Hello Bill: Site lookd lonley so,:

Empire_2

As I do not like the EAC style of air cleaners and believe they boast an incredibly hi filtering percentage, is there something that would do just as good of job or better?  I am also tired of that discharge shock that I seem to get at least 1 time per year, OUCH.



Mike T.

Empire_2

Dan H.?

Maybe this topic should be removed?  I'm replying to my own topic..........



Mike T.

Unknown

EAC alternatives

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Vacation, computer issues slowed me down.  Now to business.  EAC's (Electronic Air Clearners) are the best way to remove particles from the air, except for true HEPA filters.  EAC's have low static pressure, if maintained, and are relatively easy to clean, and have no on going replacement cost.  They operate at about the same cost/year as a 75 watt standard bulb. All EAC's, regardless of manufacturer, will produce ozone, some more than others, but in low enough levels to be safe and not noticable to 99% of people. Clean them a minimum of twice yearly, at the start of heat/cool seasons.  Homes with heavy tobbacco or cooking smoke loads may need more frequent cleaning.

Research a couple years ago found that end users were split 50/50 over EAC's versus 4"cartridge filters.  Filters have improved vastly over the years, but the standard 1" throwaways still have no air quality effect, they only keep dust bunnies out of the equipment.  MERV rating (higher = better) is how this type is rated, and there are some pretty good ones out there, both retail and professionally installed.

True HEPA's are available and will remove up to 99.5% of particles.  They have a very high static pressure, and it goes up as they load, so be careful when you size the fan for a HEPA system.  In addition, cartridge type filters can be configured with various mixes of activated charcoal, potassium permanganate and zeolite, and will remove organic odors, something ordinary filters and EAC's have no effect on.  If you use them, a strict maintenance program is in order; they will only hold a finite amount of contaminants, and will "off-gas" them if overloaded.

I hope you found this useful, sorry for the delay.

Empire_2

AHhhh Bill, you know we forgive you...:-)

Just thought at first, the topic was non topic like...?  I usually have many Q?: and it's good to have another opinion.  Sorry about the less than happy responses, but look forward to talking with you and the wall real soon.



Mike T.

Larry Weingarten

Any thoughts...

...on how best to measure indoor air quality in tight, radiantly heater homes?  If the occupant load is low and humidity remains low, what do you look for?



Yours,  Larry

Jean-David Beyer

Measuring air quality?

I suppose the first thing you do is decide what quantities to measure; then decide how often they should be measured.



At one extreme, you probably want a continuous measurement of smoke and carbon monoxide.



At the other extreme, you probably need to measure radon only once in a while.



You could measure dust, formaldehyde, pesticides, cleaning chemicals, and any number of other things. These you might wish to measure more often than radon, but probably not continuously.



You could measure relative and absolute humidity, oxygen content. I have a little gizmo from Radio Shack that measures indoor temperature, outdoor temperature, and relative humidity. But from a home heating standpoint, I run a humidifier until just before I get condensation on the windows. Depending on the outside temperature, the relative humidity can be in quite a wide range. (The hygrostat in the humidifier has a dead zone so wide as to be useless, and it wanders around besides.)



While I did not look, I imagine there is no such thing as an air quality meter.

BillW

Hi, Larry.

There are direct reading instruments for many IAQ parameters, as well as personal monitoring devices for specific and combinations of hazardous gases.  They usually are used in industry or by emergency responders.  They are expensive, require training to use correctly, and require periodic calibrations.

A "quick & dirty" method is using "length of stain" tubes.  You break off the end of a calibrated tube filled with specific chemicals, and using a hand pump, you pump a known volume of air thru, then read the resulting color change.  Draeger and Bendix make them and they can give a good indication of the level of many chemicals, but again, they are most common in industrial and emergency settings.

Your combustion analysis gear and possibly an oxygen meter and an explosimeter for combustible gases, if you enter a lot of confined spaces are about all you need.  You would be best to hire an expert, either an environmental engineer or industrial hygenist to diagnose IAQ issues, if for no other reason that they can stand up in court, if something bad happens.



Take care, I hope you found this useful