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
Why Every Freelance Writer Needs A Website
Why Every Freelance Writer Needs A Website
What do you mean, you don't have a website yet? Websites these days aren't just for businesses and people who want to share their obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the world. These days, websites are one of the most important tools for writers...Why get a writer's website?First of all, ask yourself why you write in the first place. If you can honestly put your hand on your heart and say that you write only for yourself, and you don't care if no one ever reads your work, then I'll concede the point: you probably don't really need a website.If you're like the vast majority of aspiring writers, though, and you'd secretly (or even not-so-secretly) love to see your name in print, or to actually make a living from your writing, then I'll say it again: you need a website.But why?Well, if you're serious about carving out a career for yourself in writing, the first thing you need to know is that a successful writing career isn't just about writing. If you're really serious about selling your writing, you need to get serious about marketing it.Here's an interesting fact for you: the most successful freelance writers aren't necessarily the best writers. In fact, some of them aren't even all that great at writing in the first place. They're good at marketing. Selling themselves ? and their writing. And what's one of the easiest ways to start marketing your writing? By getting a website.Promoting your writing with your own writer's websiteLet's face it ? selling ourselves isn't always something that comes naturally. As writer's (and often just as people) we're used to self-effacement. Some of the best writer's I know are the most modest. They know how to write: they just don't know how to sell themselves.If you fall into this category, a website can be a fabulous work-around for the problem of how to sell yourself effectively. In simple terms, once you have your own writer's website, you don't have to worry about selling yourself ? your website will do it for you.A writer's website allows you to:* Post samples of your writing so that prospective clients can see for themselves how well equipped you are to write for them.* Give potential publishers, employers and fellow writers a means of contacting you to offer you work and ask for quotes.
* Position yourself as an expert in the field of writing, thus making it more likely that people will actually want to make use of your service.* Display testimonials from your satisfied clients.* Take advantage of the fact that the web is where employers are looking for their writers.It's the last of these points which is possibly the most significant. Let's look at why: The number one reason why writers need websitesWhen an employer is searching for a freelance writer, editor or proofreader, where do you think they look? Well, they may look in their local yellow pages or business directory, or they may go by word of mouth, but for most people, the very first place they'll look is online. Trust me, when you run an online agency for freelance writers, you find out very quickly just how many employers there are who use the internet to find a writer!If you don't have a presence on the internet (i.e. a website), how will these employers ever find you? Yes, you can rely on using an agency like my own, but with a little bit of hard work, and a well-designed website, you could be bringing in clients yourself.Still think you don't need a writer's website?Hot Igloo Productions Ltd., offers bespoke websites for writers starting at only
Why You Want What You Cant Have – Positive-Attitude
Why You Want What You Cant Have
"You can't always get what you want . . ." The Rolling Stones will soon be singing this refrain at venues around the world, as they embark on a year-long concert tour in August.This song, now decades old, addresses a universal truth. Here's the rest of the refrain:You can't always get what you want . . .
But if you try sometimes
You just might find
You get what you need.What is it that you really wanted and didn't get? The affections of a person who was with someone else? That dream job? The last cinnamon-raisin bagel snapped up by the customer in front of you?These scenarios range from trivial to potentially life-changing, but they all have one thing in common:WHEN YOU DON'T GET WHAT YOU WANT, YOU WANT IT EVEN MORE.Here are three reasons why this is so:1. Heightened attention: When something is hard to get (or forbidden) you immediately pay more attention to it. Notice that when you are on a restricted diet, you sometimes get too focused on what you "can't" eat. This heightened attention -- which can escalate into obsession -- makes the forbidden food seem very important. Your inner brat takes advantage of this, and tries to convince you that you MUST have that chocolate.2. Perceived scarcity: When something is scarce or in short supply, its perceived value increases. You want it more because you think other people also want it. If you've ever bid at auctions or on eBay, you know the experience of that last-minute excitement as you watch the bids spiral upward. The more people who bid, the more you're willing to pay for the item. Your inner brat wants it at any price.3. "Psychological Reactance": People don't like to be told they can't have or can't do something. It's related to not wanting to be controlled by others, especially if the situation feels unfair or arbitrary. The "reactance" is both emotional and behavioral.The emotional part is your inner brat saying, "Oh yeah? I can't have what I want? Just try and stop me!"The behavioral component is what you do about it, which usually involves some type of rebellious reaction. You see this with teenagers whose parents have forbidden them to date certain people. Reactance also explains why a "Wet Paint" sign invites unwanted fingerprints on the newly painted surface.Next time you don't get what you want, ask yourself whether one of the above factors has influenced your desire. If so, let go of the pursuit. Your inner brat won't be happy, but ultimately (in the words of the Rolling Stones,) you "might just find [that] you get what you need."Pauline Wallin, Ph.D. is a psychologist in Camp Hill, PA, and author of "Taming Your Inner Brat: A Guide for Transforming Self-defeating Behavior" (Wildcat Canyon Press, 2004)Visit http://www.innerbrat.com for more information, and subscribe to her free, monthly Inner Brat Newsletter.