Green Blog

Although various health organizations have different definitions of COPD, it is generally agreed that it is a progressive lung disease where the airways, the tiny tubes which carry air in and out of the lungs, are partly blocked which makes breathing in and breathing out more and more painful over time.

Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are two of the diseases which fall under the umbrella of COPD and often occur together. It is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and many people don’t even realize they have it. Many think of the disease only in relation to smokers, but in reality, even people who don’t smoke but are around smokers can have problems with COPD.

Genetic influences, pollutants in the air or a history of respiratory diseases can expose people to the risk of COPD. Although 12 million Americans have been found to have some form of COPD, twice of that are believed to actually suffer from it. Air cleaners provide clean air and can ease breathing if you suffer from this disease.

You can avoid suffering from this disease by placing air purifiers in your home or workplace. If you live in a polluted area or around a smoker, this can prevent damage to your lungs and airways.

For those of you suffering from COPD, air purifiers make breathing easy by relieving the airways of increased stress of filtering harmful particles and chemicals.

IQAir and Blueair brands of HEPA air purifiers are mostly recommended for COPD. They are 99.9% efficient at filtering particles of .03 microns size and 99.7% efficient at filtering particles of .01 microns and even smaller sizes. AllerAir Air Purifiers have some models which are suitable for those living in polluted areas and with smokers as they can handle large amounts of smoke and larger particles.

We can help you choose the air purifier suitable for your needs since we are familiar with the problems faced by COPD sufferers. All air purifiers do not work in the same manner. A COPD sufferer has particular needs which can only be met by purifiers which do more than just cleaning the air which is enough for non-sufferers.

It is important to note that babies and little children have more delicate lungs than adults. So it is necessary to supply clean air indoors so that their lungs do not suffer damage by breathing unclean air. Smoking should not be allowed around children and air purifiers should be fitted in their rooms so that their airways and lungs are not stressed.

To view discounted alen air purifier, then visit Gary Brady’s site, also pick the best holmes air purifier for your requirements.

Air conditioners have always been popular, but they used to be pricey to buy and expensive to run. These days they are cheaper to buy. It is not so bad if you live somewhere where you need heating for three months and cooling for three months, but if you live somewhere where you have one unit or other running twenty-for hours a day, seven days a week, it is still expensive.

However, the luxury that they impart to your life is remarkable. But, the thing to remember is that air conditioners, like all pieces of equipment, do need servicing. That is, the actual moving parts, lubricants and other fluids need to be checked professionally every two years (or whatever it says in your instruction manual). There are other parts though that need to be checked much more frequently than that - maybe even monthly.

The good news is that you can carry out this maintenance yourself. I am talking about the filter. All good, modern air conditioning units come with an in-built filter. It depends on the sophistication of your air conditioner, what its filter can trap, but most will filter small particles such as pollen and traffic pollution out of the air it is circulating in the room.

These filters have to be cleaned or replaced fairly regularly and you will have to check your air conditioner’s handbook to find out what you can do. Often, it will say that they can be scrubbed two or three times with either soapy water and a tooth brush or vacuumed clean. After that they have to be replaced, in order for the unit to be completely effective.

If you need to replace your air filter, you may find the following hints helpful.

The best place to start is either the main dealer for your make of air conditioner, the people you purchased it from or the people that installed it for you. At least, you know you can trust them, even if it is only a matter of ‘better the devil you know’. Many of the stores that stock other brands of air conditioner may stock filters for your sort as a sideline too.

You are already making use of the Internet, so that is another good place to check for current prices and bargains, before you go traipsing around town. ‘Fore-warned is fore-armed’, as they say. You can utilize the price knowledge you acquire from your Internet surfing as a bargaining tool to get the best price locally.

If that does not work or you simply cannot be bothered, order on line and your air conditioner filter will be with you in a couple of day anyway. By the way, as with vacuum cleaner bags, it is normally better to buy several at a time. For example, if you know that they will survive three washes, then each filter will last four months. Why not buy three and be done with it for a year?

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with central air conditioning systems. If you are interested in Home Air Conditioning Systems, please click through to our site.

If you live in a hot country, or even one that merely has hot summers, it is just lovely to be able to sit in your home without sweltering. In particular at night as being too hot can prevent you from getting a decent night’s rest. Likewise, when you are at work. We all know the pleasure of walking into a cool, air conditioned building, like a bank on a hot summer’s day.

Total air conditioning like this used to be the prerogative of office blocks and the very wealthy, but it is becoming more general now. In fact, if you already have ducting all the way through your house to be used in association with a central heating system, a total air conditioning system could cost as little as $4,000.

I know that $4,000 is not an insignificant amount, but if you do not have the ducting already, you can add another $3,000 to $4,000. These figures relate to a typical three or four bedroomed house or apartment.

A total air conditioning system like this will usually be adequate for seven rooms in one or two zones, which could be two small bungalows next door to each other or a house and a garage or shed. One good point about total air conditioning is that the whole house or just the ground floor can be cooled at the same time so that you can walk around the house as you normally would.

This is in direct disparity with split systems which only cool one room - every time you go out of the room, you let cool air out and warm air in, which makes the air conditioning system work more and costs you more money.

Total air conditioning has other less well-known features too. It reduces the humidity in a room or house by drying the air as it is returned to the unit for cooling and advanced units have filters with additional functions. The more sophisticated the system, the more germs, bacteria and other substances (like pollen) the built-in filter will do away with.

Because these filters can get rid of airborne substances they can significantly reduce a person’s affliction from allergies. Good air filtration can help asthma and hay fever sufferers very much, if the filters are kept clean.

In general, a total air conditioning system is divided into two major components - an outdoor condenser and compressor and an indoor evaporator in an air circulating system. The air circulation, or air handling system filters and dehumidifies the cooled air, and delivers it, via ductwork, to several rooms. Total air conditioning is frequently much quieter than split air conditioners, because the noise of the latter’s compressor is so much closer to where the cool air is needed.

It is much better to take the ducting into account at the design stage of a new house as part of its heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, but it can be added later. A good HVAC system should be designed to supply adequate cooling, heating, and ventilation, taking into account such factors as the size of the building, the efficiency of its insulation and the regional climate.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with central air conditioning systems. If you are interested in Home Air Conditioning Systems, please click through to our site.

Although people are aware of the health dangers of pesticides, there is almost 1 billion pounds of these dangerous pesticides used in the United States each and every year. The worst part is these numbers are not lowering.

Now everybody knows that foods that are in the grocery stores has been washed before they arrive at the store. And many people will still wash there fruits and veggies after they but them. However there are still trace pesticides that are being consumed from these fruits and vegetables, which are causing health issues.

These pesticides are also causing health problems with the farmers and there workers. Every year there are over 10,000 pesticide related illnesses reported, and this is only the ones that have been reported. Even the EPA says that this is becoming a major issue.

Larger still are the hazards to pets. According to the American Society for the Prevention of cruelty to animals, there are over 30 thousand pet poisonings caused by pesticides each and every year. These numbers are produced by the animal poison control center.

One of the main causes is normal everyday people. The problem is that when we see a weed on our driveway the first thing we do is to grab a bottle of weed spray that is full of chemicals, and many people will even use chemicals as a preventative measure.

One of the main health issues is that pesticides have been know to cause or contribute to, Parkinson’s disease, cancer and even certain birth defects in our children. What I don’t understand is that with all the evidence out there people continue to use theses pesticides.

One would think that the government would step in and create laws to help regulate pesticides even more. Did you know that pesticide companies don’t even have to test there products meant for home use with the same standards as products for commercial use??? This means that home pesticides can actually be worse for you than commercial pesticides.

Now it is bad enough that these pesticides are harmful to people and animals, but what about our planet. These chemicals contaminate the air, water and soil. Which means that not only people and there pets are effected, but also insects that we need like honeybee’s and ladybugs. And if you have well water… these pesticides can seep into your well.

The best bet for you and your neighbors is to learn how to combat pests without the use of chemicals. This will help you health and that of your pets and neighbors as well. And not to mention “Mother Earth”.

For more information on organic pest control visit our website, and we will help you with your termite treatment.

Unless you’re an aquarium hobbyist or own a water purification system that uses carbon, the idea of activated carbon in HEPA air purifiers probably seems strange to you. Even if the concept isn’t completely foreign, most still don’t know exactly what activated carbon actually does.

What Does Activated Carbon Do In A HEPA Air Purifier?

The first time most people encounter activated carbon is in choosing HEPA air purifiers. When most customers begin searching for air purifiers, generally due to allergies or asthma, they really have no idea how they work. As they are further educated about HEPA air purifiers, however, they will learn that odors and chemicals are the cause of the vast majority of their respiratory problems. Most quality HEPA air purifiers are designed to take care of not only allergens, but also the odors and chemicals in the air as well.

Was Active Carbon Used Before HEPA Air Purifiers?

Oddly enough, we humans have been using activated carbon to filter water for a long time; as long as two centuries. Way back then, they already knew of activated carbon’s great absorption qualities. Beginning in the early 1900’s, activated carbon was produced and sold commercially in the form of a powder. Only used to remove taste or smell from water or color from sugar, we really didn’t know at that point exactly what all it could do for us. Once World War I was in full swing, it was discovered that it could be used in gas masks for protecting our soldiers from the chemical agents in the air. The soldiers also used it, as did their ancestors, for water purification. By this point, commercial activated carbon had evolved from powder form to a granular form, which was the beginning of activated carbon being used in even more other ways.

What The Word “Activated” Means

So, what is “activated” carbon, and is there such a thing as non-activated carbon? The heat used in “activating” the carbon drives the impurities out of the carbon itself, leaving places for the impurities of the water or air or whatever it is the carbon is filtering to reside. In a way, carbon can act sort of like a sponge, only instead of squeezing out its contents, one heats it out. Once the activated carbon is full, it can be reactivated by re-heating it, though this is considered to be impractical and dangerous. Non-activated carbon would basically be carbon that has stuff in it already, such as soot or charcoal.

Different Types Of Activated Carbon

There are a variety of types of activated carbon, and it is described in a variety of ways, but generally activated carbon includes a wide range of amorphous carbon-based materials. These materials have a high degree of porosity (lots of holes) and a relatively large surface area. Basically, this means it has excellent absorbent characteristics. These absorbent characteristics are why activated carbon works so well filtering air and water both.

Want to learn more about the HEPA Air Purifier? Check out HEPA Air Purifiers Info.

Handling wastewater in a safe way is vitally important for all of us who need water to survive. Wastewater treatment therefore is a viable and important procedure for us to obtain viable and usable water. There are a variety of different methods and disposal of the waste water that is created on a daily basis.

The definition for wastewater treatment would be using known technology to enhance or improve the quality of our water. What is normally done with most waste water is to gather it up and make sure that it is run into a common area for the beginning of its treatment. This is usually your local area wastewater treatment plant.

Water that needs to be treated is generally put through a variety of different processes for complete treatment. When it is large flows of water, then the water will be in a continual flowing state and be treated in than manner. There are times though that certain wastewater treatment is handled in batches.

Even though wastewater is handled with the continuous flow procedure there are times that a batch process is used. This is generally when the water is known to have sludge in it and they need to treat the water and the sludge in a smaller contained area. This is when they will add chemicals to this particular water to try and break down the sludge.

There are three different categories that the procedures can be put into. The first one being physical, the second is chemical and the last one is biological. Some of the wastewater will sometimes need all three categories to process the water properly.

Also certain types of wastewater need specific categories for treatment and not all three. Below are the different categories and what is used in them for the treatment process.

Physical category would use these items for processing; sedimentation, filtration, aeration, floatation, skimming, etc.

Chemical category would tend to use the following; chlorination, neutralization, coagulation, etc.

Biological category would deal with active sludge treatment, trickling filtration, oxidation ponds, aerobic digestion, septic tanks and more.

The physical category means that they use physical objects to help with treatment like screens and filters for example.

The chemical category is when they chemicals to cause chemical reactions in order to change the quality of the water.

The biological category means that they use organisms, especially bacteria that will help decompose items that need to be broken down into organic material.

When using the chemical treatment they make use of units called feed units, mixers and other similar devices.

Treatments have different types of levels, preliminary, primary, secondary and tertiary. Tertiary is the only one that can not be done alone, this generally is added to the secondary treatment.

Preliminary is when they need to remove items that might damage the equipment that is used for treatment. This is done with shredders, screens, grinders, etc.

Primary is when the water is gathered into settling tanks and give the water time for the sediment to drop to the bottom of the tanks.

Secondary treatment is the use of aerobic organisms that will help break down anything that can not be broken down on its own. Some of the items they use in this procedure are filters, sand filters, final settling tanks and stabilization ponds.

Installing septic tanks is an effective and highly recommended method for reducing the ecological impact on the environment. Nowadays, wastewater treatment has innovative technologies such as dispersal pipes and grease trap interceptors.

Slate and Artsmith - Disposable beverage coasters are generally used in bars and restaurants as a cheap and effective way of keeping condensation off of the tables. They can consist of any inexpensive material, although usually it is something that absorbs water. The most common disposable coaster is a cocktail napkin slipped under a beverage.

The good news is that most of the materials that would make a good disposable coaster are biodegradable, such as paper or cork. That means even though they create a lot of unnecessary trash, it won’t take much for nature to re-incorporate them back into the environment.

The real problem with these coasters is that they are a symptom of a philosophical error in our society’s way of thinking. Standing at the threshold of mechanization, we are a society that produces, and consumes. It’s a matter of simple convenience, disposable items don’t have to be washed, they don’t have to be taken care of, and they can simply be tossed away.

The nature of trash is a marr on modern society. We are a disposable world, where its cheaper and easier to manufacture something that gets thrown away forever than it is to simply reuse an item. This causes us to slowly erode our natural resources over time.

In this way, our culture has become a mass producer of garbage, albeit temporarily useful garbage. And instead of developing new thoughts and innovations, we instead waste our time with the mindless production of consumables.

As mechanization continues, disposables will become easier, cheaper, and more readily available. Instead of looking for the next great drink coaster, we are going to search endlessly for the cheapest, ugliest, and most disposable coaster. In this way we will make our world ugly, and pathetic. In effect, we will be developing a disposable world.

This article was written on behalf of PebbleZ’s line of natural stone drink coasters. Their collection includes a wide variety of absorbent sandstone coasters, polished marble pieces, and stunning slate and travertine accessories.

There’s no limit to the products that refer to themselves as HEPA, or HEPA-type. You can find everything from HEPA air conditioner filters to HEPA vacuum cleaners, usually just by wandering around your local big box retail store. Since so many manufacturers use the term, it can be hard for many to know exactly what it is they should be aiming for when they buy a HEPA air purifier. The following should help you decide if Hunter HEPA air purifiers are right for you.

A Quick Background Of Hunter

Hunter has actually been around for a long time. In fact, even though they make their living on products that require electricity, they’ve been around since before electricity was a household thing. Way back in 1886, they go their start by inventing a water-driven ceiling fan. It doesn’t get much more innovative than that. Nowadays, Hunter is a fairly well known name in electric ceiling fans, as well as thermostats. They also manufacturer air purifiers and humidifiers.

How Does Hunter Compare On Prices?

Hunter HEPA air purifiers come in three different flavors. The older line, HEPAtech, are the cheapest air purifiers that you’re likely to find. Although they’re no longer manufactured, you can still find them new at various retailers. If an inexpensive HEPA air purifier that carries a known name is the main goal, then the HEPAtech line should be your target. Just like any other HEPA filter air purifiers, purchasing and changing the filters is mandatory. Replacement filters directly from Hunter are cheap, and often come as packs. The currently manufactured series, dubbed QuietFlo, are aggressively priced as well.

Is The Hunter A True HEPA Air Purifier?

Excepting the old HEPAtech purifiers, Hunter’s machines all use a true HEPA air purifier. The fact that they are true indicates that they will filter at least 99.7% of those air particles that have been shown to be the most dangerous. HEPA air purifiers without the “true” label aren’t held to specific standards, which means they could, theoretically, not filter air in any way. That doesn’t mean every HEPA-type machine is total trash, but you’re totally dependent on the quality control of the manufacturer.

How Does Hunter Stand Out From The Crowd?

Hunter HEPA air purifiers stand out in a couple of ways. First, there’s the low price. Like mentioned earlier, if you compare a Hunter HEPA air purifier with a similar device from a competitor, the Hunter will likely be less expensive. The other obvious difference are the features. Although not the most cutting edge, Hunter does include most of the tried and true features, and their models are quite scalable. For instance, in the current QuietFlo series, you have more than a dozen models to choose from, differentiated mostly by the feature sets, meaning you won’t have to pay for what you’re not going to use. Can we say that Hunter makes the best HEPA air purifier out there? When it comes to value, probably.

Still not sure that a Hunter HEPA air purifier is for you? Visit HEPA Air Purifiers Info for answers to all of your questions.

Over the last ten years, bottled water sales have been steadily growing at an average rate of 7 - 8% each year. The amount of bottled water consumed globally has doubled in the period from 1997 to 2005.

Around 200 billion bottles of water are consumed every year. The biggest market by far is the USA, which makes up about 25% of worldwide sales.

Recently, there has been quite a backlash against bottled water. The main are of concern is the environmental impact of the bottles themselves. These are manufactured from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Although this is a material which can be recycled, the actual number of bottles which are recycled is estimated to be less than a quarter of the total.

The energy needed for the manufacture, shipping and eventual disposal of the plastic bottles is also a source for concern from an environmental perspective. In comparison with ordinary tap water, the carbon emissions generated by bottled water are greater by a factor of 5,000 times per litre.

In spite of the marketing of bottled water as healthy, there is no evidence to support the assertion that bottled water is, in developed countries, any better for your health than ordinary tap water. In fact, some bottled waters have been found to contain uranium and estrogenic chemicals. Most bottled waters contain sodium - which is not good for your blood pressure.

Likewise, when it comes to the taste of the water, there is little evidence to support the notion that bottled water is better than tap water. In the USA, a 2007 episode of Penn and Teller clearly demonstrated that restaurant diners couldn’t differentiate between water drawn from a hose at the back of the restaurant and bottled water. Over in the UK, London tap water (hardly famed for its flavor) came third in a blind taste test of 24 different varieties of water - some of which were expensive bottled brands.

The variation in cost between bottled and tap water will vary from brand to brand. However, as a rule, bottled water will cost several hundred times more per litre than ordinary tap water.

So, in terms of environmental impact, health, taste and cost, bottled water really doesn’t have a lot going for it. If you really dislike the taste of your tap water then you could always try some type of home filtration system. The cost will be greater than for tap water, but very much less than bottled water. If you go for a solution such as the Brita water filter jug then you will know that it’s better for the environment as all parts of the filters are recyclable.

When you’re at home, a home filtration system is ideal - but if you want to have something portable to drink when you’re out and about why not use a bottle which you can fill and refill before you leave. Irish designer Orla Kiely partnered with Brita to produce the “Wottle” - the world’s first designer reusable bottle, manufactured from 100% recycled materials. On the other hand, why not save even more money and do a bit of your own recycling by using and old Seven Up or Pepsi bottle?

Save money with a Brita filter jug - and check out Orla Kiely’s Wottle - it looks fantastic and is better for the environment.

If you’re looking at ionic air purifiers, then you’ve certainly seen the Ionic Pro air purifier. Even if you’re not looking to buy one, you’ve probably seen the Ionic Pro Ionic Air Purifier on TV at some point. They seem to have taken the infomercial crown from The Sharper Image, at least when it comes to ionic air purifiers. You’ve probably also seen all the negative publicity that has assailed the Ionic Breeze air purifiers, and are wondering if the same applies to this newer player.

Who Manufactures The Pro Air Purifier?

Ionic Pro, LLC makes and distributes the Ionic Pro Air Purifier. There is no other company involved. The Ionic Pro air purifier was, until quite recently, one of those products that could only be had by calling that 1-800 number and talking to those operators who are standing by. However, they’ve now made it to the shelves of various department stores, including the vaunted Wal-Mart. Now, you can see the fact that this is a company based solely on making ionic air purifiers in one of two ways. Being dedicated to only one product, the Ionic Pro Air Purifier in various sizes, it seems logical that quality control would be simple. However, having a company so small, and so centered on one product, seems like a recipe for disappearing into the night, taking warranties and spare parts with them.

Comparing With The Ionic Breeze Air Purifier

The Ionic Breeze Air Purifier is pretty similar to the Ionic Pro air purifiers, and they share the same advantages. The shape and design of the unit itself is the only real difference between them. The Ionic Pro Compact Air Purifier is nothing but a smaller version of the big boys, just like The Sharper Image offers. Generally, however, the Ionic Pro is cheaper. Since ionic air purifiers aren’t exactly rocket science, and The Sharper Image is notorious for being rather expensive anyway, it’s probably safe to say that going cheap won’t be a big problem, here.

Comparing With HEPA Air Purifiers

It’s not as simple as you might think, comparing HEPA air purifiers to ionic air purifiers. Although they’re not quite as efficient, ionic air purifiers do basically the same job as a true HEPA air purifier. They use only a minimum of electricity, and are designed to run full time to compensate for the lower efficiency. Once the machine starts making a little buzzing noise, the bar that gathers all the junk has to be wiped off, but there’s never any filters to change. The filter itself is usually a HEPA air purifier’s biggest limitation. They are governed by the size of the holes in the filters, which is where air is forced through, blocking things that are not just air. Those air particles that are the most important for any air purifier to stop are 99.7% removed in a true HEPA air purifier. There is no such guarantee or standard when it comes to HEPA-type air purifiers, though. With ionic air purifiers, though, the biggest limitation is the air flow. While HEPA-type air purifiers can only filter what can’t pass through whatever size holes are in their filters, the ionic purifiers will eventually catch anything that’s attracted to that magnetized bar. This is important information to use when comparing the two. One disadvantage to an ionic air purifier is that it will only filter particles that 1 micron or bigger. The most dangerous and hardest to filter particles are 0.3 micron, and that’s what true HEPA air purifiers stop nearly 100% of.

The Ionic Pro Compact Air Purifier Compared To Other Ionic Pro Air Purifiers

The differences between the various ionic air purifiers offered by Ionic Pro, LLC aren’t generally feature related. Capacity is the biggest difference between them. In small offices and rooms in your home, the Ionic Pro Compact Air Purifier is a good buy. It does lack the “Medium” speed on its fan, utilizing a Lo and High only, although I have no idea why you wouldn’t want it on high. At about half the price of the standard unit, it may even make sense to purchase an Ionic Pro Compact Air Purifier for each side of a regular sized room, instead of one standard unit.

Want to learn more about the ionic air purifier? Visit Ionic Air Purifier Info.