Comfort living is about more than just cooler temperatures.  For true comfort living we have to focus on several different factors related to our air.  An air conditioner/heat pump will make the air cooler, but will not remove the ozone, pollen, and other particles that must be removed for better breathing.  An air filter will remove pollution from the air, but will not make it cooler or warmer like an air conditioner/heat pump will.  Consider this: when the winds pick up outside, as they have the last few days, dust, pollen and other allergens are kicked up into the air making it dirtier, though a bit cooler.

The lesson here is that all the different aspects of comfort living have to work together in order to be truly effective.  This is why it is important to talk to a professional technician who understands this lesson to ensure that the air in your home is comfortable, clean and healthy.

To talk to a professional technician about what you can do to improve comfort living in your home, contact the Comfort Team.

The Arizona Republic is running an article discussing indoor air quality’s tendency to be dirtier than the air outdoors. In addition to the general statement to this effect, the Arizona Republic provides several interesting details. Among these are some specific sources of particles that make indoor air quality worse. Mold, household cleaners, radon, and carbon monoxide are all mentioned as having been found at higher concentrations indoors than outdoors. The article also discusses chemicals coming off of paint and furniture, and talks about the main reason that indoor air quality is worse than outdoor air quality: pollutants do not disperse as they do outdoors, they are trapped by the walls and ceilings. An interesting fact that is mentioned in the article is that the EPA first knew how bad indoor air quality was in the 1980s, and while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulates air quality standards in workplaces, it is up to us as individuals to ensure that the air in our home is safe and healthy.

A great way to ensure that you are breathing the healthiest air is to have an air filter professionally installed in your home. To find out more, contact the Comfort Team.

There are many different types of air cleaners, purifiers, and filters available today.  Some plug into a light socket or stand on the floor in a room.  The big guns of air cleaners, so to speak, are whole-house systems that connect to your air conditioner.  Of those, Trane, manufacturer of top-quality air conditioners and heat pumps also makes one of the best whole-house air filtration system.

Trane’s CleanEffects air cleaner is professionally installed along with a Trane air conditioner or eat pump and removes up to 99.98% of particles and allergens from the air in your home.  Another notable feature is that it uses filters that can be cleaned with a  vacuum every three months and never need to be replaced.  Many HEPA filters must be replaced every few months, which can increase the cost of ownership substantially, so this is a major savings.

Ultimately, if you are looking for the best in comfort living, CleanEffects from Trane is a very good choice.

To talk to an air filter, air conditioner, and heat pump specialist about options for air cleaners in your home, contact the Comfort Team.

Hot on the heals of Monday’s East Valley Tribune article on this year’s allergy season comes an article on the same topic from azcentral.com.  The new article, which can be found at http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0411Allergies0411.html, contains much of the same content that the allergies are bad because plants are pollinating in the current hot-but-not-too-hot weather.  But it also contains a few new facts, such as a longer list of allergens.  In addition to Bermuda grass, the azcentral.com article tells us, olive trees, ragweed, and some desert plants are also adding to the pollen in the air.

The article also cites some non-plant factors.  Because the temperature has not reached into the 100+ degree range, more people are spending time outdoors and sleeping with their windows open, both increasing peoples’ exposure to pollen.

The article also quotes Dr. Michael Manning, a physician with Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Associates, as saying that this is not the worst allergy season ever, but it is certainly worse than last year.

Last week we discussed the Asthma Walk which was held in Phoenix and designed to raise money to help children and adults suffering from asthma.  Now the results of that event are in, and with the help of sponsors such as the Comfort Team’s owner Bryce Johnson, the American Lung Association surpassed their goal of $238,000 to help people suffering from asthma.  Additionally, this walk, which we discussed here, was the top grossing walk of all time.  Everyone who participated should be proud of their contribution to asthma sufferers.

Also, don’t forget about Camp Not-a-Wheeze.  Coming up June 2^nd through 8^th, the Comfort Team is also contributing to help make this program as big of a success as the Asthma Walk was.  For information on this and other events, visit the American Lung Association of Arizona’s website at http://www.lungarizona.org/.

A commonly-cited report from the E.P.A. a few years ago found that indoor air quality can be substantially worse than outdoor air quality.  We must wonder what causes this situation.  There are three main factors that contribute to it.  First, all of the airborne contaminants that are outside can find there way in, either blown in through an open window or door or tracked in by a person or pet.  Second, unlike the outdoors where open spaces combined with wind and rain clear and disperse the contaminants, the air inside our home tends to be comparatively stagnant.  Finally, we keep certain things, like plush couches and pets inside our home which add to that which has been brought in from outside.

There are many things that can do to improve our indoor air quality.  Keeping our homes clean is the most basic thing we can do.  Some people even choose pets, such as poodles and schnauzers, that have hair similar to human hair and thus do not shed, the dander from which is a common allergen.  But to really breathe better, an air purifier will have the biggest impact.  Click here for a short discussion on the ability of quality air purifiers to improve the way you breathe inside your home.

To find out more about air purifiers and how they can help you breathe better, contact AC By Jay’s Comfort Team.

AC by Jay’s Comfort Team is doing more for the community than just installing air purifiers.  On Saturday, March 24^th Bryce Johnson, AC by Jay’s owner, cosponsored the American Lung Association’s annual Asthma Walk.  For people with Asthma, dirty air is more than just unhealthy, it can potentially be life threatening.  The American Lung Association runs numerous events throughout the year, including the Asthma Walk, to help provide education, advocacy and research improving the lives of the 600,000 people with Asthma throughout Arizona and the rest of the country.

Bryce will be continuing to improve the lives of people with Asthma through sponsoring Camp Not-a-Wheeze, a summer camp for children suffering from Asthma.

For these people, indoor air purifiers are a necessary part of living.  But even for the rest of us, air purifiers can improve the way we breathe.  To learn how to breathe better by having an indoor air purifier installed in your home, contact the Comfort Team.

To contact the American Lung Association to learn what you can do to help people suffering with Asthma, Emphysema, and other lung diseases, click here.

When you mention air conditioning most people immediately think of reducing the temperature of air.  Even the majority of air conditioning professionals often forget that conditioning air means more than just reducing its temperature.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary reminds us that Air Conditioning refers to equipping a building with an apparatus for washing air and controlling its humidity and temperature;
True air conditioning professionals have the tools, training, and expertises to not only provide balanced comfortable temperatures within your indoor environment.  They also understand the importance of delivering clean fresh air at the right humidity levels.  Here are six steps you can follow to improve the quality of the air you breathe in any indoor environment.
#1 Test in

In recent years Technology has improved to the point that air quality test instruments are now more affordable and user friendly then ever.  Progressive air conditioning professionals are now able to offer data loggers that can be placed in you home, communicate and provide reports and valuable information via the internet.  These reports provide homeowners valuable information for making better choices when selecting products and services for a cleaner, healthier, more comfortable indoor environment.  Go to http://www.airadvice.com/ for more information.
#2 Washing or Filtering Air       

Most of us in the desert are familiar with the large amount of dust we see in our homes.  The dust we recognize settles onto surfaces after being airborne or aerosolized.  What is truly amazing is what we do not see.  In some environments such as surgical rooms and clean rooms used in industry, controlling these invisible airborne particulate is serious business.  Fortunately for today’s homeowner new products are available.  These products when installed by experience professionals are capable of providing cleaner, healthy air that was historically only available in hospital type environments.
#3Ventilation    

Everyone understands that fresh air is better air.  What most people do not realize is that in today’s energy efficient homes many of us are living with more vapors, chemicals, and pollutants then ever. It’s hard to believe but true.  Organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), http://www.epa.gov/ and the American Lung Association, http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=22542 have discovered that many of today’s new homes have as much as 100 times more harmful concentrations of pollutants then even the worst outdoor environments in our biggest cities.  Fortunately both the air conditioning, and building industry is aware of this problem and they are manufacturing products that when installed properly create the cleanest, healthiest environments ever.

#4 Humidity 

Most people fail to connect the cold and flu season with the driest season of the year.  Health professional realize that dry winter air provides an environment that is harmful to humane health.  People need a certain amount of humidity in the air to prevent bacteria and viruses from spreading.  Maintaining optimum humidity indoors is one of the best defenses for avoiding many of our common health and respiratory issues.  Your air conditioning professional can help you achieve your target humidity levels indoors by recommending and properly installing.
# 5 Controls
The Average family spends somewhere around half or there day at home and about a third of their day or eight hours in the bedroom.  Modern thermostats are programmable capable of providing the right temperature, humidity and fresh air when you need it the most.  It only makes sense to condition your environment for those times when you are home.  Your air conditioning professional can recommend the correct thermostat and help you program and select the most efficient use of your home comfort system. 
#6 Test Out

Remember the same new technology that can be used to identify opportunities to improve your indoor air quality should be used to verify those same improvements.  Ask your comfort consultant to provide you with a printed summery of your improvements. 
#7 Maintenance       

You can install the best air conditioning system available today and it will perform as you should expect a new system to perform.  If you neglect your system you can expect premature breakdowns, decreasing energy efficiency, and a reduction in overall comfort.  Your contactor should offer you an extended maintenance plan that will give you one less thing to worry about when it comes to your home comfort system.
Good luck with your Comfort Quest

No one doubts the ability of air conditioners to improve the comfort of a home.  But there is more to quality living than just comfort.  An even more important aspect is the quality of the air that we breathe.  Numerous studies have shown that the air inside is even worse than the air outside.  Considering this fact amidst thoughts of car exhausts and cigarette smoke, breathing starts to seem a bit scary.

Thankfully, there is hope.  Several different air-purification technologies exist, varying from questionable “ionic air” filters to Department of Energy certified HEPA filters.  In order to obtain meet the stringent HEPA requirements, a filter must catch 99.97% of pollutants above 0.3 micrometers in size.  This ensures that the filter reduces allergens and pollutants in the air, improves conditions for asthma sufferers, and substantially improves air quality.  Some air purifiers also include a non-HEPA “pre-filter” which helps to reduce the need to replace HEPA filters, which are often expensive.

So if you have asthma, other breathing problems, or just want to breathe the cleanest, healthiest air, an air purifier may be the perfect addition to your home.  A quality system may be expensive, but if you want better living, it may be worth the cost.

But it’s a dry heat.  Anyone who sincerely uses this line has likely never been outdoors during a Phoenix summer.  For the rest of us, 110 degrees is hot even when the humidity is zero.  This dry weather gives us one advantage, however, in our ability to use a wider range of home cooling systems than a person in a wetter climate may employ.  Specifically, the dry desert climate allows us to use evaporative cooling systems on dry days, and only switch on the air conditioners when the humidity level rises.

So what is an evaporative cooler?  It is a simple device that utilizes the evaporation of water to cool the air.  In dry, hot weather, an evaporative cooler is an effective system for improving in home comfort while also increasing the humidity in a home. As the humidity rises, however, an evaporative cooling system’s effectiveness decreases.

Because of the limited effectiveness of evaporative coolers, people for hundreds of years have been looking for other solutions.  Persian architecture makes use of the windcatcher, which relies on the basic properties of hot and cold air to cool a building.  In modern cities, the air conditioner has taken over as the dominant cooling system.  Air conditioners use a heat pump to remove the warm air from a room and replace it with cooler air.  While air conditioners use a lot more energy than evaporative coolers, they are effective regardless of humidity.

For people looking for a single home cooling system, a heat pump that can both cool and heat the air, as appropriate to the climate, is the ideal solution.  If you are looking to save on energy, then an evaporative cooler would be a sound supplement to a conventional air conditioner.