If you have a newborn, it is likely you have not given consideration to your furnace filter when thinking of your baby’s safety, but it is VERY important.
The indoor air in most Hilton Head homes is much more polluted that the outside air. The EPA says that “….indoor air can be be more polluted than the air outside a home”. This is because, in an effort to improve energy efficiency, builders “seal” the inside of your Hilton Head home from the elements. Though this practice does reduce energy costs and makes for a more uniform climate indoors, it also “seals” the inhabitants in the home along with the dust, dust mites and other pollutants that either inhabit homes or are brought in by dwellers or visitors.
Because a baby’s respiratory and immune system is not as evolved as an adult, they are more susceptible to these pollutants.
Fortunately, there are solutions that either cost nothing or very little to help stave off any “intruders” that could cause baby problems. First, remove the HVAC filter in your air conditioner and replace it with one that is highly efficient. We recommend a pleated, disposable electrostatic ac furnace filter.
The pleats in an HVAC filter double the surface area of the filter media, thereby doubling the removal of pollutants in your Hilton Head home’s interior. A filter that is electrostatic also means a higher efficiency. The passage of air through the filter media causes the electrostatically charged filter material to work much like a magnet, trapping more of the pollutants from your indoor air. Make sure you use an air filter with a high MERV rating.
We strongly recommend a MERV12 rated filter since it traps more of the pollutants but does not increase energy costs. It is the perfect balance between filter and equipment efficiency.
There is no other part of your Hilton Head HVAC system that you can control except for the filter, so getting a high quality air filter is essential.
And be sure your HVAC Filter is disposable! Sure, it costs a little more than reusable air filters, but in the end, it is much better. Reusable filters are hard to clean and notoriously fail in efficiency when compared to disposable air filters.
NOTE: Make sure your HVAC System is up to par. If there is water accumulating around the system, it is a perfect place to harbor mold. Mold, when adjacent to a HVAC System is a prime way for the mold to become airborne. Also, make sure the coils in the HVAC unit are clean. Have your Hilton Head heating and air contractor do a full check of your system on a regular basis.
