Healthy Indoors Magazine
Issue link: https://hi.healthyindoors.com/i/1243389
38 | March 2020 Electronic filters aren't effective because most people don't follow manufacturer's maintenance directions. I al- ways recommend pleated media filters with a ME RV rating of at least an 8; a rating of 11 is preferable for families with allergies or asthma. If a return plenum must be adjusted for a filter of this size, so be it. The goal of improved indoor air quality is worth the effort and expense. What's the point of filtration? I once spoke at a conference for HVAC technicians. I asked members of the audience to raise their hands if they thought that the purpose of filters was to "cleanse" the air. Almost all the attendees raised their hands, much to my surprise and, I must add, dismay. As I've told my clients numerous times and mentioned in many articles, the most important function of a filter is to prevent the accumulation of biodegradable dust on coils and not to "clean the air" (although air cleaning can certain- ly occur in the rare case of a clean distribution system). If filtration is inadequate, microbial growth can occur within the system. By-products of this growth are spread through- out the building on airflows and present a health hazard to building occupants. Return plenum full of dust and mold May Indoor Air Investigations LLC Like the familiar real-estate mantra "location, location, location," the HVAC mantra is "filtration, filtration, filtration!" This is what keeps the coil clean and thus prevents microbi- al contamination. And as far as your eyesight is concerned, when opening an air handler that contains a UV-C lamp, the words are "caution, caution, caution, caution." The second edition of our book My House is Killing Me! i will be available in the fall of 2020. Our other books may also be useful to your clients: Founder and Principal Scientist of May Indoor Air Investi- gations LLC in Tyngsborough, MA (www.mayindoorair.com), Jeffrey C. May combines his education as an organic chem- ist and his over twenty-five years of experience investigating building problems to specialize in indoor air quality (IAQ). He is a former Adjunct Faculty Member in the Department of Work Environment at University of Massachusetts Lowell, and is author or co-author of four books on indoor air quality (published by The Johns Hopkins University Press), includ- ing My House is Killing Me: The Home Guide for Families with Allergies and Asthma. Jeff is a nationally recognized speaker at annual conferences for the IAQ Association and the Maine IAQ Council, among others. He is a Council-Cer- tified Microbial Consultant (ACAC) and a Certified IAQ Pro- fessional (AEE), and is licensed in the NH and FL as a mold inspector/assessor. Jeff holds a B.A. from Columbia College (chemistry) and an M.A. from Harvard University (organic chemistry). See http://www.mayindoorair.com for details about Jeff's company's services, and www.myhouseiskill- ingme.com for more information about Jeff's publications and work. You can contact Jeff at jeff@mayindoorair.com or call 978-649-1055. The second edition of our book My House is Killing Me! will be available in the fall of 2020. Our other books may also be useful to your clients: • Jeff May's Healthy Home Tips • The Mold Survival Guide: For Your Home and for Your Health • My Office is Killing Me: The Sick Building Survival Guide. These four books are published by The Johns Hopkins University Press and are available on amazon.com.