Vacuum Cleaner Hospital in Chapel Hill has been in the business of improving indoor air quality for over 32 years. Vacuum Cleaner Hospital slogan is Essentials for Clean Living®. We strive to provide cost effective solutions to specific clean living needs. I’m going to give you some tips on ways you can breathe easier by picking the right cleaning products for your home. I’ll also give you an overview on ways you can improve your indoor air quality. Each solution to an indoor air quality need is personal. There are a few obvious solutions such as keeping your windows closed during pollen season and not owning a pet if you’re allergic to its dander. The areas I know best are air purifiers and vacuum cleaners, and how getting the right one plays a major role in controlling your allergies by managing the indoor air quality.
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| Particle chart using the human hair as the base for understanding |
I want to give you some facts on those particles that you can see and those you can’t. Using the human hair as a baseline for comparison, you’ll notice that everything has a range of sizes and that’s important to remember because 99% of indoor air particles are microscopic. A micron is one millionth of a meter and anything smaller than 30 microns is invisible to the naked eye. So how do you contain these particles? You have to have equipment that can properly trap and hold those particles. That’s where vacuum cleaners and air purifiers come in. The challenge is how do you know which one is best for you? Advertising claims and even online articles can be confusing. One thing to be aware of, a poor filtration vacuum can be worse than not vacuuming at all. That’s because it becomes a ‘dust re-circulator’ by picking up the dust and dirt from your carpeting and floors and spewing it back out in the air you breathe. That’s obviously something you want to avoid.
What are some advances in indoor air quality products? The best filtration vacuum is the central vacuum system installed by our Central Vacuum Experts division, because it takes the dirt and dust and exhausts it out of your living area. Listen to a recent interview on WCHL . The best filtration system for your heating and air conditioning system is a 4 HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Arresting) filter system called the Perfect 16 by IQ Air. For a home with someone with significant allergies or other respiratory problems this combination of central vacuum and whole air filtering is the solution. There are several well-known HVAC filtering systems out there but they use electronic charges or UV lighting to filter dust or kill germs. The trouble is, they’re messy to clean and aren’t as effective as advertised. The Perfect 16 guarantees a 90% reduction in indoor air particles.The next best vacuum equipment are those that use a high filtration bag and HEPA filter. Bagless vacs, uprights and canisters typically have the least effective filtration, though many have HEPA filters. Be advised that not all HEPA filters are equally efficient., yet that is what you’re told when read various articles on the Internet.
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| Handheld particle counter that we measure particles in the home or office |
Vacuum Cleaner Hospital uses a handheld laser particle counter to measure the level of particles in the air and then the output levels of each piece of equipment. At a presentation at the Southern Ideal Home Show on April 15th, the particle count on the seminar stage was 1.3 million particles. The exhaust port of the IQAir single room filtration unit measured zero particle count as did the Miele upright vacuum; the Dyson got the output down to 1200 ( a significant drop); the bagless Hoover actually increased the output to over 3 million. How do we match the right combination of products to your needs? When evaluating the best products for your needs, it’s important that you identify the source of your indoor allergies. If you (or other family members) find yourself with a stuffy or runny nose after you vacuum, you’re a candidate for a better filtration vacuum. A central vacuum is the ultimate vacuum system because it’s quiet, filters outside the living area and lasts longer than typically any portable vacuum. Almost everyone could benefit from an air purifier but you may not need one if you don’t have allergies. Everyone can benefit from have a well designed vacuum cleaner, portable or central, because it makes cleaning easier, more effective and less expensive over the long term.
