Water & Air – Filter Systems News

For the last few months, I have been embarking on an exercise routine. This routine is nothing rigorous, but it is enough to stay healthy and physically active. Want to know what I’ve noticed during this process? Nothing is more pleasant than a big breath of fresh air. Water of course is essential, and so is stretching beforehand, but a big breath of fresh air on a sunny, spring day? Yes, please! You see, each one of our cells needs a constant supply of oxygen in order to live. So what are some of the benefits of fresh air?

It’s good for your digestive system

Have you heard anyone say that you should take a brisk walk after you eat? Fresh air helps you digest food more effectively. This is one of the best kept secrets when it comes to losing weight.

It improves your heart rate and blood pressure

If you are experiencing problems with blood pressure, try your best to avoid polluted environments by staying in surroundings that have a steady supply of fresh air. A dirty environment forces your body to work harder to get the amount of oxygen it requires.

It cleans your lungs

Fresh air improves the cleansing action of your lungs and helps your airways to dilate more fully. Every time you exhale through your lungs, you release airborne toxins from your body. Conversely, dirty air clogs your lungs with harmful airborne toxins which can lead to respiratory illnesses over time.

Fresh Air makes you happy

Serotonin can lighten your mood and promote a feeling of well-being and happiness. Few people know that the amount of serotonin is affected by the amount of oxygen you breathe in through your lungs. Fresh air leaves you feeling more relaxed and refreshed. Who couldn’t use that?

My whole point in writing this blog is to say that everyone needs to breathe in more fresh air. Unfortunately, many live in areas where air pollution chokes the “freshness” out of what you’re breathing. Before you know it, your lungs are covered in filth. That’s not a pleasant image, but fresh air can be a reality in our lives, and it all starts in the home.

Regularly changing your home air filters is perhaps most important for greater home air quality. Furnace filters improve indoor air quality by removing the airborne contaminants that lessens air quality (such as pollen and dust mites). An air filter is a simple (yet undervalued) home appliance that can provide benefits to your respiratory health that you wouldn’t believe. I’ll put it to you this way: your health will be a lot better off with an air filter than without one. Browse through our complete collection of furnace filters, find your size and place your order. This is one of the most important steps for fresh indoor air.

What are some other ways for fresh air? An air purifier is a smart option, along with improving the ventilation in your home (open your windows regularly and avoid stuffy rooms). When you’re outside, try to avoid car exhaust and high polluted areas. Fresh air is just what the doctor ordered.

We have to breathe; we have to drink water. It’s what we have to do to stay alive. Just like food, air and water is essential to life. We stop breathing or ingesting water, we simply stop living. Sadly due to many factors, oftentimes the water we drink and the air we breathe is not safe. Millions around the world die from water-related illnesses each year. None of us want to put our health at risk by drinking contaminated water or breathing polluted air. Preferably we would rather drink clean, pure water and breathe clean, fresh air. Who wouldn’t? The 3M Filtrete series of air filters and water hydration stations offer a great way to get that fresh air and clean water that you’ve always wanted. Below are a few products that will get you on track to having cleaner air and water in your home:

The Filtrete Ultra Allergen Air Filter is one of the best-performing furnace filters on the market. This filter will remove pollen, mold spores, smoke, household dust, bacteria and virus carrying particles. The Filtrete Ultra Allergen Air Filter provides better airflow than the Micro Allergen filter with 15% lower resistance.

The Filtrete Water Station- Four Bottle Water Filter allows you to filter and bottle your own water.  Just fill the Filtrete Water Station with water from your sink, and the Fast Flow Filter reduces sediment and the taste and odor of chlorine from your water. There’s no need to buy costly bottled water, which often is nothing more than filtered tap water anyway. By using the Filtrete Water Station to bottle your own water, you’ll be saving yourself money and saving the environment from the many plastic water bottles that go unrecycled each year. Also, for the entire month of April, you will receive free shipping with the purchase of this Filtrete Water Station.

The 3M Filtrete Air Purifier-Ultra Quiet  captures 96% of pollen, mold spores, dust mites, dust, bacteria and virus carrying particles from your air. Designed for small rooms, this air purifier is perfect for offices, dorm rooms, nurseries, small bedrooms, or anywhere you want to purify the air without hearing it. This 3M Filtrete Air Purifier also bears the government-backed Energy Star symbol for energy efficiency, meaning it saves energy, saves money and saves the environment.

While many of us take it for granted there are many that do not have clean water to drink or clean air to breathe. In appreciation of World Water Day, let us not forget those who do not have access to clean water. Let’s chip in to do our part, to truly make clean air and clean water for all.

Air & Water Filter Use Increases Globally

Reports about poor air and water conditions are reaching global proportions. The growing need for air and water filters result from inadequate conditions of current air and water quality. We see evidence of the rising concern about clean air and safe drinking water demonstrated through various charities dedicated to addressing this dilemma internationally. Such concerns are invoking the immediate implementation of stricter air and water pollution regulations.

Together, the United States and Europe account for a major share of the global air filter and filtration equipment market. The demand for air filters in developing countries will outpace the type of mature growth in markets such as the United States, Japan and Europe. China is expected to supersede Japan by becoming the second largest market for air filtration equipment behind the U.S.

Recently, the Freedonia Group, a leading international business research company, released a market analysis about the increased demand for filters in China. They reported that by 2014 the demand for air and water filters in China is projected to grow by 13.5% annually to 66.2 billion Yuan (Chinese currency). Comparatively, this growth is approximately $10.2 billion in U.S. dollars. The increased demand in China is supported by a rapid growth in motor vehicle and other transportation equipment production, stocks, government policies that promote energy conservation and emission reductions. Sales of fluid filters will be fueled by the growth in non-agricultural water use and expanding urbanization. Sales of air filters are projected to single-handedly rise by 13.7% per year through 2014.

The demand for increased global usage of filters will be spurred by rising manufacturing output of HVAC equipment, metal products, building construction materials, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Many of these manufactured products are either equipped with air filters or produced in manufacturing facilities with high air purification requirements. As income levels grow, more people in China will be able to afford water and air purification equipment for their homes. The growing demand for higher quality and extended life filters are likely to boost the overall market value.

Cutting edge technology along with innovation in air and water filtration media, product design, cost and efficiency will boost future growth. The outlook remains optimistic as consumer spending increases and the shift for better air and water filtration continues to make progress.

This #charitytuesday, we are taking a break from Water Charities to pay tribute to our first ever featured “air charity.” The American Lung Association held their first Fight for Air Climb in Cleveland, this past Saturday, March 5, 2011. Climbers, walkers, runners, firefighters and supporters of the ALA challenged themselves by climbing the 42 flights of stairs in Terminal Tower (804 steps total), in an effort to raise money to support the fight against lung disease. The goal was to raise $80,000 to support lung health, research and advocacy in Northern Ohio. Together they raised over $40,000, and the option to donate is still available on the Cleveland Fight for Air Climb event website.

Fight for Air Climbs are unique events for the ALA, taking place in large towers in cities across the US. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in America, and the ALA is dedicated to helping people know what is needed to manage and take control of asthma and other chronic respiratory ailments. We at Filters Fast are dedicated to this cause as well, and know that indoor air quality can be a key factor in the development of chronic lung illness. Take care of yourself by making sure your environment is free from harmful air pollutants. Clean regularly and change your air filters on a consistent basis. You and your family may also want to consider investing in one or several room air purifiers for your home, especially if you suffer from allergies or asthma.

Show your support publicly, by signing up for a Fight for Air Climb in a city near you.

Halloween isn’t the only thing to celebrate this month. October is National Indoor Air Quality Month, and several states, including North Dakota, Michigan and Montana are celebrating by spreading the word about the dangers of harmful indoor (and outdoor) air contaminants.

Seasonal changes often result in higher incidences of allergy problems and illnesses. Pollen is prevalent in the spring and fall opens the door to ragweed. Asthma, often caused by air pollution, is a growing epidemic among children and adults, resulting in missed school and work days, along with emergency room visits, and in extreme cases, even death. Indoor air pollution deserves way more attention than it currently receives. Though many people are aware of air contaminants such as mold, tobacco smoke and carbon monoxide, they may not be fully aware of just how dangerous these allergens can be. It is important to raise awareness and educate others on how they can avoid the problems caused by air pollution.

Here are some tips to help you improve the indoor air quality in your home:

1. Take our Indoor Air Quality Quiz to find out how dangerous your home environment is.

2. Quit smoking and avoid secondhand tobacco smoke.

3. Regularly change the A/C filters and microwave and hood range filters in your home.  Air filters with a higher MERV rating are more efficient at removing microscopic particles. You may also want to purchase an air purifier.

4. Use a HEPA vacuum cleaner and change the HEPA filter regularly.

5. Clean furniture regularly (more if you have pets in your home). Use non-toxic household cleaning products. Use hypoallergenic bedding.

Like any other national holiday, the  month of October is a time for recognition and remembrance – specifically the recognition of the importance of clean air. Join the observance and celebrate by spreading the word and sharing this post.

Lose weight, look great, and save the planet while you’re at it. This is, perhaps, the message communicated by the hundreds of people in over 70 cities worldwide who have participated in the World Naked Bike Ride each year since 2004. (For the record, this is the first I have heard of such an event. And most likely the first that any one of us here at Filters Fast has heard of it, because otherwise it would have already been on our blog.)

The WNBR invites people from all backgrounds and of any age, male or female, to join in a non-sexual, fun event that draws attention to the negative impact of harmful greenhouse gas emissions on our environment – often the result of motor vehicle transportation. (Hence, the bike ride theme…). The dress code is “as bare as you dare,” and the event encourages both body paint and bicycle decor as a means of creative self-expression. The WNBR is meant to raise awareness in an attention-grabbing, yet non-threatening way. Since the BP oil spill, many people are becoming more and more conscious of our dependence on oil and the environmental damage it may cause. Cutting down on our use of motor vehicles is just one way to lessen that dependence, and what better way to encourage that than to ride through public streets naked on a bicycle?

Want cleaner air? The World Naked Bike Ride just might be in a city near you.