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It's time to CLEAR THE AIR

BY KATHLEEN DUFF MARKETING FEATURE

Heatingandairconditioningunitsare basic elements in most houses, but homeowners are now demanding more from their systems to ensure the air they breathe inside their homes is clean and free of particles,allergens and even viruses.

Northern Colorado Air, Inc. has provided HVACservicesalongtheFrontRangefornearly 30years.Today,thelocallyownedcompanynow offers humidifiers, purifiers, filters and systems thathelpimprovetheircustomers 'healthaswell as comfort. "You ' re going to spend more time at home now more than a few years ago.We spend about 60 percent of our day indoors ... definitely in the winter and with more people working from home, " said Jeff Richard, general manager of NorthernColoradoAirInc. "Andit' simportant to have the right amount of humidity and air quality. " "When I first got into this trade, indoor air quality wasn 't even mentioned. In the last 1520 years, though, we ' ve had a lot of changes, " Richard explained. Airborne particles such as dust,mold,pollen,formaldehydeandpethaircan impactaperson ' slungsandnasalpassages.Cold and flu viruses,including Covid-19,also can be transmitted in the air.But new technology is addressing some of those concerns.

Health conditions such as asthma, allergies and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease demand cleaner air. Richard said calls about mitigating Covid-19 fell off after the first six months of the pandemic,but plenty of customers still seek tools to reduce irritants and viruses in general.

Northern Colorado Air carries the iWave system that uses positiveandnegativeionsinaforced-airfurnacetokillvirusesand other biological contaminants.The manufacturer says the system can reduce the COVID-19 virus by 99.4% in about 30 minutes.

Another approach is the REME-HALO whole-home air purification system that uses ultraviolet rays to eliminate viruses and contaminants.The maker says it is 99.9% effective against the COVID-19 virus.

Richard said, “the Cadillac ” of home systems is the Lennox PureAir system, which uses a filter, UV light and a catalyst.The system provides HEPA or High-Efficiency Particulate Air filtration that can match standards set by hospitals. Richard said heinstalledasysteminahomeheandhisfamilyformerlylivedin, but then they moved to a new home without the system.Within three months, he noticed his children ’ s allergies returning with a needformedication,soheaddedtheLennoxPureAirtohisnewer residence,as well.

The system requires modification to ductwork and annual maintenance to replace the filter,UV bulbs and catalyst.

“It can be expensive to maintain, but what is also expensive is having to go to doctors and buy medications because of allergies. ”

Not all homeowners want to install new air systems in their homes,but Richard says even small steps can have big benefits.

“Therearealotofchoicestoimproveairquality.Intheolddays, 20-plus years ago, the filter was there to protect the furnace, ”he said.Butadvancestodense,poly-fiberfiltersnowfocusoncleaning the air. Older systems had 1-inch filters, which were adequate, he said.Next came pleated filters that work well to trap allergens and particles from the air.Richard suggests checking these filters monthly for those who have pets or quarterly,otherwise.

REME-HALO Whole-Home Air Purification System Lennox Y6601 Healthy Climate PureAir PCO3-14-16 Air Purification System

Another step up is media filters,which range from 1 to 4- or 5 inches deep and can be changed every six months to a year.Media filters come in MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) ratings,whichmeasurethequalityoffiltrationfrom1-20,withthe higher rating considered most effective.Richard said these filters cancontainupto95feetoffilterandarecarbon-coatedtoremove odors plus particles.

Mostimportantly,Richardsaidhomeownersshouldkeeptheir system blowers on all day to ensure that the air-filtration system is most efficient in keeping indoor air clean and healthy.

He added, "You don 't have to change the world.We are happy to help with ductwork and filtration changes,of course, " he said. "Honestly, get a nice, pleated filter and wait until you can afford (another system).We are not high pressure people. " Northern Colorado Air,Inc.

Northern Colorado Air Inc., 812 Stockton Ave., Fort Collins, is a locally owned business that has been in operation for nearly 30 years.The company employs about 40 people serving Windsor, Longmont, Loveland and Fort Collins along with otherFrontRangecommunities.Call(970)223-8873or(970)669-2055orvisit

ncagriff.com.

ANOTHER HOME-HEALTH CONCERN

Radon,a naturallyoccurringradioactivegas thatcomesfrom the breakdown of uraniuminthe soil, also remains aconcern for Colorado homeowners becauseofits potential health hazard.

Theodorless, colorlessand tastelessgas doesn't cause shortterm symptoms, but it is acarcinogen estimatedtocauseabout 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States each year,according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

High radon levels -morethan 4picocuries per liter -have been found in all parts of Colorado.The gas seeps intohomes from the soil via cracks in foundations or walls, spaces between the basement walls and the slab,crawl spaces, openings around sump pumps and drains, among other routes. Theage or type of home isn't afactor when it comes to whether highradonlevels are present.

For information on how to test for and mitigate radon, visit CDPHE.Colorado.gov/understanding-radon.

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