Get Indoor Contaminants Before They Get You

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How to Position Mini-Duct Air Conditioning

In this how-to video, This Old House plumbing and heating contractor Richard Trethewey explains the benefits of this fit-anywhere cooling system

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On a macro level, consider upgrading your heating and air–conditioning system with a state–of–the–art air cleaning system, which can work in concert with your heating and cooling system.

While there are many types of air–cleaning systems available, what matters most about any given system is how effective a job it does keeping the air inside your home clean and safe.

And that can be evaluated scientifically and objectively, thanks to a standardized measurement created to rate relative efficiency.

The industry standard used by the Federal Trade Commission, EPA, and American National Standards Institute to compare various air–cleaning technologies is called the clean–air–delivery rate, or CADR.

The CADR is the amount of clean air a system will deliver into your home for a typical three–ton system as compared to other whole–house and appliance air cleaners. Two factors affect this rating–the efficiency of the filter material and the amount of air that passes through the device.

The higher the clean–air–delivery rate, the better the system is at filtering indoor air. Do not expect a small, tabletop air cleaner to clean the air in your entire home.

That said, today's most efficient air cleaners can remove up to 99.98 percent of airborne allergens, a rate that's 120 times more effective than a typical ionic–type appliance air cleaner.

The difference can be dramatic, especially in homes with people who suffer from seasonal or other forms of allergies.

The benefits of such a system include not only cleaner, fresher air indoors, but a much healthier environment for your family, which after all is the most important priority for most of us.

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Article: Clearing the Air

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