Is your Heating & Air Conditioning System Making You Sick?
"WARNING! Don't Even THINK About Taking Another Breath Of Air In your House That May Be Polluted With Such Gross And Sickening Contaminants As Dust Mites Fecal Pellets, Parasites, Bacteria, Viruses, Radon, Pesticides ... OR Worse!"
"Most people don't know it, but air conditioners pose some very real health hazards ", says Dr. Mary Elizabeth Ross, Past President of the Michigan Academy of Family physicians!
Your air conditioner can make you sick... and in some cases even leads to death! If you or your family experience any symptoms like allergies, frequent colds, respiratory infections or asthma... and you use an air conditioner in your home or office, please read this article as it may be one of the most important things you'll ever read!
Forced air systems are breeding grounds and distributors of disease causing contamination!
Here's the problem. Air conditioning and heating use forced air systems of distributing the cold air throughout your house. The fan that blows the wanted cooler air into each room in the house ... also blows all kinds of disgusting and dangerous elements into those rooms! Listen to kinds of contamination can breed, grow and be distributed through your ducts:
- Molds
can grow with all the moisture inside the air conditioning unit. Molds are very likely to cause allergic reactions leading to respiratory symptoms like coughing, sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, rashes, even asthma!
- Bacteria
and viruses can breed in any stagnant water or retained moisture inside the unit. All manner of disease causing bacteria are found inside air conditioners, which cause colds, sore throats, the flu, sinusitis, upper respiratory infections, even the deadly legionnaire's disease!
- Contaminants
in your house, such as fecal pellets from dust mites. (There are 42,000 dust mites per once of dust, with each mite excreting 20 fecal pellets per day! There are literally millions of fecal pellets floating around which cause all kinds of allergies when inhaled!)
Dr. Roth further explains: "If the water pools stagnates at the bottom of the your unit, it becomes hazardous. The bug that causes legionnaire's disease can grow in the water buildup. Air drawn in by the unit goes over the water, picks up the bacteria and is blown back inside. We had an outbreak of legionnaire's disease here in Michigan that was caused by an air conditioning unit where water had built up and sat a long time. It killed seven people."
It's not limited to your a/c and heating!
These problems are not limited to your air conditioner. Remember that your heating unit goes through the some forced air process when being distributed throughout the house. All the some problems of spreading gross and disease causing pollutants can and does occur during the time you run your heater. And there's worse news. It's not just the molds and germs going through your ducts that can make you and your family sick. A tiny fraction of the elements that could contribute to indoor air pollution are:
- Household cleaners, fumes from paint, stains, and varnishes.
- Chemicals released from carpets.
- Adhesive in pressed wood materials in the building or furniture, wet insulation.
- Molds and spores in refrigerators and humidifiers.
- Perfumes, colognes, make-up.
- Smoke.
- Natural gas, fumes from heating oil.
- Pet dander and hair.
- Radon, pesticides, other outdoor pollution that gets in the house.
And so on. There are many, many other contaminants that foul the indoor air that you breathe! Understand that indoor air is WAY WORSE than it was a generation ago. The tightening up of buildings, improved insulation and windows, improved construction techniques and materials have all contributed to making the air in the home more disgusting than ever!
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Is it time for a Fall Tune-up on you Heater?
Many Oklahoma residents do not realize their home heating system operates approximately 1800 hours per year. To put this "run time" in perspective, a car driven for 1800 hours at 65 miles per hour would travel 117,000 miles. No one would consider such a journey without arranging for oil changes, lubrication, and routine tune-ups along the way to assure the efficiency, safety and reliability of the vehicle.
The parallel between the car and your furnace is this:
Your heating system services you many more hours than your car and, like the car, needs routine tune-ups to operate efficiently, safely and reliably throughout its design life.
Our unique precision tune-up includes everything that can possibly be done in order to restore your heating system to its very best condition. No other local area heating and air conditioning company performs a comparable precision tune-up. In fact, it often takes us 1 hour or more to perform the work!
Just some of the things we do:
Adjust burner assembly, clean ignition assembly, clean and examine heat exchanger, monitor flue draft, test safety controls, clean air filter, clean and adjust the blower components, tighten electrical connections, measure amps and volts, and lubricate moving parts.
Since your furnace will likely be running another 1800 hours again this year, call us at (405) 755-3737 to schedule a convenient time to have your heating system brought up to maximum operating standards. Start saving money!
Guaranteed!! If your furnace breaks down in 90 days after we do this service, and needs repairs for any reason, we will apply your service cost to any needed repairs.
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The best cure for dryness in you home
The effects that heat and dry air have on your home are the very same effects that they have on you. When air is heated, its relative humidity plummets, causing that chilly, itchy feeling you get each winter. This non-humidified, heated air dries your skin and can cause extreme discomfort in your nose and throat. It can even cause walls to crack and furniture to age prematurely.
Fortunately, there is a cure. The Aprilaire Whole House Humidifier. For nearly 40 years, Aprilaire has been the leading name in humidification. Millions of homeowners have discovered that Aprilaire's flow-through, evaporative design is a natural process that automatically adds humidity to heated air and circulates it to every room in your home.
Start enjoying the benefits of controlled, whole house humidification. Have Bailey Brothers install an Aprilaire Humidifier. It's the best cure for dryness. Use our online form or call us at (405)755-3737, to schedule your appointment today!
Model 550
$574.38*
Average house up to 1500 sq ft
Tight house up to 3000 sq ft
Model 760A
$702.26*
Average house up to 2100 sq ft
Tight house up to 4200 sq ft
This unit features the Auto-track System that changes humidity in your home as weather changes outside your home.
*On normal installation, price offered is good until 12/30/00
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Safety and energy saving tips
Periodic maintenance
To keep your furnace operating properly be sure to replace or clean your air filter monthly. A dirty filter causes the furnace to work harder than normal, resulting in higher utility bills.
Carbon Monoxide
If your furnace or venting system is not operating properly, the furnace may produce carbon monoxide, an odorless toxic gas. Exposure to carbon monoxide causes headaches, dizziness, nausea, ringing in the ears, drowsiness, heart fluttering, or flu like symptoms. If you feel these symptoms, open the windows or go outdoors immediately and call your heating contractor from a neighbor's phone. A hardwired or plug in carbon monoxide detector is a great safety device to catch dangerous levels of CO in your home.
Setback Thermostats
Installing an electronic setback thermostat can conserve energy while helping to save as much as $300 on your annual utility bill. You program the thermostat to your schedule, a warm comfortable home when you wake-up or come from work is automatic.
Make sure your furnace is operating safely!
Even if your heating system appears to be in good working order, it is important to have it inspected and serviced by a qualified contractor each year. Annual tune-ups, along with your own periodic inspections, will help keep your furnace and venting system operating safely and efficiently all winter.
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Falls FAQ's
These are some of our most frequently asked questions during the heating season:
Should I put a cover on my air conditioner in the winter?
It is not necessary to put a winter cover on your outside unit. Moisture can build up under the cover and lead to premature rusting. Air conditioning units were made to sit outside. A coat of car wax put on in the fall will prevent paint from fading.
Are furnace tune-ups worth the money?
Yes. If only for safety alone. A simple performance tune-up every year can raise the operating efficiency of any furnace. The operating safety can be assured and potential midwinter breakdowns averted. The savings on your heating bill often pays for the tune-up.
Does a humidifier hold bacteria?
Research by Penn State University conclusively showed that evaporative type flow-through humidifiers do not spread bacteria or mineral dust. In fact, they tend to remove some contaminants found in outside air.
How can I check for carbon monoxide?
It's a good idea to have a carbon monoxide detector. It's also important to have your furnace checked every year. A qualified service tech can check your heating system for a cracked heat exchanger, inadequate fresh air, or blocked chimney's and flues.
How do I know where to set my humidistat?
The average settings for this area are between 30% & 35% humidity. The colder it gets outside, the dryer the air. Too much humidity can cause condensation damage to your home. Adjust accordingly if you see condensation of water on inside windows.
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