry air makes you feel colder than the actual reading on
     your thermostat setting because evaporating moisture
     on your skin causes a cooling effect.
  • Dry air causes the static shocks that not only "zap" you
     but can affect other sensitive electronic equipment
     such as home computers.

Groff's can help solve these problems by installing a whole-house humidifier. Humidifiers replenish the humidity in the air in a safe, water vapor form. They are the right choice for a more comfortable and healthy home.

Groff's primarily installs two models of Humidifiers:

Model HE260

The most popular type of humidifiers are the Flow-through type. Called "flow-through" because a portion of the air from the supply side of the furnace is detoured to force it across a wetted humidifier pad. The humidified air is then routed back to the return side of the furnace, blended with air from the cold air returns, heated by the furnace and delivered to the conditioned space.

Bypass flow-through humidifiers are low-cost and low maintenance. Depending on the hardness of the water supply, the only necessary maintenance is to replace the humidifier pad once a year. The drain tube should also be checked yearly and cleaned if there is mineral build-up inside.

Bypass flow-through models cost less than other models - and are easier for contractors to install because there is no heating element and no fan or drum motor. Flow-through humidifiers do have a higher rate of water use than reservoir models.

Model 55UD, Under Duct Flow-Through Humidifier

  • Mountable on horizontal ducts
  • as small as 12" wide and 8" high
  • Easy to maintain-unique mounting
  • frame allows easy removal
  • from duct for cleaning or servicing
  • Uses minimal electricity
  • Durable, corrosion-resistant
  • thermoplastic cabinet
  • Output capacity of 20.0 gallons
  • per day at 120 degrees
  • Fahrenheit