Why Air Purifiers Are Not Always The Answer To Indoor Air Quality Problems
Why Air Purifiers Are Not Always The Answer To Indoor Air Quality Problems
Air purifier filters are not always the answer to air quality problems.Solving the problem is a much better approach than masking the symptom.The following are the basic approaches to improve indoor air quality;1) Eliminate or control the pollutant source.2) Dilution of the contaminants through ventilation.3) Removal or reduction of the contaminants through filtration or purification with the use of air purifier filters or air purifiers.Proper ventilation in a building is a must!Before the energy crunch in the 1970's, fresh air in buildings was not really an issue.When energy costs started to rise, we started making our buildings more energy efficient with better insulation and sealing techniques that made the building tighter, reducing the amount of fresh air into the buildings and increasing indoor pollution.After indoor air quality issues came to the surface, we learned how to reduce energy costs while not compromising the health of the occupants, through the practice of building science.Great strides have been made in this area, leading to more comfortable, healthier, safer homes.The goal of good ventilation is to bring in the right amount of fresh air, not too much or not too little.This is accomplished by using mechanical ventilation (exhaust fans, energy recovery units, etc.) that are sized to the volume of the house and/or according to lifestyle.Mechanical ventilation not only dilutes contaminants but also removes excess moisture that can become a mold problem if not properly addressed.Moisture can show up as high humidity (under-ventilated bathrooms, indoor pools or hot tubs and very tight homes) or water that enters a building either from the outside (rainwater) or from undetected plumbing leaks.Addressing these problems using the right approach, elimination or control of the source (in this case repair the leak from the outside or finding and repairing the plumbing leak) makes more sense than trying to rid the mold with air purifier filters or air purifiers.Pollutants such as formaldahyde and benzene can be produced from certain furniture, carpets, plywood and drapes.
Other sources of benzene are gas cans, gas powered lawn mowers that are stored in garages that are attached to the house.If elimination of these sources is not an option an air purification device would be the obvious choice.Toilets, air conditioning coils, heating/cooling ducts and humans are producers of bacteria. The right plan in these cases would be an air purifier device.Carbon Monoxide is caused by incomplete combustion of appliances that depend on combustion to operate.ELIMINATION IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER WHEN IT COMES TO CARBON MONOXIDE!FIND THE PROBLEM-FIX THE PROBLEM!Leave this to a company that is well-versed in carbon monoxide.Pet and human dander are controlled through proper humidity control (mechanical ventilation) and air purifier filters.By using the combination of source control (elimination), ventilation (dilution) and good air purifier filters and/or purification system ,your environment will be much heatlthier.For air quality info visit www.expert-air-purifier-reviews.com About the Author:A pioneer in residential contracting, Ed is a thirty-year industry veteran trained in the "House Is A System" approach to HVAC design. He was formerly a building analyst instructor, providing certification training for New York's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
7 Techniques to Supercharge your Creativity and Solve your Problems
7 Techniques to Supercharge your Creativity and Solve your Problems
Do you ever encounter problems, challenges or obstacles in your business? If you answered 'no,' then you can stop reading and continue to rake in the fortune you must be making. For the rest of us, the answer of course is 'yes.'
For the most troubling problems, the biggest challenge is in your inability to come up with new and innovative solutions. This is because when you try to solve a problem, you probably use the same approach every time ('let me sit here and think about it until I come up with something?'). The next time you try to solve a problem, try applying any (or all) of these approaches:
1) Be Obvious - Cances are, whatever your problem is, there is some conventional wisdom about how to solve it. Ask yourself why you are not following it, and evaluate for yourself whether your reasons are valid. Sometimes the easiest solution is the one right in front of us.
2) Be Contrarian - The opposite of being obvious, being contrarian means to consider doing the opposite of what conventional wisdom says. If the standard advice is to buy, think about selling. Instead of working more, work less. Note: This does not mean you should automatically DO what the opposite is; it just means to let your mind wander over the opposite to get it working in another direction.
3) Start Where you are - Sometimes we get so caught up in the long term goal that we lose sight of where we are. Think about your problem and what you might do right now to solve it. Usually this results in frustration because we don't have a fully formed solution. But just because an idea is not fully formed does not mean that it does not have some validity. Start with your current idea and watch as new ideas present themselves.
4) Chunk up - If you can't figure out how to achieve your goal, try looking at the bigger picture. If your goal is to earn $10,000 this month and you can't figure out how, think bigger - maybe you want $10K because you want to earn six figures this year. Then start to brainstorm ways of earning six figures. Don't get so caught up on your problem that you lose sight of the bigger picture.
5) Chunk down - The opposite of chunking up. Think in terms of smaller details. Continuing with the $10K example, if you can't think of how to earn $10,000 this month, can you think of ways to earn $333 per day? Maybe, but even if you can't it gets the mind working in a new way.
6) Take a REAL Break - Stop working on the problem for a bit and let your subconscious work on it. This requires two things. First, you need to actually give your mind a break and recharge. Switching from thinking about one problem to another will not do it. Get away from the problem an your work, even if for only five minutes. Second, make sure you are not dwelling on the problem. Taking a walk to get away from work is great, but if you continue to mull over the problem your not really giving your mind a break from it.
7) Move - Get the blood flowing! Exercise, walk, run, stretch, whatever. Be it from blood flow, endorphins, or a change in focus, physical movement enhances creativity. I do some of my best thinking while shooting baskets. Find out what works for you and do it.
There are many different techniques you can use to solve a problem. Try the few above to start, and then come up with your own. Use them well, and watch yourself create new and exciting solutions faster than ever.Avish Parashar is a professional speaker who runs seminars on creativity, teamwork, productivity, leadership, and communication using the principles of improvisational comedy. http://www.professional-speaker-avish-parashar.com
Creativity e-book:http://www.supercharge-your-creativity.com
Seeing Problems From Their Creative Side
Seeing Problems From Their Creative Side
Did you know that winning actually puts less wear and tear on the body than worrying? And did you know that you could worry yourself sick to the point that you'll end up in a hospital bed? And that, depending on the severity of the problem, when it becomes chronic and acceptable mode of conduct, it could lead to options beyond hospitalization? It could very well lead to imprisonment or interment!Dr. Charles H. Mayo once said that half the beds in American hospitals are filled by people who worried themselves into them. The human mind seems to be like a calculator. Before you can solve a problem with it, it must be cleared of all previous problems. Worry jams up the mechanism; it short-circuits the whole operation.It has been proven many times that by a simple change in attitude, in mental outlook, the same amount of time and energy most of us devote to worrying about our problems could be used to solving them.Creative people look at problems as challenges. They realize that without problems, everything would come to a stop. Problems do to our emotions and psyche what pain does to our body: They keep us moving forward searching for a solution. They are responsible for every forward step we take, collectively and individually.So, if you want to have a lot more fun and a lot less worry, try the following:* Put your problems in their true perspective.* See yourself as a part of the world, and the world as a part of the universe, and the universe as a part of a great and mysterious living picture.* See problems in their true light: a temporary inconvenience.Every problem has a solution. You may see not the solution immediately, but a solution is a available. You may not like the available solution, but in time you can change it to whatever suits you best.Think about these the next time you are faced with a problem:* No problem is permanent.* Every problem has a solution.* There are probably a number of ways to solve your problem.* The same kind of problem has been solved a million times before some where around the world.* You have the God-given powers to solve your problem.Remember: When you maximize your potential, everyone wins. When you don't, we all lose.