Have you ever sat down for a meal at your local restaurant and in the middle of eating you get a strong whiff of smoke completely ruining the taste of the food? I have many times and it is not very pleasant. This is a nasty problem that is all to common when eating out in restaurants or bars that allow smoking. Even if there is a sectioned smoking area the problem is not solved because unfortunately smoke doesn’t recognise the barriers like we do. Secondhand smoke is a very serious issue, especially for bar and restaurant staff who may be breathing second hand smoke for their entire shift. Many countries are beginning to recognise this problem and now offer incentives for bar & restaurant owners to ban smoking inside their premises. Initially this does sound like the ideal, and only, solution however banning smoking completely from within your restaurant or bar can have dire consequences to your customer base. You may well loose many of your smoking customers and even their non-smoking friends; after all they want to eat/socialize together so why should they split up? In order to go out as a group they probably will all go somewhere the smokers among them are able to smoke.

So how do you reach a happy middle ground? Allowing smoking but also keep the air clear from smoke? Simple,.. get a smoke eater for a restaurant or bar. These are known as commercial air purifiers and will effectively and efficiently clear & clean the air of your restaurant and bar eradicating all traces of smoke and smoke odors. These restaurant smoke eaters essentially ‘eat up’ the smoke in your restaurant or bar and enable your customers to enjoy their meal without distraction of off-putting smells and odors.

On top of this a smoke eater for a restaurant or bar will do so much more than simply clear the air of smoke and odors. A smoke eater for a restaurant can purify the air leaving it free of pollutants helping create a healthy environment perfect for restaurants, bars, clubs and other such establishments.

Below are some example smoke eaters for restaurants:
[source: Air Quality Engineering]

• Smokemaster Surface Mount Air Cleaner C-12

Model C-12

The SmokeMaster® commercial air purifiers are self-contained electronic air cleaners. These commercial air purifiers are perfect smoke eaters for restaurants, bars, bingo halls or any other premise where cigarette smoke is an issue. Every SmokeMaster air purifier unit features the unique four-way Coanda airflow method of air recirculation. The Coanda air pattern draws dirty air into the smoke eater from underneath & then recirculates the clean air out in four directions providing thorough and immediate air purification results. The durable aluminum cell design gets rid of the need for replacing filters whilst providing many years of highly efficient service.

• Smokemaster Surface Mount Air Cleaner CM-12

Model CM-12

The EverClear® smoke eater air purifier systems are self-contained HEPA-type air cleaners. These are state of the art filtration systems ideal for removing dust, smoke, pollen and other particles from the air of restaurants, bars and other similar large-space facilities. These smoke eater systems use a high efficiency disposable filter and activated carbon modules with up to 44 lbs of activated carbon available for these air cleaners providing odor & vapor contaminant removal. EverClear® smoke eaters also utilise the unique four-way Coanda airflow method for air recirculation. These smoke eaters for restaurants are controlled by a choice of unit mounted or wall mounted infinitely variable speed controllers.

If you are looking for a smoke eater for a restaurant, pub or other such establishment you can find out more about these smoke eater systems at the Air Quality Engineering website: www.air-quality-eng.com

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Indoor air can make you miserable if it is not kept clean and healthy.

Clean indoor air is essential for a happy you and a happy home.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reported that Indoor air can contain up to 5 times as much pollution as outdoor air. Allergies and asthma are on the rise so cleaning indoor air in your home and work place is more important than ever as this can greatly reduce symptoms according to Dr. John Winder, an allergist for the Nationwide Asthma Screening Program of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

These are some clean indoor air top tips:
[source: Winder & Oreck Vacuum Cleaners]

• When you dust your house with a cloth you a often spreading dust around. You vacuum based tools to dust with instead. Make sure you don’t avoid difficult to reach areas like space under beds, drapes and moldings.
• A great tip for dusting small objects is to cover the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner with a pair of tights or fine cloth. Put the vacuum on a low suction level and run the small objects over the front of the vacuum nozzle. This sucks all the dust off without the object disappearing in to the vacuum! Note: Be sure to use a scrap material to cover the vacuum nozzle as it can get ruined in the process.
• Wrap pillows and mattresses in allergen-protective covers and regularly vacuum them.
• When you wash your linens make sure the water is hot (130 degrees or above) to ensure dust mites and their eggs are killed off properly.
• Deep clean your carpets & floor surfaces once every season at least.
• To really thoroughly achieve clean indoor air get an air purifier to remove all the airborne pollutants.
• Clean indoor air is also about humidity.. maintain a cool & dry home. Keep humidity to 50% or less. You can use a humidifier to aid in this but make sure you frequently empty the unit to prevent the growth of mold in the tank.
• Try to avoid letting your pets sleep in the bedrooms.
• Keep stuffed animals and busy shelves to a minimum as these are real dust-catcher locations. If you have lots of stuffed toys vacuum them frequently.. but carefully of course!!

Follow this great advice and you will have super clean indoor air in no time.

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I often find after vacuuming the house that there is a bit of a nasty smell left over from the vacuum sucking all the house air through a dirty vacuum bag. I also often wonder how much dust and pollutants are being cast back in to the air because of the sucked up air being endlessly thrust through the dirty vacuum bag. Now I either need to get an air purifier for every room in my home or invest in a new vacuum cleaner, preferably one of the air purifier vacuum cleaners with a built in HEPA filter!

HEPA vacuum cleaners are beginning to be a very popular household appliance helping keep away pollen, moulds, spores, pet dander and many other causes of allergies and asthma. Why undo all the hard work of your air purifier unit every time you vacuum? HEPA vacuum cleaners have industry standard HEPA filters built in to stop the majority of particles getting back in to the rooms air via the vacuum’s air outlet.

A fair few varieties of HEPA vacuum cleaners are now available; canister models, upright models as well as HEPA central vac systems for the entire home.

Listed below are some key aspects to look out for when shopping for a HEPA vacuum cleaner:

• Make sure the vacuum contains a real HEPA filter and not something that is just ‘similar’ to a HEPA filter.
• Make sure the unit is lightweight and sealed with rubber gaskets to stop possible leakage from the unit otherwise this renders the filtration pointless.
• Check for a twin-fan or two-fan suction motor to help increase filtration of dirt & allergens.
• Look for a quiet HEPA vacuum cleaner that has fans placed in a way such that particles will hit the vacuums bag before the blower.
• Check for the use of hygienic vacuum sack dust bags and stay clear of HEPA vacuum cleaners that utilise no dust bags at all.
• An indicator light to let you know when the dust bag needs changing.
• Long and flexible vacuum hoses.
• Adjustable vacuum area for carpets at different heights.
• Look for easy of use; simply controls, good manoeuvrability and variable suction.
• If you are choosing a canister model HEPA vacuum cleaner look for a rotating power nozzle.
• For good manoeuvrability aim for full 360 degree movement in both the wheels and vacuum hose.
• Always check for a retractable power lead and a great warranty on your HEPA vacuum cleaner.

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Forced air flow-through air purifiers are definitely more effective than the previous two types of air purifiers mentioned; electrostatic air purifiers and electric spark air purifiers. However, unfortunately the filters used by these systems are fairly ineffective on the majority of harmful particles and most viruses & bacteria. Plus whilst forced air flow-through air purifiers usually have fans built-in, they are more often than not far too weak to move a decent amount of air efficiently meaning low air exchanges per hour and rendering the forced air flow-through air purifier unit ineffective at purifying the air of an averaged sized home.

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Electrostatic Air Purifier filter units use electrostatic magnetism which causes certain pollutants to gravitate to an electrically charged plate just as with the electric air purifiers mentioned in the previous post. These electrostatic air purifier systems work in a very similar way to the electric spark units mentioned but with a main difference that is these electrostatic air purifiers do not create ozone gas. However, their effectiveness on the majority of odors, viruses and bacteria is pretty much non-existent. Electrostatic air purifier units also require the metal plate to be washed frequently. Plus because they move no air electrostatic air purifiers tend to clean hardly any air as well.

There may well be exceptions to this as there are new products and technologies constantly coming on to the market but generally electrostatic air purifiers are highly ineffective. Remember to always fully research an air purifier before purchasing.

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There is a wide variety of electronic air purifiers on the market and so not all electronic air purifiers but some of them, notably electric spark ozone-creating units, contain no filters and tend not move any air at all. Due to the lack of filters they rely solely on statically charging the surrounding air as so to pull particles towards a metal plate within the unit. Manufacturers promote the fact there is no filter that requires constant replacing, unfortunaltely in reality this actually means that almost none of the harmful particles are getting captured by the electronic air purifier. These electronic air purifiers tend to move hardly any air if any meaning they only have an effect on air that just happens to float by. Once again manufacturers play on this ‘feature’ stating the electronic air purifiers are silent, but the reality of this is again that the electronic air purifiers are completely ineffective as a solution for a whole-house or large-room. A large number of people, in particular seniors and children, are allergic to the ozone gas created by these electric spark ozone-creating air purifiers, some to a seriously harmful level.

When choosing an electronic air purifier be sure to take these important points in to consideration.

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[Source: PRWEB]

As you may well have already heard the indoor air pollution level in U.S. homes is reaching an alarming rate. The US Dept. of Health not long ago stated that indoor air pollution in American homes has been found to be as much as 100 times the level of air pollution outside. The Centers for Disease Control has recognised this problem to be one of the major concerning stresses on human health & welfare.

Indoor air pollution has become so serious and threatening the American Lung Association (ALA) issued a strong warning for individuals who are indoors for more than eight hours a day which actually equates to over 94 percent of Americans! The warnings have been specifically aimed at children under 12, adults above 60, smokers, pet owners and asthma & allergy sufferers.

It appears owning an air purifier to lessen your indoor air pollution levels are more important than ever. However, before looking in to solving you indoor air pollution problem always fully research your particular situation and the appropriate solution to take.

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Electrostatic air purifier units use electrostatic magnetism which causes certain pollutants to stick to an electrically charged metal plate. Electrostatic air purifier systems work in a similar way to electric spark systems but manage to avoid creating ozone gas in the process. The effectiveness of an electrostatic air purifier on the majority of odors, bacteria and viruses is pretty much negligible. The units also require frequent washing of their metal plates. Electrostatic air purifier generally do not move air either which equates to far less air being purified than should be.

The summary? ..be wary when looking to get an electrostatic air purifier. Make sure you research the product’s performance fully.

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HEPA air purifier filtration units are the only air purifier systems that can provide effective defence against all indoor air pollution problems effectively removing pretty much all airborne threats. H.E.P.A. (high efficiency particulate air), was in fact originally developed to purify hospital operating room air and also the air in highly volatile pharmaceutical and medical laboratories. From the moment of its creation HEPA air purifiers have been the air filtration of choice for delicate areas that need total purification. At 99.97% efficiency on particles that are 0.3 microns or less no other air purifier system can come close to a HEPA air purifier.

If you are worried about the air that you breathe in you home or office you must make sure that your money is spent well by getting a system that will actually help you breathe purer air and not make your air worse. HEPA air purifiers can fit this bill.

HEPA air purifiers are reported as the best system available. Even so, HEPA air purifier products have their own differences. When choosing HEPA purifiers search for only metal cabinets. You do definitely not want plastic based housings that are able to give out toxic VOC’s and will simply put back in your air what it is you are trying to take out. HEPA air purifier systems must have included charcoal filtration for reduction of odors and VOC’s. Make sure the cartridges are sealed to increase filtration and stop the particles going back into the air when the unit is not on. Last of all try to find a quiet HEPA air purifier that can still move the air effectively. They do exist.. honest!!

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If you have decided to finally purchase an air purifier there are four basic truths to air purifier filtration that you really should understand before making your decision:

1. If the air purifier unit is unable to successfully move air about, it cannot clean air properly.
2. If your air purifier system contains no filters, it is rendered unable to clean air.
3. HEPA filtration is reported as the only complete air cleaning solution.
4. Air purifiers constructed with plastic materials actually make Toxic V.O.C.s (volatile organic compounds).

These four factors are the most important considerations when choosing an indoor air purifier to protect you and your family. Focus on these important points when purchasing your indoor air purifier.

Information supplied by: Victoria Kamm - A Certified Indoor Environmentalist and a member of the Healthy House Products advisory board.

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