Water & Air – Filter Systems News

It can get pretty stuffy indoors during the winter months. If you burn wood in your fireplace, do a lot of cooking or have a problem with dry stale air, spraying an air freshener is not the solution. Unpleasant odors can be caused by a myriad of triggers and get trapped inside for the winter season. First, find out what those triggers are and eliminate the cause of the problem.

Keep areas that harbor unpleasant odors cleaned regularly. The kitchen, bathroom, basement, closet, bedroom and laundry rooms are typical areas in your house that harbor some very unpleasant areas. Keep the refrigerator, stove, burners, microwave, oven and garbage cans cleaned regularly. Dirty microwave filters can create more stress and strain on your microwave and range stove vent fan. A charcoal microwave range hood filter and vent is designed to absorb unpleasant odors and keeps them from recirculating in the air of your home.

Vacuum Cleaner Bags should be changed regularly. Certain styles of vacuum cleaner bags will capture approximately 94% of particles such as dust mite debris, pollen, pet dander and other airborne pollutants. Typically, you should replace your vacuum cleaner bags every 1 to 2 months depending on usage to control pollutants that could create odor, allergies and carpet soiling.

Change your Air Furnace Filters frequently. We cannot stress enough how important it is to perform this task on a regular basis. Depending on the type of air filter you use (MERV 8, MERV 11, MERV 13 or HEPA filters), airborne pollutants that could cause asthmatic attacks, allergies and other lung-related illnesses are trapped in the media of the filter. Clean air filters along with proper maintenance of your furnace will help your unit perform optimally.

Room Vent Filter Kits such as BestAir Kitchen and Bath or BestAir Family and Bedroom Vent Filter Kit are cut-to-fit filters that are easy to install. They are designed to reduce airborne pollutants like pet dander, dirt, dust, hair, pollen and other allergens. This filter will provide cleaner and fresher air in your room. This filter can be used in bathrooms, bedrooms, family rooms and RV/Motor homes. One word of caution is to avoid using this filter in every vent in your home. It could restrict airflow and cause damage to your air furnace unit.

Fresh Scents Air Fresheners: This French Scents whole house air freshener is a fragrance gel pad that provides fragrant air within your home in one easy step by instantly attaching to any air filter, air conditioner filter, furnace filter, provide scented air throughout your entire home, business, or other indoor area. It comes in a variety of aromatic fragrances: Fresh Flowers, Mountain Breeze, Fresh Berries, Marine Scent, Cinnamon, Gardenia, French Vanilla, Tropical Bay, Pine Woods and Country Cotton freshener.

Products containing activated charcoal are great for reducing musty and unpleasant odors that linger in the indoor air of your home. For unpleasant odors that gravitate to your refrigerator and freezer try the Whirlpool Refrigerator Deodorizer or the Whirlpool Freezer Deodorizer. Both contain highly absorbent activated charcoal that can be 50 times more effective than baking soda.

Use Vinegar: Wipe down refrigerator shelves, trashcans and run an empty cycle in your washing machine with a cup of vinegar to help clean and disinfect the washtub every month. This will help to alleviate that rotten egg smell. Vinegar will also help to sanitize and deep clean your cutting boards.

Use Lemons: A mixture of lemon juice, water and baking soda is good for cleaning the interior of your microwave. If your garbage disposal or sink smells foul, throw half a lemon down it.

Share any odor-reducing tips you may have with us that will help to winterize your home with indoor freshness!

Are you in a dilemma about what to do with those Christmas and Holiday greeting cards that you get? Why not make a collage with those cards using 3M Command Picture hanging strips on a door, wall or other available space in your home? Do you have some of your favorite digital photos from previous holidays or a winter scene that you can make into an artistic photographic display? You can frame and hang those photos using the Command Picture Hanging Strips. We offer 3 convenient sizes to choose from.

3M Command Picture Hanging Strips – Small
Set of 4
Works on many surfaces
Weight capacity: 1 pound
Picture locks securely in place
Sturdy enough to hold most 8″x10″ frames.

3M Command Picture Hanging Strips – Medium
Set of 3
Weight capacity: 3 pound
Sturdy enough to hold most 18″x24″ frames

3M Command Large Adhesive Mounting Strips
Contains a set of 6
Weight capacity: Up to 5 pounds

The decorating possibilities with the 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips are endless. You can use these hanging strips to display lightweight clocks, mirror, artwork or a dry erase board to your refrigerator. The 3M strips are ideal for using in your dorm room, office and home. These strips lock securely in place and can easily be removed without damaging your walls and other delicate surfaces.

So, what damage-free hanging solutions can you use the 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips for? Check out our selection of 3M Command products. Be creative and share your ideas with us. Happy Decorating!

Image referenced from Wikipedia

To be thankful is to be grateful, appreciative and express gratitude. Being thankful is not limited to a particular holiday or situation, but resonates with a universal expression of compassion and love for the people and things that matters the most. As we reflect on the people we love, work with, worship with or simply socialize with, there is a unique connection we probably cannot define, that ignites a feeling of belonging even if expressed individually.

Thankfulness embraces the smiles, hugs and encouragement that we exchange everyday with people of diverse ethnicities, creeds and cultures. As you gather around your dinner tables, watch television, do chores together, engage in entertaining or encouraging conversations, continue to ask yourself on a daily basis, what are you thankful for? When you take the time to ask yourself this simple question, you will experience an epiphany that makes you humble and thankful for what is important in your life that would ordinarily leave a deep-rooted void in your heart if it were no longer there.

Regardless of how and if you choose to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, take the time to reflect on how grateful you really are. The Filters Fast Family would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Now-a-days people are more focused on buying gifts with a specific purpose in mind. Gone are the days of purchasing an impractical gift just for the sake of saying you gave someone a present. We understand what it’s like to streamline our household budgets, but at the same time we are savvier about giving gifts that will be remembered and appreciated for years to come. Filters Fast offers 10 functional and reasonably priced gift-giving suggestions to consider:

Water Filter Pitchers: This gift is ideal for college students or apartment dwellers who want filtered drinking water that is convenient, portable and reusable. See our selection of space-saving water filter pitchers available from Brita, Mavea, Pur, GE, Omnifilter and 3M Filtrete.

Klean Kanteen Wine Karafe: This 27 ounce wine carafe is made from BPA free, food-grade brushed stainless steel, wine enthusiast who wants to avoid taking a heavy wine bottle or decanter on a hike, carriage ride or picnic. that does not impart any unsavory flavors into your wine or other beverages. This gift is ideal for the wine enthusiast who wants to avoid taking a heavy wine bottle or decanter on a hike, carriage ride or picnic.

Sprite Baby Shower: The Sprite Baby Shower is the perfect gift for parents with infants. It features a small easy-to-hold handle and uses an adapter to attach to your kitchen sink faucet to easily bathe your infant. Replacement filters are available for continued use.

Fluval C3 Aquarium Power Filter System: This high performance system produces optimum aquarium filtration foryour tropical fish lover. The Fluval Aquarium Filtration System is designed for quick and easy maintenance with built-in features to remind you when components need to be cleaned or replaced.

Crane Animal Cool Mist Humidifiers: These ultrasonic cool mist humidifiers features assorted fun animal designs to choose from. Crane humidifiers will help a child breathe easier at night, while preventing dry skin and chapped lips triggered by dry indoor air.

Dog It and Cat It Fresh and Clear Water Fountains: Do not forget about your pampered pooch or feline this holiday season. The Fresh and Clear Water Fountains for cats and dogs, constantly recirculates water to provide a steady stream of cool, crisp and clean water for your pets. With a sleek modern design, this fountain can help to prevent recurrent kidney or urinary tract infections in your pets.

Plane Clean Air Filter: The Plane Clean Air Filter is just the thing for the frequent flyer in your family. This airplane air filter is designed to help you breathe easier while you fly. It easily attaches to the overhead nozzle in most planes and helps to remove approximately 99.5% of bacteria and viruses from the air stream.

Watersafe Science Project Kit: This gift is great for your science aficionado. This test kit compares water quality and is easy for elementary students to use, yet scientifically sophisticated enough for high school experiments or projects. Available in a 4-pack or 10-pack value set.

Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup: Kids can now enjoy their favorite drink from an environmentally safe, stylish and BPA-free water bottle. This 12-ounce water bottle can easily provide a cool drink for younger kids and comes in a marine blue or pastel pink finish.

Katadyn MyBottle Water Purifier: This gift is perfect for the hiker, camper or outdoor enthusiast. The Katadyn advanced water bottle filtration system can be used with untreated fresh water sources such as lakes, rivers and streams. This water bottle purifier includes the technology of a microbial purification filter cartridge and is ideal for emergency and natural disaster situations.

Photo by the Wright House

The art and science of flying has transformed inconceivably since the first hot air balloon flight by Jacques and Joseph Mongolfier of France in 1783. November is Aviation History Month. This month we celebrate and honor the men, women and events that helped to shape, develop and elevate air travel in a myriad of ways.

As the holiday season kicks in, many air travelers are concerned about the cabin air that they breathe in. Frequent flyers are turning to an easy and convenient travel companion that helps to reduce the intake of bacteria, viruses and other allergens circulating in the cabin air. The Plane Clean Air Filter helps to remove approximately 99.5% of airborne allergens, bacteria and other particles that could make you sick.  Replacement filters for the Plane Clean Air Filter includes 1 filter and 2 adhesive gaskets.

Science, engineering and modern technology has certainly shaped the tapestry of transportation history that leaped into a tremendous hallmark for some famous aviation “firsts.” Paul Haenlein who operated the first gas powered dirigible (airship or blimp) and the Wright Brothers (Orville and Wilbur) who took the first airplane flight would be absolutely astonished by the progress made due to their pioneering in-flight experimentations. We made tremendous strides in aviation history and to keep our air travel enjoyable now, clean cabin air is the last thing you need to worry about.

Photo from Secure Lite Window Company

In the United States, we change our clocks in the spring for Daylight Savings Time and in the fall for Standard Time. As Sunday November 6 approaches, we welcome the moment to set our clocks back by one hour, since our days are shorter and the nights get longer. As a constant reminder, do not forget to change the batteries in your fire alarms and change the air furnace filters in your home.

Many of these things are recommendations you have heard before, but with the cost of fuel and electricity going up, we all could use that extra money to spend on something else more utilitarian. Here are some practical energy and money-saving tips to help you prepare to winterize your home:

• Change your air furnace filter

Based on the type of filter you have, we suggest that you change your air filters every 3 to 6 months, based on usage and indoor air quality. Filters help to capture airborne allergens and pollutants that could trigger health ailments and such things as carpet soiling. Proper maintenance of your air furnace will help to optimize the performance of your system, especially during the cold days of the winter season.

• Unplug appliances and electronics

Many appliances like washing machines, dryers, electronics, cell phone chargers and other electrical appliances tend to draw a lot of power when they are still turned off and plugged into the socket. To prevent constant draining of your power, unplug those electrical-related items.

• Check for air leakage

During the winter months especially, warm indoor air can seep through any size space and escape out of your home. Be sure to secure around your windows and doors to prevent this loss of energy and rising heating costs.

• Turn off the lights

Unknowingly, we tend to leave lights on in unoccupied rooms. Try using Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL) in place of your standard incandescent light bulb. These light bulbs remind you of a neon light, but use 75% less energy and lasts up to 10 times longer than your standard bulb.

• Allow natural light during the day

Instead of keeping your blinds or curtains closed during the day (which keeps your house cooler by the way), allow the sunlight to shine in and warm the inside of your home. This will help to reduce the use of your air furnace and saves energy! Cha-ching$

• Unblock vents

If you have anything like furniture, boxes or other storage items in the front of your vents, this will block the flow of air into your living area and put undue strain on your air furnace. If air is not flowing freely from your registers into air returns, this could pose to be a safety hazard and increase your energy costs.

• Wash with cold water when possible

We know that washing with hot water will dry your skin out from its natural moisture. The same concept applies to your clothes. If you have to use hot water for certain items, that is ok, but where you can transition to using cold water will save the wear on your clothes and save energy. Try to accumulate enough clothes to wash once a week. Frequent washing with your washing machine, as well as your dishwasher, will increase the wattage of energy that you use.

• Reduce your water heater settings

The ideal setting for the water heater in many homes is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. By maintaining a set temperature level, corrosion and mineral build-up is decelerated. Be sure to apply according to the temperature levels in your area and your appliance manuals for suggested temperature settings to help them operated to their maximum potential.

These are just a few practical tips to apply to your home. Preparing your home now to use less energy will show significant savings in your monthly energy bills.

Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building

As we honor National Chemistry Week, we wanted to highlight the largest living bio-filter system in North America. In the new Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building on the West Philadelphia campus of Drexel University, you will find a bio-filtration laboratory that features a visually captivating wall of plants. The meandering wall of plants that extends upward by five stories includes Algerian Ivy, Ficus and Hibiscus. This network of vegetation grows hydroponically between two layers of material with the texture of a Brillo pad and without soil. The root system acts as a giant air filter and removes indoor pollutants and contaminants. As air is drawn into the wall and passes through the wall, it comes in contact with water.

Hydroponics is the technology of growing plants by using mineral nutrient solutions in water without using soil. The air has chemicals in it and when these chemicals encounter the water, they are absorbed in the root system of the plants. According to research, bacteria and fungi live on the roots of the plants and eat those chemicals, then remove them from the air.

When you can incorporate natural air filtration in your home by using plants to compliment your furnace air filtration system, then you will help to remove the airborne pollutants and contaminants that plague your indoor air and affect your breathing. Make sure that anything problematic with your indoor air such as smoking, dust or routinely changing your indoor air filters is tackled first. Many people are beginning to utilize aquaculture and hydroponics, as they create their indoor residential bio-filtration system with plants. Being proactive by improving the quality of the indoor air you breathe, will help to reduce allergies and other breathing-related problems that could significantly increase your medical costs.

Filters Fast MERV 11 Air and Furnace Filter

Air filters remove airborne allergens and pollutants such as dust, mold, pollen, pet dander and bacteria from your indoor air. There is a vast array of air filters with different levels of measurement for determining the concentration of different particle sizes, usually by weight or count. This measurement of performance for air filters is called Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (or a MERV rating). MERV ratings come from ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 52.2: Method of Testing General Ventilation Air Cleaning Devices for Removal Efficiency by Particle Size.

ANSI, the American National Standards Institute, accredits and ensures that the characteristics and performance of products are consistent with terms, definitions and testing of products. ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, develops standards for its members and other professionals involved with refrigeration processes and the maintenance and design of indoor environments.

 A MERV rating is based on three composite, average removal efficiency points for particles. Categories range from 1 (very low) to 16 (very high). The higher the rating, the more efficient your air filter will help to reduce indoor airborne allergens, pollutants and contaminants.

 MERV 1 to 4 filters provides minimal filtration. These filters have to be replaced quite frequently and are typically disposable fiberglass or synthetic panel filters within a cardboard frame. These filters capture up to 80% of airborne particles as small as 10 microns. MERV 5 to 8 filters are good for capturing dust and mold spores. These filters have to be replaced, depending on usage, every 3 months. MERV 8 replacement air filters  will reduce pollen, pet dander, dust and other contaminants as small as 3.0 microns.

 MERV 9 to 12 furnace air filters capture up to 95% of airborne particles and contaminants like pollen, dust mites and mold spores, as small as 1.0 microns. These filters come in a deep pleated, boxed media or bag filters, which are some of the most efficient filters used in homes and commercial buildings.

 MERV 13 to 16 air filters will trap up to 98% of airborne allergens and pollutants such as bacteria, tobacco smoke, cooking oil and droplet nuclei, as small as 0.3 microns. Filtration should be applied to process both return and outside air that is delivered as supply air.  Finding the best-rated air filter for your particular need or application will help to keep your air clean and fresh. Don’t forget to change your air filter as recommended and especially when you change your clocks to Standard Time or Daylight Savings Time.

One of the most common physical occurrences in marine science is the accumulation of   microorganisms, algae, mussels, seaweed, plants and other water-related growth that is attached to the hull of ships or on the posts of a pier. Such undesirable growth decreases the performance of a ship and increases fuel consumption. This accumulation is called biofouling or microbiological fouling. Biofouling consists of biofilms, which under normal circumstances are harmless, but can be problematic when they produce build-up on pipes and wells, or completely clog water filtration systems.

Waterborne bacteria and other contaminants can trigger allergic reactions, but you can do something to thwart these harmful pollutants from infiltrating your drinking water supply. Water test kits are available to easily check for waterborne contaminants in your drinking water. If you are in an area where you experience more comprehensive problems with your drinking water, then you will probably need an expert to test your water and advise accordingly. Often water-related allergies associated with biofouling result from improperly maintained water filtration systems, cartridges, filters or membranes that are long overdue for replacement.

Cooling towers, water distribution networks and membranes are not immune to biofouling. If membrane filtration or reverse osmosis systems contain the presence of a huge amount of phosphate, this could reduce production of your system, decrease the life of the membrane for your water filter system and increase maintenance costs. In a cooling tower, the presence of biofouling can lead to an excessive amount of harmful bacteria growth and migration. Biocides are used to prevent biofouling in cooling towers, but could create an environmental concern.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established enforceable standards to apply to public water systems called National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR). According to the EPA, primary standards protect public health by limiting the levels of contaminants in drinking water. The typical agents for microbiological fouling include iron, sulfur-reducing and slime producing organisms, although many others exist. Your drinking water will contain some type of sediment, rust, scale or other waterborne pollutants that could create an environment for biofouling in the walls and membrane of your filtration system. This could lead to water-related allergies or diseases if precautions and proper maintenance are not taken ahead of time.

Plant Powered Air Purification

For years we are often reminded that houseplants work as a natural purification system for our indoor air. They purify the air by filtering out carbon dioxide, pollutants and other airborne toxins, then replace these contaminants with oxygen. Research conducted by NASA revealed that some houseplants are more effective in filtering out toxins than others.

Andrea Naturally Purified Air Filter is an ecological plant-based air purification system that is the first award-winning air filter capable of absorbing toxic gases, such as formaldehyde from home and office environments through the natural absorptive and metabolic properties of living plants. French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and Harvard professor David Edward, invented this air purification system that transforms any type of household plant into an effective air filtration agent. The Best foliages to use would be Peace Lily, Spider Plant, Aloe Vera, Spath or Red-edged Dragon Tree.

Some of the functions of this plant Andrea filtration system includes:

Ozone-free operation

Low power consumption

There are no filters to replace

Cleans air locally and rapidly so that the system can be turned on or off throughout the day.

Transforms any household plant into an effective air cleaner for your office, dorm or home.

Absorbs and metabolizes toxic chemicals

Biochemically transforms waste

Courtesy of Andrea Air Filters

Household plants are sold separately. The Andrea Air Purification System employs active plant filtration and water, along with soil to provide a multistage system that cleanses your indoor air from harmful contaminants that can irritate and damage your lungs.

This plant filtration system is particularly effective  where air can become stagnate and harmful gases accumulate in high-use areas such as home offices, kitchens, bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, dorm rooms and family rooms. Its natural purification process draws air with a whisper-quiet fan and propels it through the leaves and root system of the plant. It then passes through water and soil filtration, then back into your room environment.