5 Ways to Go Green Without Spending All Your Green
No one can single-handedly save the environment, but if everyone made a few changes, the results would be staggering. Going green means turning lights out when leaving a room, turning computers off when they are not in use, using Energy Star-related fixtures and compact fluorescent bulbs, using cloth grocery bags, carpooling, and telecommuting when feasible. Recycling all newspapers printed in the U.S. would save almost 300 million mature trees each year; enough wood and paper is disposed of yearly to heat one billion homes.
Since the '70s we've been told to use programmable thermostats and to adjust thermostats to 68 degrees in the winter and 78 degrees in the summer - a savings of 22 million gallons of oil per day. When it comes to your furnace, a little common sense can save a lot of money and protect the environment as well.
What is a MERV Rating?
No, it's not how well a guest performed on the Merv Griffin show. MERV stands for "Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value," and is a rating of how much a filter traps airborne particles. It's important to know, and something that will help you choose the best filter for your needs.
Take some time to learn about the MERV ratings and how they apply to filters. The MERV rating can help you take the guesswork out of finding the most efficient filter for your furnace. Read on for more information ... you won't find Zsa Zsa Gabor, but you'll learn plenty about the value of MERV.
Allergies and Asthma: How a Filter Can Help
When symptoms of asthma or allergies flare up, they can leave you feeling helpless. But there are steps you can take to eliminate reactions and lessen the intensity of the symptoms. Installing air filters in your heating and air conditioning units will remove the harmful irritating particles that cause asthmatic and allergic reactions.
Types of Filters
Not all HVAC units are alike, so it stands to reason that not all units require the same type of air filter. The proper filter for your furnace will maximize the particles removed from the air and minimize the loss of efficiency. We have a quick primer on different types of air filters to get your search started.
Improving Your Air Quality
Much attention is paid to the harmful effects of smog and other outdoor air pollutants, but the air we breathe inside our homes and workplaces can contain any number of airborne particles and pollutants. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than the air we breathe outside.
The air in your home or workplace can be improved significantly by taking action against air pollutants. With very little investment of time or money, much can be done to improve your air quality.
You can start improving the air quality in your home today. Along with changing, and possibly upgrading, your furnace filter, you can employ a variety of tips and strategies for improving the air you breathe. With a few small, inexpensive steps such as vacuuming and dusting more often, you'll be breathing better and feeling better.
