Water & Air – Filter Systems News

 Do you know what’s in your family’s drinking water?  Asbestos, antimony, copper and even chromium can be found in  in your home’s drinking water. According to the Drinking Water Contaminants Chart produced by the Environmental Protection Agency, there are microorganisms, disinfectants, organic chemicals and even radionuclides found in your primary drinking water. While there are regulations preventing too many contaminants or particles from being in your water, there are ways that you can personally protect both you and your family.

What can be most unnerving about contaminants being in your drinking water is the possibility that it can make you sick. To prevent this, consider using a whole house filtration system. These systems will filter things like sediment, chlorine and cysts not only from your drinking water, but your entire water system.  The Culligan HF-360 is a whole house water filter housing that can be attached to your main water line at the point of entry. The clear housing makes it easy for you to see when to change your filter, and to view all of the contaminants that you are no longer drinking!

Another easy way to filter the water  you drink is to use a water pitcher. Rather than drinking directly from the tap, put your water through a Brita Pitcher to ensure that contaminants are filtered out. If you, like me, are guilty of buying a bottle of water at the store which is harmful not only to the environment, but your wallet as well, consider the Filtrete Water Station. This water station features 4 portable bottles of water that are easy to take with you everywhere.

With the cold, drying winter months just around the corner, you are no doubt feeling the effects of dry, cracked skin. Most people don’t know that much of this can be attributed to contaminants and particulates in the water that you bathe with. To combat this, consider a Sprite Shower Falls shower head filter. This shower head comes in a stylish chrome finish and has a 5-way massaging spray. Beat the need for expensive moisturizers and skin treatments with this stylish shower head.

While there are contaminants and particulates in your water, there are ways to protect yourself and your family. By taking a few simple steps and installing a whole house water filtration system, or purchasing a filtering shower head, you can combat the effects of contaminants in your water.

Thinking of going camping this fall season? Across the country the leaves have changed and there are a multitude of beautiful colors to be seen.  The cool, crisp air means less bugs and clear night skies full of stars. If you, like me, are not THRILLED at the prospect of sleeping outside and not having clean fresh water to drink, the following products will save the day.

Katadyn MyBottle Water Purifier- Blue Splash

This sleek and stylish Katadyn water bottle does more than simply hold water. This water bottle features a personal filtration system directly inside the bottle. The built in virustat and cyst filter will remove bacteria, viruses, cysts and other impurities from virtually all fresh water sources. In addition, the carbon cartridge removes chemicals, making your water taste better. The MyBottle is even registered with the United States Environmental Protection Agency for its efficiency at removing impurities.

Use the Katadyn MyBottle to filter the following water sources:

1)      Lakes

2)      Ponds

3)      Rivers

4)      Streams

Katadyn Mini Ultralight Series Microfilter- Black

                The Katadyn Mini Ultralight Microfilter is ideal for camping and hiking. This filter removes protozoa, cysts, sediment, dirt, viruses, spores dirt and bacteria down to 0.2 microns in size. This microfilter has a 2,000 gallon capacity before needing a filter replacement. Weighing less than a pound, this easy to carry filtration system is great when you do not have a readily available fresh water source.

Klean Kanteen 18 oz Bottle & Loop Cap- Red

    The Kleen Kanteen 18 oz Bottle is BPA free and is manufactured out of the highest quality stainless steel. This is an eco friendly alternative to bringing a 24 pack of bottled water to your next camping trip. The convenient loop cap makes it easy to attach to backpacks and camping equipment.  This water bottle comes in a variety of colors.

 Nite Ize Carbiner, Klean Kanteen S-Biner # 3

         The Kleen Kanteen Carbiner will make it easy for you and your family to attach your Kleen Kanteen water bottle to belts, backpacks and camping equipment. Manufactured out of the same stainless steel as your Kleen Kanteen water bottle, two snaps is all it takes to bring your bottle everywhere you need it to go.

Vapur Anti Bottle Water Bottle- Pink 16 oz.

Perfect for the little campers in your party,  this reusable water bottle  features a space saving design. They are extremely flexible and almost completely collapsible, making this water bottle ideal when you are tight on space. The matching clip on the water bottle makes it easy to clip onto hiking bags and camping equipment. This water bottle is made out of BPA free plastic and holds 16 ounces.

With these easy to use products, you can be sure that your next camping and hiking trip will be a great success!

Is the fall air making your child a restless sleeper? Oftentimes the dry air can lead to chapped lips, dry skin, cold symptoms and severe congestion that can easily disrupt sleep.  Rather than treating your child’s symptoms with cold and cough medicine, consider using a humidifier. A humidifier will increase the moisture in your child’s room, making it easy for him or her to breathe clearly. In particular, a cool mist humidifier will release fine droplets of cool mist into the air. To protect your child and keep him or her sleeping soundly, consider these fun, kid friendly humidifiers by Crane:

Crane EE-8189: The Crane Owl is my personal favorite! This sage owl will provide your kids with the cool, humidified air they need, while blending nicely into their room. This humidifier has a 2.1 gallon output of humidified air per day.

Crane EE-4139: The Crane Pig will help prevent flu, cold and cough symptoms. The EE-4139 features a 10 hour running time and is perfect for rooms up to 250 square feet in size.

Crane EE-4109: Hello Kitty enthusiasts will love this humidifier! The Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier, Hello Kitty includes a night light and variable speeds.  The pink and white Hello Kitty humidifier is perfect for your little girl’s room!

Crane EE-5063: For  Sponge Bob lovers, old and young, the Sponge Bob humidifier is a great appliance. This humidifier will provide relief from sinus congestion and flu symptoms. The fun Sponge Bob design will look great in any room and it includes a night light.

Crane EE-3186: The Crane Elephant will alleviate cold and flu symptoms without the use of medicines. The blue and white elephant humidifier features an automatic shut off and water level indicator.

If Sponge Bob or Hello Kitty isn’t your thing, take a look at our other Crane humidifiers. Be sure to keep a clean humidifier tank with the use of the Humidiclean Humidifier Cleaner and Descaler. It is important to maintain the inside of your humidifiers tank as a dirty tank will lead to a build up that can be released into your homes air.

With Fire Prevention Week starting on October 9^th, we thought it would be a good time to discuss the simple ways you can protect both your home and your loved ones. Oftentimes, fires in the home start as a result of poorly maintained electrical equipment and appliances such as dryers. With the dry fall air taking over the hot days of summer, take a look at this checklist and make sure your home is safe!

1)      Maintain Dryer Lint Filter Screens: Busy moms and dads often leave laundry in the dryer while at work or picking the kids up from school. However, it only takes an extra piece of lint to start a dryer fire. Be sure to have a lint filter screen for your dryer, and make sure that you clean it every time you use the dryer! Consider the Whirlpool 349639 Dryer Lint Filter Screen, which  fits numerous name brand dryers.

2)      Keep Fireplaces Clean and Maintained: Ensure that you have a spark screen or glass door for your fireplace. If you have furniture close to your fireplace, a spark can easily start a fire.

3)      Regularly Change Furnace Filters: In the long list of things to do, remembering to change your homes furnace filters regularly probably falls to the bottom of the list. However, a clogged air filter can lead to poor indoor air quality at best, and carbon monoxide poisoning and chance of fire at  worst. These filters should be changed every 3 months. To take the stress out of remembering, purchase a 6 pack of filters (which is enough for the whole year!) and sign up for a free reminder service from Filters Fast!

4)      Be Careful with Cigarettes: While you might not be able to prevent Uncle Jim from smoking when he visits, you can make sure that it won’t become harmful to your home. Be sure to have a designated smoking area and be sure to completely put out ALL cigarettes and frequently clean the ashtray.

If you are concerned about smell, consider the Holmes Smokeless Ashtray Smoke Grabber, which traps smoke from a lit cigarette before the smoke gets dispersed throughout your home!

These simple solutions will help protect your family from the dangers of fire. Of course, it is also crucial to keep batteries changed on smoke detectors and to have an escape plan in place should a fire occur. However,  something as easy as cleaning your dryer lint filter and your furnace filters regularly will guard your home, belongings, and family.

Remember: Fire Prevention Week is October 9th- 16th 2011!

Do you work in office building? Chances are that you do, and chances are that you suffer from poor indoor air quality. With allergens, pollen and mold spores making their way into your office building, it is important to learn the easy ways you can improve the air that you breathe for most of the day.

Indoor air quality has a significant effect on your ability to breathe clearly at work. Poor indoor air quality can increase your risk of illness and lead to serious health problems. Fixing and maintaining good office indoor air quality involves many factors, including, “Maintaining good indoor air quality requires attention to the building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system;” as the EPA outlined, it also includes, “the design and layout of the space; and pollutant source management.” (EPA.gov). Here are easy steps you and your office can take, to improve your office air quality:

1)      Do not block air vents: Make sure that your HVAC systems vents are clear from boxes or other materials to ensure that you are getting clean, filtered air throughout the entire office

2)      Be aware of furniture spacing: If possible, keep copiers, fax machines, desks and other office equipment away from the HVAC system.  This can restrict air flow and can also cause the HVAC to release too much cool air.

3)      Purchase air purifiers: If you did not take part in the planning of your building, chances are that there is not adequate ventilation in all areas. This will cause unpleasant smells in the air, which contributes to a poor indoor air quality. An air purifier will remove odors, particles, smoke, smog, and other contaminants from the air you and your coworkers breathe all day.

4)      Clean up water spills ASAP: spilled water and wet areas can lead to the growth of mold, mildew and other bacterial spores. This will get into the air that breathe and can cause health problems. If your office feels particularly “damp”, consider using a dehumidifier.

5)      Change filters regularly: If management doesn’t do so already, let them know the importance of changing air filters every 3 to 6 months. For ease, you can purchase a convenient 6 pack of air filters in whatever size you need that will last you the entire year!

With this fall promising to be one of the worst for allergies, it is important to do your best to create a healthy work environment. The 5 simple steps outlined above will keep your office air as clean as possible. This will prevent you from developing respiratory problems and help keep your allergies at bay.

Sniffle, sniffle. If you couldn’t tell from my virtual stuffy nose, Friday is the first day of fall, meaning the beginning of a tough allergy season. As we’ve mentioned before, this season promises to be one of the worst allergy seasons yet . If you happen to live in a city with a high pollen count, or are very susceptible to allergens, be sure to have the correct protection you need for this upcoming fall season.

Humidifier systems will help significantly as they moisturize the dry air in your home. Dry air can cause sinus infections, colds, scratchy throats and even nose bleeds.  Humidified air will prevent cold viruses from thriving, as they prefer dry conditions. However, a humidifiers humid, wet air can also add bacteria and mold to your home if not maintained properly. Here are some of the most common humidifier filters, pads and wicks that will keep your humidifier running smoothly, and keep you out of the doctor and out playing in the cool fall air!

Humidifier Filters: Humidifier filters will keep your humidifier running at its best, and keep it free from mold and bacterial residue. Each humidifier, regardless of size, uses a filter to keep particles and contaminants inside of the humidifier and out of the air that you breathe. For example, the Universal Bemis West Bend 6” Humidifier Filter works with a 6” drum type humidifier.

The Holmes HWF75 is a humidifier filter that features the use of Arm and Hammer baking soda to naturally deodorize the air. This filter works with your Holmes and White Westinghouse model humidifier.

Humidifier Wick Filters:  Two pack humidifier wick filters will help you keep your humidifier running correctly. Many of these filters, such as the Vornado MD1-0002 come treated with an antimicrobial treatment that will prevent the growth of mold, fungus and bacteria.

Humidifier Cleaner:  Humidifier cleaner will help prevent the build-up of calcium and lime scale in your humidifiers tank. Humidiclean Humidifier Cleaner and Descaler will increase the life of your humidifier and can be used on both humidifiers and vaporizers.  The Holmes Bacteriostat Cleaner is made for your Cool Mist Humidifier and uses chlorides to clean your humidifier.

Carbon Pre-Filters:  Carbon pre-filters work with those air purifiers that use a three step filtration system within the cleaner. These filters will protect your HEPA filter from exposure to large air particles that will clog up the filter and humidifier.

These products will help your humidifier run at its best, keeping you and your house healthy. If you want to find the correct humidifier accessory for you, simply go to www.filtersfast.com and type in the filter or humidifier you use into the search bar!

Politicians and lay people alike both talk and argue about the effects of the environment on Americans. Clean air and clean living have become trendy issues in the past decade. Green homes, recycling, and hybrid cars are just a few of the ways that people can help make our air a little bit cleaner. With harsh effects of polluted air such asthma and other respiratory problems, it is now more important than ever to protect yourself against the dangerous effects of polluted air. One organization, the Clean Air Task Force, is doing just that.

The Clean Air Task Force is based out of Boston and was formed in 1996. Their primary goal is outlined as such: “To enact federal policy to reduce the pollutants from America’s coal-fired power plants that cause respiratory death and disease, smog, acid rain, and haze.” This group of researchers, advocates, and private sector contributors are working towards getting the American people to truly understand the negative health effects that coal and diesel emissions have.

For example, diesel trucks can pose a serious health risk to pedestrians as it is emitted at ground level. As the CATF explained, “Diesel exhaust is comprised of microscopic carbon soot particles that act to absorb metals and other toxic substances in the exhaust. When inhaled by humans, these tiny, toxic-laden particles cross the blood barrier from lungs into the bloodstream, delivering the toxics to internal organs and leading to inflammation and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases…”

Diesel exhaust leads to approximately 400,000 asthma attacks a year. To get an idea of how much diesel exhaust is released by a local school bus, check out these videos. The first shows an ordinary school bus, while the second is fitted with a diesel filter.

The diesel filter makes a huge difference in the amount of emissions released into the air. The same goes for your indoor air quality. As the CATF has shown us, air pollution is a serious problem and has significant health effects on Americans today. If you are concerned about pollutants and allergens in your home, it is important to equip your home with the proper filters. It is paramount that you change your HVAC filter regularly, and a higher MERV rating, the better. These filters will help to remove particles and mold spores, keeping them out of the air you breathe.

Another way to protect the air you breathe inside your home is to use an air purifier. These will assist in the removal of bacteria and germs that are found in your home, protecting you and your family from sickness. While solving the world’s pollution problems may be very far off, cleaning the air in your home is an inexpensive way for you and your family to stay healthy. While the CATF does their part, it is important that we do ours!

With fall just around the corner, I wanted to focus on a FRESH AIR charity for this Charity Tuesday. There is really nothing better than stepping out onto your front porch to breathe in the cool, clean, crisp air of fall. As the leaves begin to turn into beautiful reds, oranges and yellows, I would like to feature The Fresh Air Fund as Filter’s Fast Charity Tuesday pick. With many charities focused on providing fresh water to people around the world, it is refreshing to see a charity that understands the importance of fresh air. In particular, the Fresh Air Fund in New York City has provided free summer experiences in the country to more than 1 million inner city children since it began in 1877.

The Fresh Air Fund provides two different avenues for inner-city children to experience the country. For many children, this is their first time under America’s starry sky without the interruption of harsh city lights. Fresh Air Fund camps host 3,000 children between the ages of eight to 15 yearly. These camps are split up by age, special needs, and gender, allowing parents to choose the most suitable camp for their child. Many children who have never been outside of the city are able to experience swimming, milking a cow, cabin living and fishing among many other activities. There are also year-round day and weekend camping trips available.

The Fresh Air Fund also provides 5,000 children with the opportunity to spend two or more weeks with a host family in 13 Northeastern states through their Friendly Town Program.  Here, children from disadvantaged New York City communities have the opportunity to live in a small rural/suburban community.  Being a host family for the Fresh Air Family means that you are providing a child with the opportunity to experience life outside of the city and it is rewarding for both you and the child you are hosting!

The Fresh Air Fund is a nonprofit organization that is able to provide these great opportunities due to peoples generous donations. It is easy to make a tax-deductible donation in any amount on their secure website. If you understand the importance of clean fresh air, and outdoor activities for children, then The Fresh Air Fund is the charity for you.

*Speaking of fresh air, the Fall can bring unwanted air contaminants into your home, decreasing your homes indoor air quality. If you are concerned about the air quality inside your home, an air filter or air purifier will help significantly!

Hurricane Irene was difficult to escape, even with forced evacuations. From the wide-spread media coverage and weathermen standing in soaked rain jackets by the beach, everyone saw  the hurricane this past weekend. Those on the North Carolina Coast all the way to Vermont experienced extremely severe weather. The hurricane caused massive power outages and flooding all along the eastern seaboard. Many places are still without electricity and running water. North Carolina’s governor, Bev Perdue stated in a press release Tuesday,

“Thousands of North Carolinians are still reeling from the devastation caused by Hurricane Irene, but we’re all pulling together to get things back to normal. For people who want to help, we’ve established the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.”

Money from the North Carolina Disaster Relief fund will go towards the rebuilding of homes and other volunteer efforts in the state of North Carolina. You can visit the website here: North Carolina Disaster Relief

If you would like to help in other effected cities of the United States, organizations such as the American Red Cross and AMERICARES are also offering assistance. While this hurricane was not as devastating as originally expected, homes still need to be rebuilt and people need your help. The Humane Society is also helping in hard hit areas such as North Carolina and Vermont.  The Director of the Humane Society of North Carolina said today,

“”It takes a couple of days for the animals to really come out of their hiding places. And so, two, three, four days down the road, all of the sudden you find that there’s animals walking through the neighborhood.”

For a complete list of trustworthy nonprofit organizations that are seeking your help, look here:  Hurricane Irene Relief

Do you suffer from allergies? Like most people, contaminants, mold spores and smells in the air can severely affect your sinuses and ability to breathe easy.  The use of an air purifier can significantly improve the air quality in your home.  With the fall allergy season just around the corner, the 3M Filtrete Ultra Quiet Air Purifier is a simple solution to a very bothersome problem.  For those living in small dorm rooms for this first time, this air purifier will provide you with the   cleanest, freshest air possible.

The 3M Filtrete Ultra Quiet Air Purifier provides high filtration efficiency and low airflow resistance. This air purifier uses electrostatically charged fibers that capture particles as small as 0.1 micron in size, keeping them out of the air you breathe.  The sleek design of this Air Purifier mini tower is perfect for rooms including dorms, office spaces and nurseries. This whisper quiet air purifier won’t wake any sleeping children, or adults!

Try the 3M Filtrete Ultra Quiet Air Purifier, now on special at FiltersFast.com. Normally priced at 55.95, you can order the 3M Filtrete Ultra Quiet Air Purifier, part number, FAP00-RS for only 49.99 until September 2. We will even throw in free shipping! Remember, this is for one week only! If you’re feeling lucky,  head over to our Facebook page and post your favorite school memory, get your friends to like your post, and the entry with the most likes at the end of the week will win a 3M Filtrete Ultra Quiet Air Purifier!

In addition to the 3M Filtrete Ultra Quiet Air Purifier, check out these other great back to school items!